Laura,

A furnishings plan is focussed on what kinds of furnishings and
objects are appropriate for a room within an historic building or a
period room. A furnishing plan is often a constructed blend of
resources from furnishings and objects that have a provenance with a
house or a family. probate inventories and other period documents and
sources, and also archaeological evidence.

An interpretive plan may or may not feature the furnishings within the
building. The closest interesection occurs when the interpretive
emphasis is on the furnishings and architecture. But an interpretive
plan often includes biography, economic, national, regional, local,
and social history, and also first person interpretation.

I have always felt that any good interpretive plan has to incorporate
the material culture of the past and that interpreters should have as
much knowledge as possible about the specific furnishings and the
evidence that was used to choose them.

Cheers!
Dave

David Harvey
Conservator, Los Angeles California


On 8/13/07, laura abrams <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Hello,
> This is perhaps a silly question, but could someone explain the difference
> between an interpretive plan and a furnishing plan? In the literature I have
> read, there seems to be crossover between the two and I was just looking to
> clarify.
>
> Thank you in advance!
>
>
>
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