We've confronted this issue numerous times, with regards to exhibits related
to the U.S. Civil War, but also on science projects, as I'll explain. My
personal position on this is that what matters most is to make exhibits that
address goals you have set for the visitor experience. If you set specific
goals early, they can help you make decisions later, and can help you
prioritize issues.

On science projects, we frequently have what I would describe as a
(sometimes huge) gap between what the visitor can take in and comprehend
during a brief exposure to an exhibit, and the level of detail and accuracy
that the scientists we work for want in the exhibit. Setting visitor
experience goals early in the process can help when the going gets tough
during copy editing.

I think there are similarities with historical subjects. After researching
the Civil War and all the amazing photographs taken during the war for a
recent project, we were often confronted with the perfect photograph to
convey the message of the exhibit. But the "perfect" photograph often was
from the wrong place, battle, or time. During that process it was always
helpful when we had pre-determined goals for the exhibit. For example, if we
knew ahead of time that conveying the emotions or mood of an event or issue
took priority over adherence to perfect historical accuracy, the decisions
became easier. Naturally, you could decide that historical accuracy would
take priority and the outcome might be different.

During our Civil War research, we became extremely familiar with the images
from the war. Now, we enjoy watching Civil War documentaries and identifying
where the film-makers have used images from the wrong battle to help tell
their story. There is one particularly evocative image taken after the
battle of Cold Harbor (about 5 miles from our office) that we see used in
almost every documentary on the war, regardless of the place or year. This
kind of realization is fun for us, but I think it has little to do with the
experience of the target audience for the film(s). The photo works well to
tell the story, so it gets used a lot.

So, my suggestion is to set your goals early (write them down - get everyone
to "sign off" on them) and use them throughout the project to guide the type
of decision making that you are asking about. There are a number of
resources on the subject of goal setting and planning exhibitions. Contact
me for further info on this if you like.

John Moser, president
Moser Productions, Inc.
exhibit planning, design,  and fabrication
Richmond, Virginia
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----- Original Message -----
From: "Julie Holcomb" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, February 11, 2003 12:46 PM
Subject: Artistic license vs. historical integrity


> Please excuse the cross-postings.
>
> We are critiquing the video documentaries created for our new Civil War
> museum and the question of artistic license has come up in our
> discussions.  An example from the documentary probably best illustrates
> our problem.  The introductory or main video is a chronological timeline
> of the Civil War.  The narrative includes quotes from our collection.
> For example, in a discussion of the early days of the war (1861), an
> actor reads "I have seen my first real battle and hope it is my last."
> The letter he is reading from, however, is from 1862.
>
> First, have you dealt with this issue of artistic license versus
> historical integrity, and if so, how did you resolve the problem?  Is
> the production company's artistic license with some of the quotes a
> problem?  Or am I pushing too hard on the integrity issue? I have my own
> opinions, but I'd like to hear from others who have had to resolve this
> problem.
>
> My other question is directed specifically to archivists or museum
> professionals working with Civil War collections.  How did you resolve
> the issue of naming battles?  For example, in your labeling and any
> related narrative, did you name the battle First Bull Run or First
> Manassas?
>
> Thanks in advance.  I know I'm setting myself for potentially heated
> debate, but I do want your candid opinions.
> Julie Holcomb
>
> --
> Julie Holcomb
> College and Special Collections Archivist
> Pearce Civil War Collection
> Pearce Western Art Collection
> Navarro College, 3200 W. 7th Ave., Corsicana, Texas 75110
>
> Phone: 903-875-7438
> Fax: 903-875-7449
> E-mail: [log in to unmask]
>
> Internet:
> http://www.nav.cc.tx.us/archives/index.html
> http://www.nav.cc.tx.us/civilwar/index.html
> http://www.nav.cc.tx.us/westernart/index.html
>
> "History does not refer merely, or even principally, to the past.  On
> the contrary, the great
> force of history comes from the fact that we carry it within us, are
> unconsciously
> controlled by it in many ways, and history is literally present in all
> that we do." James
> Baldwin
>
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