What do you look for most in a Civil War exhibit?

Joined
Jan 29, 2013
Hello. I'm working with a mid-sized local museum (I live North of Philadelphia) that is preparing for a brand new Civil War exhibit. We've never had a Civil War collection this large before and want to make sure we create the best experience for local historians and enthusiasts, which brings me to my question...

What makes a great Civil War exhibit stand out from a lousy exhibit?

Any insight you can provide will be very valuable and greatly appreciated. Please feel free to share both your personal preferences and/or any consensus of opinion.
 
I would like to do a diorama of the town of Cassville. A lot of the town except three buildings was destroyed. I would like to see a recreation of what the builingd and layout of the town was like.

cassville_640x932.gif
 
Any local regional tie-ins are a plus. This would include recoveries of artifacts related to any local actions. Replicas or examples of unusual equipment/weapons used locally can set an exhibit apart. Maps showing locations of any known fortifications, camps, actions, etc. are important. Overlay maps showing local community size then and now, and some historical landmarks/roads of the time can draw in locals.

For small displays I'm looking for something that is different and detailed, rather than generic/broad about the war.
 
Wow, what an exciting project!

Anything that connects your region with the War is extremely valuable in fostering local interest and support of the museum. Area residents that fought. Diaries, letters home, etc. What units were formed in your locale? Where did they fight? Newspaper stories from the time would help along these lines. Day in the life of a typical Civil War soldier... what they ate; how they slept; how far did they march; training; etc? ... Make the museum visit personal in some way. People remember what they can relate to, or make a connection to (however small). I'd definitely ask for input from those local historians and enthusiasts you mention.

Good luck and keep us posted on your progress. Do you have a website?
 
You may have already thought of this: make a visit to exhibits on display at Gettysburg, and visit the African American Civil War Museum in Washington, DC, the Museum of the Confederacy in Richmond, VA, and the American Civil War Center at Historic Tredegar, also in Richmond, VA. That will give you some ideas.

My own suggestion would be to display as many photos of Civil War era soldiers and civilians as possible. Seeing pictures of actual people really makes a difference, it "humanizes" the War, and makes abstract things "real." If your collection includes carte de vistes (or whatever they're called), that should definitely be part of the display

I also recommend providing war time stats for Philly or PA, eg: how many men from PA fought in the war, how many died, that type of thing. I think info on local recruiting - such as recruiting locations or advertisements - would be great to show, if available. And also, if you have materials from regional newspapers, that would be great to display if it's relevant.

- Alan
 
1) It would be very interesting to see period clothing, for both civilian men, women and children. Using manikans in a scene in town and a scene on the farm.

2) Soldiers dressed in uniforms that were issued in your community/area. If there is a famous soldier from the community, make sure to highlight this person.

This can be as simple or as complicated as you want to make it.

--BBF
 
After my recent visits, I have seen some displays that were interesting and some that I didn't like. Here are my random thoughts.

Replica uniforms & Equipment -- This can be a good draw especially if the visitors can handle or wear them. But don't mix replica items with real items without fully labeling it. I was at one museum that displayed several flags that looked real---but I knew they had to be post-war Veteran organization flags. I had to ask to find the truth.

Tie the war to local interests. Since the local people will be your main source of advertisement, it helps when they find it interesting to their lives. Find stories of veterans from the area. Display letters or artifacts from people who lived there at the time. This may be hard to find someone who will donate their family heirlooms.

Tell facts about the war but introduce new material. Nothing is boring as reading the same old story about hard tack and Sickles' leg and the Confederates search for shoes. I like to hear about something new. I would rather hear a good documented skirmish between two regiments than the same story about Picket's Charge. The more local it is the more it perks my interest. Yes, you do need to have general knowledge for the young student and those are not familiar with the dates and places. Our team of researchers looked through old books and diaries and did a lot of googling to locate some very personal stories that was much more interesting that text books.
 
And considering your locale if the town had any nearby manufacturing that was critical to the war effort, samples/replicas of what they made, tools/machines they used, pics/letters/contracts of the owners, etc. help tie in.
 
Local, local, local as possible. Put out a call for artifacts people may wish to loan for a short time and that are related locally. You have lots of good suggestions here.

Agreed! I don't much enjoy going to a museum and seeing stuff that has little to nothing to do with the locale. I want to see uniforms and gear that would have been used by area soldiers, possibly in a muster-in or deployment scene, or packing up to leave the farm/home. Also a small scene with a mother/wife/children trying to cope without the men around, or sitting by a fireplace reading a letter with local things in the scene - rocker, family Bible, pottery, etc. All using manikins. Don't forget after the war - GAR, reunions, etc.

I am not opposed to a generic camp scene as long as there are visual aids or interpreters explaining where the men of the area served.

Also, if there was a US General Hospital in your area, a scene depicting something along those lines would be enlightening.
 
A story. Local tie-ins are absolutely necessary. That means identified, locally attributable artifacts. The personal, local connection with the events covered. Lots of documents, photos on local people, happenings, etc. A miscellaneous collection of unattributed "old stuff" (metal detector finds, etc) is just so much scrap -- you can see that anywhere. Docs and photos are much more important. It takes work and a lot of research to make it worthwhile.

Cheers!

jno
 
Thanks everyone! This will all be very helpful. There are a lot of good responses here, and I've noticed that the following three ideas came up several times.
  1. Local tie-ins allow people to feel a personal connection to the pieces.
  2. Emphasis on the human aspect of the war is extremely important. Photos, documents, journals, etc.. humanize history and provide an understanding of how people lived during the war.
  3. New and specific information - it's better to explore a single topic/event in detail than to briefly touch on a jumble of things without providing any real insight.
Would you say these are three things I need to focus on as I help this museum prep their exhibit? Is there anything else you'd add to this list?
 
Sounds great. To cover the folks who know nothing, a handout they can take home with links and resources they can use is adequate. (Heh....we have those). Sounds like you know your business....I'm sure it will be something we'd all love to hear about as you go along!
 
Thanks everyone! This will all be very helpful. There are a lot of good responses here, and I've noticed that the following three ideas came up several times.
  1. Local tie-ins allow people to feel a personal connection to the pieces.
  2. Emphasis on the human aspect of the war is extremely important. Photos, documents, journals, etc.. humanize history and provide an understanding of how people lived during the war.
  3. New and specific information - it's better to explore a single topic/event in detail than to briefly touch on a jumble of things without providing any real insight.
Would you say these are three things I need to focus on as I help this museum prep their exhibit? Is there anything else you'd add to this list?
The nature of life at home is also something I find quite interesting in a period exhibit.Sanitary Commisions ,war related production support,or who reaped the August harvest, all make a more complete picture.
 
A peeve of mine regarding many "modern" exhibits is the tendency to feature too much REPRODUCTION stuff. Whether rifles, accouterments, hardtack, or whatever, I'd rather see whenever possible the REAL thing. Repros may be alright for kids who've maybe never seen ANYTHING, hence can't relate; but a reasonably savvy adult can only tolerate so much of the same old ( NEW ) things!
 
Myself, what I like to look at is their personal stuff. What was in their pockets, what was sent from home to make the soldiers life more bearable.
We all see the pieces of hardtack, and the various uniforms, Guns and weapons galore.
Remember it's more than guys who look at the exhibits. Show home front clothing, cookbooks, home remedies, some of the intricate sewing. How they lived- and the little stories. Don't forget the kids who visit, show some of the toys they played with, their clothes they wore, and even their pets.
 
I've been trying to think of the things that struck me most during my time wandering around PA, MD and VA.....

1) Stonewall's prayer book, binoculars and mess kit...worn from HIS hands. So simple, yet so touching. (Yes, I touched the darned desk. Perhaps putting things where people can resist temptation).

2) The framed (ambrotype? Not such what) photo of Turner Ashby in death...with the story about how his parents wanted it to remember their son...and the bizarre bones from his horse. Sort of fitting they're both there together in close proximity.

3) Lee's gloves. They were so perfect. So HIM.

4) The wall of photos and names at Gettysburg of the men on both sides who died. People were fascinated by the immensity and the names (finding the name of one of my students...who's now a history teacher....)

5) A dish from a house in Gettysburg with a nice bullet hole right through it.

So what I'm seeing that I remember is the personal touch. The things that belong to the men who fought and the people who were affected by the war.

Hope this helps a bit.

My kids' favorite things at the Alamo? A lock of Crockett's hair and Travis' ring he sent out with the four-year-old Angelina Dickenson. See?
 
So what I'm seeing that I remember is the personal touch. The things that belong to the men who fought and the people who were affected by the war.

This is true but if they are starting a small museum in a area outside of Richmond or Gettysburg, they will never be able to find such items or be able to afford them. But I agree that personal items are a great touch. It just may not be from Lee or Stonewall Jackson.
 
Back
Top