By Greg Olson, Curator for Exhibits and Special Projects, Missouri State Archives

One of the most stinging criticisms we have ever received about our exhibit program at the Missouri State Archives came from a reviewer of a grant proposal.  The reviewer stated flatly, "I refuse to believe that an exhibit of historic documents can be interesting." Though the comment was harsh, it expresses perfectly the challenge we face when we try to interest the public.  In this era of hand-held electronics, hands-on interactive elements, and hands-down blockbuster exhibits, how do you develop document-based exhibits that engage the public? 

We have more than 330 million documents and photographs in the Missouri State Archives.  Each one tells a story.  I decided to try to create a small exhibit for a big public building, the Kirkpatrick State Information Center in Jefferson City.  The building is the home of the Missouri Secretary of State, the State Library, and the State Archives.  The people who enter our doors have many purposes.

In the main entrance area of our building, just outside the entrance to the State Archives, the visitor sees three very large paintings by St. Louis artist, L. Edward Fisher.  Each of these pictures capture Jefferson City at a specific moment in its history.  The first painting shows the future sight of the capitol city on June 4, 1804, the day that Lewis and Clark passed by on their journey to the Pacific Ocean.  The second shows the young river town as it looked in 1904, while the third painting depicts the city as it appeared in 2004. I chose these pictures as the subject of my document exhibit.  I challenged myself to interest the visitor in connecting a few well-chosen documents with Edward Fisher’s task of historical imagination.

I set about designing a four-sided kiosk to stand at the center of the lobby.  

The kiosk offers a brief overview of the Missouri State Archives and of L. Edward Fisher’s three paintings, which hang nearby.  A pocket on one side of the kiosk holds seven document reproductions, each printed on sheets of durable 1/8 inch plastic.  Instructions printed on the kiosk challenge visitors to examine each document and to determine whether it best tells the story of Jefferson City as it was in 1804, 1904, or 2004.  Documents include photos of the old state capitol and the current state capitol, maps of Jefferson City from 1919 and 2007, and copies of William Clark's journal entry for June 4, 1804. 

After making their decision, visitors can test their answer by trying to hang the document on one of the label stands placed near each of the three paintings.  Since each document only fits in one place, visitors can easily match the documents with the proper painting.  These label stands will also provide hints for visitors and offer more detailed information about the documents that go with them. 

This set-up is an experiment in "visitor-centered thinking."  I know that archival documents are interesting, but the public I serve may not.  How can I create interest in the public treasure that we conserve?  I plan to take the lessons we learn from this experiment and apply them to our future exhibits.  Because the exhibit has only been in place for a few weeks, it is too early to tell how well it achieves the goals we set for it.  The real test will come in March and April 2008 when more than 4,000 school children will tour the archives as part of our Archives Alive! program series.