My Last Day at the Museum

For my final blog post, I thought it would be fun to edit Carroll Ward’s (Mamie McFaddin-Ward’s husband) discharge papers as I am “discharged” from my duties at the McFaddin-Ward House. I have enjoyed my time at the museum and look forward to what the future holds.

As I sat down to write this final entry and reflected about my time here, all of the things that I have learned over the past ten weeks amaze me. When I arrived at the McFaddin-Ward House two months ago, I had only studied the theory used to run a museum. I have seen that the theories taught in the classroom at a university can only carry you so far in the real world.

During my time here, I have come understand of the challenges that museums face on a daily basis. These challenges range from a lack of resources to concerns over the institution’s public image. However, the staff members at the McFaddin-Ward House have shown me that for every roadblock that I may encounter in the museum, there is always a practical solution. One of the funniest examples of this was constructing the sandbag wall, which is set up in the museum’s carriage house. When trying to figure out how to construct this, I had two ideas. First, I thought we could use actual sandbags to create our representation of a World War I trench, but then I realized that the bags would have created a sandy mess in the stalls. A local artist then suggested that we could sculpt scenery out of foam, and then apply earth-tone paints to create the appearance of the trenches. However, with time and financial limitations, I knew that this would not be possible, either.  

We settled on a design, which involved using sandbags we picked up from a local army surplus store and newspaper. This worked out well for several reasons. The bags are light and can be moved easily, the newspaper could be molded to the shape of the bag, and it was inexpensive.

Learning to be adaptable was one of the most valuable lessons that I learned here. The experiences I have enjoyed at the McFaddin-Ward House will surely serve me well as I continue to seek employment in the museum field. Tomorrow is my final day with the McFaddin-Ward House, and in closing, I would like to wish the best for the museum, and all of my friends and colleagues that work so tirelessly to ensure that the house continues to be a source of joy and learning for many generations to come.

Installation: From Concept to Reality

Installation day for my exhibit was an exciting day. It is time to take “World War I: Home and Away” from conception to execution. I believe that we have selected some great artifacts to fill the two spaces allotted to this project. The artifacts range from some of Ida McFaddin’s personal belonging associated with her service in the Red Cross, to an actual World War I-era field kit.

This phase of the project has been an eye-opening experience for me. I am reminded of a quote that has been attributed to one of Germany’s most famous commanders, Field Marshal Helmuth Von Moltke, the Elder , who was instrumental in training the German officer corps that were responsible for leading troops during the First World War. He reportedly said, “A plan never survives first contact with the enemy.” 

Field Marshal Helmuth von Moltke, the Elder was one of the most influential military thinkers of the late-nineteenth century, and is credited with developing some of the strategy used by the German army in the Great War.

Although I have spent a great deal of time planning the exhibit down to the last detail, I have encountered several setbacks, mostly relating to the size of the carriage house space. These problems involve mostly lighting and other environmental aspects that are unique to the space. If I have learned one thing throughout this experience, it has been that an exhibit designer must be flexible and able to make compromises between their grand vision and capabilities as well as limitations of the assigned space. This quality is necessary for any modern museum professional.

In regard to lighting, the carriage house has lattice work around the outside of the building which blocks most outdoor light, making the space wall dark. To help make the photos and posters more visible, I placed them on the right and left walls where they receive the most natural light, and placed small artifacts near the back of the space. The bright colors of the posters work well with the low light and their placement will allow visitors to enjoy the many recruiting posters and family photographs better, which are major components of this exhibit.

Learning to organize an exhibit display was such a great experience. I learned to place the photos in a balanced grouping rather than a straight line, making the display more pleasing to the eye.

I am pleased with the final exhibit and its configuration and feel that my goals have been met, which was to build an exhibit that accurately depicted the activities of Beaumont and the McFaddins during the Great War, both at home and abroad. We have also accomplished this while remaining within the parameters that the administration set for us. If I have learned one thing through this experience, it has been that an exhibit designer must be flexible and able to make compromises between their vision and the limitations of the space. These qualities are necessary in a modern museum professional. Teamwork is also a vital component of any museum activity. “World War I: Home and Away” would have never been completed without the assistance of every staff member from the Curator of Education and Public Relations Coordinator to the museum technicians. Their help and knowledge have been of the utmost importance, while completing this project.