Visible storage is a relatively new method of displaying the objects in museum collections.
Visible storage is a relatively new method of displaying the objects in museum collections. The term "visible storage"" is typically understood as having a large group, or several large groups of objects on display in clusters, as opposed to highlighting single pieces within exhibits.
When many of the most influential museums in North America and Europe were first opening their doors, curators typically lined up glass case after glass case of objects, often arranged in a comparative method. A case might be full of hammers from cultures around the world, for instance.
Eventually, the glass cases gave way to the display method typically seen in North American and European museums today; where a relatively small number of objects are surrounded by information intended to put the object in their cultural or historical context. The same hammer that was displayed alongside dozens of other hammers in museums of old would today be displayed next to objects from the same culture or period of time. Museums realized that the "glass case"' method of display was both over-whelming to the visitor as well as being mind-numbingly boring. While museums have known for some time that the "'glass-case" method is ineffective, many have come to the realization that visitors would like to see more of the objects held in their collections.
Certain museums in North America, ranging from the Museum of Anthropology in Vancouver, British Columbia to the Logan Museum of Anthropology in Beloit, Wisconsin and the Brooklyn Museum in New York have experimented with placing a larger number of objects on display in their exhibit halls.
While available statistics vary, most major museums display less than ten percent of their collections, while smaller museums may display a larger percentage of their collections; few museums have a large majority of their collections on display at any given time. Collections that are not on display are held by the museum to be used in future or traveling exhibits, research, teaching, and loans to other institutions.
One of the first museums to experiment with visible storage was the Museum of Anthropology in Vancouver, Canada. One of the main problems with visible storage is that a handful of visitors want to learn about specific objects on display. The Museum of Anthropology, which is run by the University of British Columbia, attempted to address this problem by placing large catalogue books in the center of displays, allowing visitors to look up each objects label. While some museum visitors find this process to be tedious, dedicated visitors find it to be extremely informative.
While the impact of the advent of visible storage is unclear, many museums have taken some of the lessons of the method to heart. Many museums now recognize that their collections have been under utilized in their exhibits. Museums also recognize however, that many, if not a majority, of visitors, do not really want to do research to find out what a specific object is supposed to teach them. While some museums will go to extreme lengths to display as much of their collections as possible, most museums will continue to attempt to strike a balance between displaying the objects in their collections, and guiding visitors to the lessons that those objects are intended to teach.
