Book review: Mickey Mouse History, and other Essays on American Memory. Part I

Mike Wallace’s Mickey Mouse History, and Other Essays on American Memory, is a collection of essays written over the years. In the first section of the book, Wallace discusses different issues related to the world of American museums. Wallace first starts with the history museum and historical houses, describing who first created them and how their contents evolved over the decades. He then goes on with urban museums, the history of Ellis Island, and also the museums of Science along with the Industrial museums. In each article, Wallace takes the time to go over a brief but useful history of his subject, and then goes on to how things are now, and how they could still be improved. What stands out of his writings, and what he also mentions in his last article on “Museums and Controversy” is the shift that has taken place in the 1970s-1980s in the museums world. Indeed, it is during that period that social history made its entry in museums, bringing with it the history of certain people, such as African Americans or workers. At that time, new subjects were also presented in the museums, such as imperialism or ecology. If Wallace stresses that shift in each of his articles, he then comes back to it in his last contribution and tries to open some new paths for museums and/or exhibits. He would like museums to go beyond taboo subjects (such as the Vietnam war or the antiwar movement). He calls for the introduction of different interpretive points of view in exhibitions, so as to encourage the visitors to take the time to think, build their own opinion on the subject.
One of the many interesting elements found in those article is his approach to what he calls “The Virtual Past: Media and History Museums”. What first must be noted is that most of Wallace’s articles were written some time in the 1980s and 1990s. Therefore, some of his comments, critics or fears may feel a little out-of-date for nowadays readers. His article on new technologies belong that group. Indeed, Wallace mostly focuses his writing on the risks inherent to the digital world. He wonders if video games or electronic books will be the only way future generations will be connected to historical subjects. He also seems worried that these new technologies (such as the internet) will slowly replace museums. One of his main concerns is that virtual museums will slowly replace real ones, bringing up the question of artifacts and what will become of them. Wallace is apprehensive that virtual museums will feel more convenient for individuals, who will slowly turn into “couch-potato museumgoers”. He also thinks that the internet will maintain a social distinction in the access to culture. Computers, software, and internet connection would be expensive and not everybody could afford such technologies. Even though he interestingly closes his article on a more optimistic note – new technologies might end up bringing new possibilities for learning history in museums – Wallace surely seems preoccupied with those novelties. A twenty-first century reader cannot help but wonder if Wallace painted the devil on the wall from lack of knowledge and experience. If it is certain that new technologies have dramatically reshaped our society, they have not destroyed our cultures. So far, what Wallace seemed to be hoping for in his conclusion is taking place: the internet has not replaced museums, and new technologies haven’t swallow everything else. They nevertheless have enhanced the world of museums and have erected new bridges between people and museums.
All in all, Wallace does mention relevant elements about the history of certain types of museums, showing what is lacking, or what should no longer be forgotten in such places. He calls for a better relation between the world of museums and their audiences. If museums do not focus solely on the social and economic elites anymore – by presenting their history and history from their point of view - they still fail to approach certain topics or social groups. They should, therefore, continue in the necessary direction of broadening the scope of their audience, topics and messages. Wallace hopes that, as museums continue to change, they will encourage citizens to think about history, and their relation to it. It will also enable them to participate more in public debates, and to become “historically informed makers of history” (p.128). Wallace hopes that museums will help the strengthening of the link between the past and the future.