Wallace's "The Virtual Past: Media and History Museums"

Wallace chapter entitled “The Virtual Past: Media and History Museums” is a rather interesting one to look at in retrospect. Indeed, Wallace wrote this piece in 1993, and a lot of things have changed since then in the digital and computerized worlds. Throughout his article, Wallace mostly focuses on the risks inherent to the digital world. He wonders if history computer games or electronic books will be the only way future generations will be connected to historical subjects. He seems to believe that helmet and body sensors will become a very popular technology and will be widely used in museums, for virtual exhibits or such. 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”. Moreover, even though he declares that the use of public places is already slowly disappearing in our societies, Wallace seems worried that the emergence of virtual museums will make matters worse by removing another opportunity people have to leave their house and interact with others. In addition, Wallace 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. Without saying that computers and internet connections are inexpensive, their prices have been going down and will surely continue to do so. Besides, books have not yet disappeared, just as libraries. Museums are still standing. They actually use the new technologies not to become isolated islands of knowledge for a few elected ones, but to reach out to broader audiences. 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.