An interesting question Vicky. My first reaction with my interpretation hat
on was that it's hard enough getting over complex or intricate messages to
visitors on text panels without making it even more confusing by throwing
in unusual words or phrases which have since altered their meaning or
dropped out of useage. However I realised that I do it on text panels
occasionally - using a historical quote or phrase for example, or more
regularly in learning packs, with a whole paragraph taken from a relevant
document or oral testimony. In this way we feed out bits of
non-professional non-C21st dialogue to visitors all the time.

I suppose it is about providing a context for the material, and ensuring
that it is surrounded by understandable language and that settings and
artefacts are explained well.
It doesn't have to be completely immersive, but visitors have to have a
sense of the timeframe and be given time themselves to absorb their
surroundings.

As an example, I watched the first and second series of Deadwood set in the
American mid-west in the 1870's (broadcast late on C4 I think, but I also
watched it on DVD) which involved switching from the crude and scatological
language of some of the characters to the tortuous and 'long-winded' (to
our way of thinking) language of the more professional or self-important
characters, but with some people combining the two. It was extremely hard
to follow at first, but because it was such great fun to watch I persevered
and it started to make sense as I realised who the characters were and what
they represented. Context again.

Sometimes it just wouldn't work at all, using examples of eighteenth
century secretary hand on panels is a nightmare for virtually everyone. The
Enigma machine is Rebecca Milehams reply was probably not provided with
enough 1940s background to make sense of the style of the machine and how
it was used, the panels were somewhat stilted perhaps (I'm guessing) and
visitors simply moved on, baffled.

One way round the problem of unfamiliarity like you say Paul Baker, is
giving a context by there being someone on hand (an actor, volunteer,
member of staff) to try and make sense of 'it' to visitors, by interacting
and using first or third person interpretation as appropriate.


Regards

Brian Holmshaw
Cemetery Manager
Sheffield General Cemetery Trust

Original Message:
-----------------
From: Paul Baker [log in to unmask]
Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2007 19:19:09 +0100
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: text in period settings


I use Elizabethan speech in all my public performances of Elizabethan
music. 
It creates first astonishment, then curiosity, and ultimately enhances the 
sense of period. I must stress, though, that it has to be studied and 
practiced exhaustively, so that it sounds natural, and not like a rehearsed 
and badly-delivered speech. I'm now sufficiently familiar with Elizabethan 
speech patterns and idioms to improvise, reply to questions and make jokes 
without dropping into anachronistic modernisms, but it's taken me many
years 
to get there.

Text panels are, of course, much easier, because one can prepare them in 
advance. Provided the pastiche is accurate, it should work very well. There 
is a historical window, though, within which it's workable. I suspect that 
WWII text would hardly be perceived as different from modern display text, 
which is expected to be slightly formal, unless one concentrated heavily on 
iconic phrases which have dated particularly dramatically, and then it
would 
border on caricature. At the other end of the timescale, 1550 is about the 
limit beyond which English starts to get unintelligible to a modern reader.

Best wishes,

Paul Baker
Renaissance Musician, Instrument Maker,
Computer Maestro and lots of other things.
Diabolus in Musica and Midlands Early Music Forum
[log in to unmask]
www.diabolus.org


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Vicky Mair" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, September 11, 2007 4:29 PM
Subject: text in period settings


*apologies for cross-posting*

Hi,

I was wondering if any of you have had experience of using 'period' text to 
fit in with a period setting (e.g. using Victorian language and style to
fit 
in with a Victorian display).  Has anyone tried this (and evaluated what 
visitors thought of it)?

I'd be interested to find out if visitors found it immersive or just plain 
confusing!
Or if any of you have ever had requests for this kind of interpretation
from 
visitors?

Many thanks,

Vicky


Vicky Mair
Visitor Studies Reserach Assistant
Riverside Project
Museum of Transport
Glasgow
G3 8DP

[log in to unmask]


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