The Psychological Importance of Artifacts

As recent email blasts have shared, The Museum of Teaching and Learning is now moving into a larger facility. In this new space at a nonprofit hub, guests will be able to enjoy MOTAL’s collection of artifacts at the mini-museum. In the past, objects have been shared at public events, so we know that they have pleased and intrigued people of all ages. Now, the prospect of taking precious, donated pieces out of storage to tell their stories is exciting. People like things, for they evoke memories or they may be quite novel and, sometimes, amazing. Physical objects also serve as symbols for important values and relationships. The Statue of Liberty is an important artifact for Americans.

Throughout history, humans have created tangible objects to use as tools, wear as clothing, appreciate as works of art, and record their lives and ideas as documents (such as journals, books, newspapers) and digital impressions (such as photographs, recordings, films). Those objects are known as artifacts, and museums collect those artifacts, understanding that they provide connections to other people from other times and places. Artifacts provide insights into other cultures. In museum settings humans not only examine and think and talk about objects, they also develop intricate emotional relationships with them as well.

Tangible objects have the capacity to promote recollections—sometimes of love, admiration, and identification; sometimes of anger or disgust. The pairs of red shoes worn by Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz are beloved by all. Those pairs that were actually worn by actress Judy Garland evoke awe, and have been valued in many millions of dollars. On the other hand, the small leather shoes retrieved from the residue at Auschwitz have been identified as those of the young children who were killed. The sight of the many, many shoes evokes tears of anger and frustration in those who come into physical and visual proximity with them. They remain as painful reminders of the atrocities enacted during World War II.

It's also important to note that not all artifacts are in museums. Our homes are also repositories of objects, and many people have the means to collect and preserve items beyond necessary cooking tools and articles of clothing. To name just a few: paintings, photos, books, sets of china and silverware, phones, tools, furniture, cars, hats, shoes, jewelry, quilts. Although Elaine Gurian is a distinguished museum consultant, her words ring true for homes as well: “Artifacts are the touchstones that bring memories and meanings to life.” An interesting way to get to know other people is to invite them to tell you about one or two objects in their homes that have special meaning for them. If you readers were to engage in this line of questioning you’d be surprised and delighted as you gain insights into the lives and values of people you’ve known, but through other ways.

Our MOTAL board, staff, and volunteers are busy unpacking, unwrapping, and now pondering how to find even more space for the actual artifacts, but also how to continue to write and share their special stories. We need to embrace others who are interested in protecting, preserving, and researching stories about the special artifacts that are in the MOTAL Museum at The Hub.

If you would like to be part of the effort, please don’t be shy. Just reply to this email, or remember to write about yourself, your interests, and availability to [email protected].

P.S. You will soon see the shoes that are part of the MOTAL collection. They are not red.