Keeping Up Appearances: Why are interiors important? Challenging the role of the Curator in Preserving the Interior as a Site of Historic Encounter in the Australian Historic House Museum

Abstract

Interiors in historic house museums are spaces where the private lives of often public figures are made public. This thesis explores the challenges of the intersection of the professional Curator and the presentation of the private person in a public space. It looks at the role of those making and implementing the decisions, from well-meaning amateur to knowledgeable Curator. It challenges the role of the Curator in making these decisions and investigates the outcomes through four case studies that are based in New South Wales. It places these four examples in the wider national and international context. The thesis charts the ways in which conservation and interpretation philosophies and practices influence curatorial decisions.

It recognises and notes the value of the historic interior as a site which holds the witness marks of past occupants. The thesis argues that the accurate presentation of interiors is the primary method of realising their intrinsic value. It analyses other methods for preserving and interpreting historic house interiors, such as in a constructed museum and gallery context, and through virtual reality. It charts the changes in attitude and purpose of these other reconstructions. It looks at the outcomes of changing the context of the interiors by moving them to another (equally charged) location. It concludes that interiors are worth preserving, that the accuracy of their appearance is best achieved by using the information available, the tangible and intangible heritage, the material fabric of the building and so on, in the interior as primary resource, ideally with the interior remaining in its original context of its historic house and, even with flaws and short comings, using an experienced Curator as facilitator despite the challenges they face.