museums | cultural objects fort macleod alberta by michael leeb
spatial archives artefact, cultural object and structure
The apparent distinction between whether a specimen is an artefact or a cultural object is whether it is primarily of scientific or of cultural significance. Historically these specimens were collected primarily as scientific artefacts, even though today we would consider that their cultural value and significance outweighs their scientific value. The same can be said of most historical buildings that are now museums. These historical structures are cultural objects , albeit much larger in scale. A structure as cultural object allows a person to experience the structure by moving through the object – a qualitative and experientially different spatial relationship be- tween object and subject. In most museums a person tends to move around the object or artefact displayed, rather than through it. While visiting the fort I walked along the ramparts on the north side between the blockhouses with views of the river, then walked through the blockhouses up and down the stairs, all the while imagining what life may have been like over a century ago. Nevitt’s diary and sketches which emphasise the importance of the weather and climate, the geography of Fort Macleod and the influence of these factors on the daily lives of the NWMP stationed at the fort are appreci- ated not by the articles exhibited within the museum, but rather by walking through , between and outside the the fort. It is the structure of the fort itself that is a cultural object in and of itself that provides a unique spatial and cultural experience not all museums possess. ~ 1 Dempsey, Hugh, editor. ‘Diary of R.B. Nevitt, NWMP surgeon’ A Winter in Ft. Macleod. Calgary: Glenbow- Alberta Institute, 1974. p18 2 Ibid. p19 3 These criteria are among those used by the Alberta Historical Research Foundation (AHRF) as a means of determining a building or site’s eligibility for designation as a heritage/historical site or building (based on a conversation with Gerry Ward of AHRF in 2004).
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archives and museums: On Site review 20
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