Visiting our urban past: the Kimberley mine and Pilgrims Rest museums.
Abstract
• Opsomming:
Die museum in Pelgrimsrus en die Kimberley Mynmuseum
Verteenwoordig besondere prestasies in die
aanbieding van die verlede aan die publiek. Nogtans
kan beide, ten spyte van hul inherente bekoring,
gekritiseer word omdat hulle nalaat om die kragte
onderliggend aan sosiale verandering uit te beeld.
Sommige van die teenstrydighede tussen die jongste
historiografie se interpretasie van die verlede en die
museums se aanbieding van daardie verlede, word in
die artikel bespreek. Voorstelle vir die verdere
ontwikkeling van die museums om dié vraagstukke
aan te spreek word dan ondersoek. • Summary:
Both Pilgrims Rest and the Kimberley Mine Museum
represent remarkable achievements in the field of public
presentation of the past. However, both of these open
air, urban museums, fascinating as they are, could be
subjected to criticism for their failure to capture the
forces of social change. Some of the contrasts between
the past portrayed in the more recent historiography and
that offered by the museum versions are discussed in the
paper. Possibilities for the further development of the
museums to deal with the issues raised are then
examined.