IHNE Field Trip No.4, April 2, 2023
Are you Experienced? Well, ‘That’s Entertainment’!
On a bright and blustery Sunday in early April, IHNE journeyed to South Central Mass to visit the Samuel Slater Experience. Museum Director, Barbara Van Reed and Program Coordinator, Reanna Kuzdzal, kindly ushered us into a maze of passageways and before we knew it we were in 18th Century England. This served as the setting for a video that dramatically presented a storyline and introduced us to the young Slater character. Seemingly authentic scenery and artifacts, coupled with sometimes startling holographic videos emanating from hidden projectors, turned out to be an immersive method used throughout the Experience. The recreated deck of an 18th century schooner, alongside an immense projection wall of a heaving sea, punctuated with realistic sounds, made it clear that our senses were being targeted as much as our intellect. Relatable human moments, like young Slater vomiting into a bucket, the menacing bouncer at the speakeasy or being startled by a rat, seem to have been used to cut through the stuffiness and visceral distance of more conventional historical interpretation.
With no windows and a serpentine floorplan, the physical space was disorienting, prompting deeper immersion and surprise encounters. After following the life and accomplishments of Slater, the theme abruptly shifted to the history of the town of Webster. Noteworthy aspects of the town as it evolved over time were recreated in detail, carefully accentuated by audio and visual elements. The typical atmosphere of nostalgic longings for the good old days was largely replaced with meticulously recreated rooms recalling local landmarks. Memory sharing was reserved for a final video that profiled community interest, but then oddly emphasized the catchy (but possibly inaccurate) “Slater the Traitor” moniker.
If nothing else, we were entertained and inspired to discuss this method of presenting history. Visiting kids would certainly be stimulated, but would they really remember what took place in Webster? Some museum folks in our group were envious of the investments made throughout the site. We agreed that innovative technologies, deployed adeptly, can open up new avenues of engagement. But there was concern that depending on dramatic lighting, videos, and interactive displays, although rapidly becoming expected by visitors, could lead to a superficial appreciation of historical reality. And maintenance and keeping up with technological advances could be expensive. It was well-worth the visit to the Slater Experience and we left pondering how new tools can impact engagement with history.
—Eric Peterson