Handling Original Objects
There are many benefits to be gained from the opportunity to handle original objects.
The opportunity to handle objects:
- gives an enhanced experience of museum collections, using the senses of sight, hearing, smell and touch
- removes physical and sensory barriers for everyone. Its benefits for people with visual impairments, for example, are self-evident, but reach much beyond this.
- is an inclusive activity, breaking down barriers and encouraging group interaction (McManus: 1987)
- allows people who may not be able to get to the museum to appreciate objects and use them to support their learning
- can play a powerful role in both stimulating and supporting learning. The National Curriculum emphasises the importance of using a variety of different sources and of introducing children to primary and secondary source material.
- helps raise attainment and stimulate the learning of under-achievers.
The value of touch and object handling in museums is little understood, despite the
overwhelming weight of anecdotal evidence which confirms the benefits of physical interaction with
objects. A new publication "Touch in Museums" presents a ground-breaking overview of object
handling from both historical and scientific perspectives. The book aims to establish a framework
for understanding the role of object handling for learning, enjoyment, and health. The broad range
of essays included explores the many different contexts for object handling, not only within the
museum, but extending beyond it to hospitals, schools and the wider community.
Useful Websites
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Berg Publishers for Touch in Museums, Policy and Practice in Object Handling by Helen J. Chatterjee.