Dwelling in Possibility: Queering Historic House Museums
Bennett, Danielle.
2019
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House museums have historically presented domestic narratives that
prioritized heterosexual relationships and reinforced traditional gender roles.
When house museums feature queer subjects, institutions struggle to contextualize
them as queer people. This thesis explores the experiences of institutions that
have revised their interpretations to include the queerness of their subjects.
Beyond ... read morepractical application of how and why to achieve inclusivity in historic
house museums for LGBTQIA+ individuals, this thesis argues that queerness is a
formative experience that shapes how people encounter the world. Each queer
subject discussed created work that was informed by their sexuality and helped
them to manifest and document secure spaces to exist as queer people. In ignoring
that world-building inclination, house museums are failing to fully render their
domestic experiences and domestic experiences generally. It ends with a
consideration of the future of such institutions and suggests expanding
understanding of what sort of sites warrant preservation.
Thesis (M.A.)--Tufts University, 2019.
Submitted to the Dept. of History.
Advisor: James Rice.
Committee: Hilary Binda, and Cynthia Robinson.
Keywords: Museum studies, History, and LGBTQ studies.read less - ID:
- df65vn00v
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