[ARC5] Boatanchor Ennui--The Museum "Solution"

[Dennis DuValll]

Forget it….

I assembled and managed the Electronics exhibit at the Fort MacArthur Museum in San Pedro, CA, up until last year.  Emphasis was on equipment that was used at the Fort in WW2
along  with occasional examples of aircraft (BC-375 for ex), Navy and commercial equipment of the same era.  The majority of the exhibits were maintained in operational condition.
Unfortunately I have to report that the general public’s interest in and comprehension of such exhibits is virtually zero.  For example, when asked “What was this stuff for?”  I would explain how it allowed 
soldiers in the field to communicate back to their headquarters (for ex.) and  I would then be asked “Why would they want to do that?”  Most teens would take one look through the door and run.
And then there was the guy who busily explained all the equipment to his kids but got it all absolutely wrong.  I tried to break in a couple of times but got completely ignored and talked over. 
Also, nobody under 30 seemed to have any idea when/where WW2 took place or even if it happened at all except in the movies.   Along that line, I could raise a spark of interest when I explained that
our BC-375 on exhibit was the same kind of radio used on the Memphis Bell.  At first I used “Twelve O’clock High” for my movie example but only a few “old-timers” like myself remembered that one.

So, old radio stuff just doesn’t cut it with the general public. The Fort’s heavy vehicle and searchlight collections did garner a lot of interest though. Much more up-front understandable and user friendly
for the general public.  A visitor could imagine himself charging around in the Fort’s half-track but never mind the working SCR-284 and BC-659 also installed in the vehicle.


Dennis D.  W7QHO
Glendale, CA

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