The Seward House Museum, home to the progressive Miller/Seward family, with its almost completely original collection of artifacts, strives to tell the story of the socio-political legacy of William H. Seward and Frances Miller Seward. After a decade of steady institutional modification and newly discovered research, the Seward House decided to embark on a difficult exhibition journey– one that discussed the family’s involvement in nineteenth century prison reform. By inviting the local Auburn audience to share their story while exploring national themes and partnerships, Rooted in Reform attempts to make a wide-reaching social impact by focusing on the story of Auburn Prison, now known as Auburn Correctional Facility. Through sensitive research, building new partnerships, and the desire to push traditional museum boundaries, a seemingly local and niche historic house can have the power to approach a national story and engage a national audience.

The relationship between museums and the way the public perceives object displays and their related histories is a very intimate and interdependent one. Museums will inevitably present objects in ways that show biases, be it intentionally or unintentionally.

The reason people have different and sometimes contradictory views on a historical event is that they think and perceive through the lenses of their own background, culture, and narrative. Recognizing that different people can have a diverse range of perceptions of the same event emphasizes the fluidity of history and the way it is presented. As public institutions charged with the preservation and interpretation of cultural heritage, how have museums been presenting history? Moreover, which histories have they privileged?

In May 2021, the Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMA) unveiled its new interpretation of American art from 1650 to 1850 in the Robert L. McNeil Jr. Galleries. Part of the PMA’s major $525 million-dollar expansion designed by Frank Gehry, the galleries are the museum’s first reinstallation of its substantial collection of early American art since the Bicentennial in 1976.[1] The galleries are organized by eight themes, including “Global Connections,” “Pennsylvania Crossroads,” and “Traditions on the Move,” each addressing established topics in historical and art historical scholarship that call for an acknowledgement of marginalized experiences and non-Western influences in American history.