The Significance of Stories in Museum Research

Abstract

Stories are an important way in which we make sense of ourselves and those around us. They can be personal tales of conquest or defeat, political narratives of power or resistance, sensational reports of morality or depravity. Some stories encourage a subtle change in routine while others incite people to march the streets demanding change. Some become legends cemented in time, others are destined to be forgotten even by those who tell them. Whether they make us laugh or cry, angry or relaxed, stories are everywhere—from Charles Darwin’s On The Origin of Species to the many infamous guests on The Jeremy Kyle Show; from the pedagogical parables of the Bible to my ‘Nanny Enid’ and her tales of my father’s childhood escapades. Whether we tell our stories to a global, local or familial audience matters not. Indeed we may even tell our stories in complete solitude. Irrespective of who is listening we live in a storied world.