The 9/11 exhibit allowed politicians to dictate what emotions
where conveyed. The administrators and curators took public opinion and
political sentiment into account, aiming to manufacture a collective memory of
the 9/11 events depicting images which evoked emotions of sympathy, disgust,
pride, and unconditional support for leadership.
The Smithsonian used emotional images of 9/11 to
manufacture consent and foster outrage towards countries that were deemed a
“threat”, justifying military action and gaining domestic support for an
otherwise illegitimate and illegal cause. The curators deliberately used images of a tattered flag, objects dedicated to
the “victims, survivors and rescuers”, and resilient leaders to evoke a sense
of solidarity and strength. The image of the tattered flag has
represented American resilience since the foundation of the country. From
the “Star Spangled Banner” to the use of the flag as a rallying point for
civilians and the military, the implicit power of the flag has a shared meaning
and demonstrates solidarity with others who experienced the event. The
Smithsonian used 50 objects related to 9/11 to encourage audiences “to pause,
remember, and reflect- for each of us the bear witness to history.” Leaders,
especially Mayor Giuliani and President Bush, were depicted in the exhibit as
being strong and resilient while fostering the perception that they helped in
the nation’s revival.
The Smithsonian avoided
context, analysis, and criticism and emphasized a personalized perspective in
order to unite the audience to conform to the status quo, rather than question
the images and the content being used to depict a historical event. Historical museums are a source of information
to the public. Although the curators and administrators of the
Smithsonian were careful to make a distinction between “historic” and
“commemorative” exhibits the audiences are unable to make the same
distinctions. The Smithsonian has institutional authority which
legitimizes their perspective as being academic and a source of accurate
information. The Smithsonian and the 9/11 exhibit
was used as a tool of the United States government in evoking emotions which
justified the Patriot Act, impeding the liberties of US citizens.
History is written by the victors, but the implication of writing history
before the events can be fully comprehended allows for the United States to
write their own history before the events can be fully understood. By
fostering the collective memory of the tragic events of 9/11, the Smithsonian
was able to manufacture and legitimize an understanding from a
uniquely patriotic and nationalistic viewpoint, which does not allow room for
opposing perspectives.
Fried, Amy. “The Personalization of
Collective Memory: The Smithsonian’s September 11 Exhibit.” Political Communications, 23:4, 389
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