For the 1992 show, Mining the Museum, two of Baltimore’s most celebrated art institutions, The Contemporary–an experimental museum that aims to present projects that redefine museum exhibiting and collecting–and the Maryland Historical Society–a traditional museum with a broad array of historic, archival collections–collaborated on a duel exhibition.

With African-American artist Fred Wilson as the exhibition’s curator, The Contemporary was able to illustrate how its model for museum practices could be applied to any type of museum. By taking a fresh look at the MHS’s permanent collections, Wilson found that historic pieces could be reinterpreted through juxtaposition to tell a wider range of stories about human experience, emphasizing the historic exclusion of the Native and African-American viewpoint.


The intriguing aspect of the exhibition was not so much the work chosen for display, but how the work chosen was displayed. Fine silver teapots were placed adjacent to iron shackles, and a Klan hood served as the linen in an antique baby carriage. A whipping post was conspicuously set among handsomely carved 19th century armchairs. Capturing the rhythm and dynamism of the original show, this book reproduces 85 illustrations with a forward by George Ciscle and Charles Lyle, essays by Lisa G. Corrin and Ira Berlin, and an interview with Fred Wilson by Leslie King-Hammond.