JBSA-FORT SAM HOUSTON –
The renovations are complete and the artifacts are being put into place in anticipation of next month's grand re-opening of the Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston Museum.
The museum, which closed its doors in October 2013, has moved to the historic U.S. Army North Quadrangle from its old home, a former Army mess hall.
"The old museum was originally built as a mess hall in 1905," said museum Director Jacqueline Davis. "We moved there in 1976 and outgrew the space years ago, but we had nowhere to move to until Army North invited us into the Quad."
"We're happy we can offer the museum a home in the Quadrangle," said Lt. Gen. Perry Wiggins, commanding general of U.S. Army North and senior Army commander for JBSA-Fort Sam Houston and JBSA-Camp Bullis. "The Quad is the most historic place on Fort Sam Houston, so it's fitting the museum moves here."
The new museum will have more than three times as much space as it previously did. The eight public rooms, along with staff offices and archives, will take up most of the east wing of the Quad.
"All the artifacts that were in the old museum will be on display here," Davis said. "Due to the increase of space, we'll also be able to display more of our artifacts. Life is good."
One of the benefits of building a new museum is that it can incorporate new methods of museum design and presentation.
"This museum is an evolution that started in 1976," Davis said. "It evolved over the years with changes in technology, changes in history and changes in methods of doing things, so it was kind of disjointed because of that.
"The new museum will be set up in more of the minimalist look that you find in art museums," Davis added. "I want visitors to be literally surrounded by history."
With this idea in mind, Davis worked with Suzanne McGarraugh, an exhibit design specialist who has designed museums all over the world.
"Museums used to look like a store front," Davis said. "You had a case with all the artifacts and information in it to draw people's attention."
Davis said her vision for the new museum is to keep as much clutter out of the display cases as possible and to mount the artifacts so people can walk around and look at the exhibits from all sides and angles.
"I hate it when I can't see the backs of things," she said, adding that being able to view exhibits from all angles will allow visitors to see things they might not see if viewed only from the front.
While the new museum will minimize the amount of text in and around the displays, there will be information explaining what the artifacts are, as well as display panels providing more about the story line; it is a history museum after all.
"It's a better way to tell the story of a place," McGarraugh said of the minimalist look. "This way people don't get bogged down by little bitty things. They can get into the details if they want to and they will find something new every time they visit."
Davis said her desire to reduce the amount of clutter in the cases should make viewing the artifacts more enjoyable.
"Most people, I expect, don't like to read a bunch of things in museums," Davis said. "When most people first come in, they'll just look at the artifacts, which will be in chronological order.
"However, they may think, 'why is that there?' Or 'what is that thing?' Or 'why does a museum about the history of the Army in Texas have displays about France and Spain?' Then they can read about it if they want to. It's the item that catches our interest, not the words."
Since the new museum will have more space, it will allow the staff to take guests on a grander tour of San Antonio's military history than the previous museum could.
Visitors will see and learn about artifacts from the history of the Army in San Antonio as they wind their way through the six display rooms - from its earliest days supplying the Spanish Army as it defended the border between New Spain and French Louisiana, to the establishment of the Post at San Antonio in 1845, to the present-day JBSA-Fort Sam Houston.
"The concept that there is a border that we have to watch is something that has been going on in this city since the day it was founded," Davis said.
The new museum will trace the evolution of this continuous mission as borders and countries changed over time.
The extra room allows the museum staff to display items, that while not necessary to the telling of the story of the Army in San Antonio, add to it, such as a camel saddle that was used by the U.S. Camel Corps or a display of World War II military art.
"I'm happy about the new museum," Davis said. "It is a win-win-win situation. I win because the new museum moves to a good location. Fort Sam Houston wins because the museum will stay here, and Army North wins because they will have people in the Quad who can educate visitors."