How do curators feel about freak material?
Interviews with curators were carried out against the broader context of information and artifacts related to all disabled people. In museums where freak-related material was present, the material was often used to illustrate points, both by the researchers and the curators. The research team feels that general attitudes to material related to disabled people can be taken as relevant to the particular case of freaks. The choice of words used when discussing concerns over display was revealing. Curators wanted to avoid “shock,” “distress,” “offence,” “upset,” and “difficulty.” One curator summarized their feelings about how to display related artifacts as “fear and confusion.” This sensitivity appeared to be due to the fear of getting it wrong. Yet some curators were already developing strategies to develop confidence, for example through discussion with colleagues or by trying approaches and gauging visitor response. In these cases curators reported increased confidence in the use of f
