What is a Cold War Object?

What is a Cold War object? How have museums collected and interpreted the Cold War in the past and how might they in future? How do audiences respond to the Cold War in museum displays? These were among the guiding questions for the Materialising the Cold War project team. This project, led by National Museums Scotland and the University of Stirling, collaborated with partners in Germany, Norway and the UK to explore how museums represent the Cold War, its global experience and legacy, and how they can adapt to tell this complex story in future.

Through this project we developed new ideas and practices for interpreting and displaying the Cold War in museum and heritage settings. Our work covered academic research, specialist events, newly-produced school resources, publications including Cold War Museology and Cold War Scotland, and the Cold War Scotland exhibition at the National Museum of Scotland. Reflecting on insights from museum professionals and our own experiences engaging with Cold War material culture, we produced The Cold War in Museums toolkit. This is an informative guide on collecting, interpreting, and displaying Cold War history designed for professionals and volunteers in museum and heritage settings of all sizes.

This paper will reflect on the challenges posed by researching and exhibiting Cold War heritage in museums discovered through the Materialising the Cold War project and share findings from the audience responses to the Cold War Scotland exhibition. I will also highlight advice collated from museum professionals and volunteers in the Cold War Toolkit to offer ideas on ways to approach Cold War heritage.