Abstract
This article explores the historiography of the related fields of study that generate the body of knowledge from which the history of interiors is drawn. By comparing the development of methods used to articulate a history of art, architecture, and material culture, an evolution that parallels the critical process is revealed and new pedagogical possibilities are suggested for teaching history.
The methods associated with historical research and teaching throughout the 20th century parallel the critical process of description, analysis, and interpretation. Early attempts to identify that which is of value within these histories focused on description and the development of stylistic classifications for artistic and architectural expression. The 2nd and 3rd phases of methodological development in related disciplines complete the critical process by creating an understanding of the place of an object within a broader context to ascertain its significance.
The linear construction of history often promoted by interior design texts potentially limits students’ abilities to understand the connection between the creative processes used in design activity and those used to study the past. Accepting the theories of meaning found in current methodologies of scholarship used in related fields of history and cultural studies requires an expansion of the perceived boundaries for history. In the end, this could advance the role of the history of interiors as a major contributor to students’ creative processes.
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