Introduction

There is no cohesive body of writing on the subject of the period room. Where it has

been discussed, it has simply been viewed as a means to an end in the dissemina-

tion of a museum’s collection or a social historical tool in the representation of

particular thematic histories.1 Why, then, is it worth considering the role of the period

room and, to be more specific, the modern period room? The editors of this collec-

tion would like to suggest that critical engagement with the issues and conventions

that surround the modern period room will allow historians and theorists of archi-

tecture, design and social history to interrogate the contexts in which this

representational device has been used and that it foregrounds issues of authenticity,

time, space and place, allowing for a very specific analysis of how, as historians, we

use these concepts in our work. Examination of the various models of the period

room enables us to understand just how dynamic, contributory and ultimately inter-

ventionist the presentation of the period room is in the process of architectural and

design history-making.