astudy ofvisitors to 21: photographsby alfredwertheimer … · 2017. 6. 27. · elvis presley...

A S Study oof Visit ors to Elvvis at 2 1: Phottograpphs by AAlfred WWertheeimer At the Naational Portraait Galllery

Offiice of Poolicy andd Analysiis Smiithsoniaan Instituution Washingtonn, DC

June 2011

Contents

Preface ............................................................................................................................................................ 3

The Exhibition ............................................................................................................................................. 4

The Visitor Study ........................................................................................................................................ 5

Two Audiences ............................................................................................................................................ 6

Ratings—Expectations on Entrance .................................................................................................. 7

Ratings—Overall Experience at Exit .................................................................................................. 8

Experiences—Exhibition‐Specific vs. General Visitors ............................................................. 9

Experiences—Exhibition‐Specific Visitors .................................................................................. 10

Experiences—General Visitors ......................................................................................................... 11

Ratings of Artwork, Theme, Display, and Information ........................................................... 12

Discussion................................................................................................................................................... 13

Appendix A: Entrance Questionnaire ............................................................................................. 14

Appendix B: Exit Questionnaire ........................................................................................................ 15

Appendix C: Frequencies of Responses ......................................................................................... 16

Office of Policy and Analysis 2 June, 2011

Preface

Elvis at 21: Photographs by Alfred Wertheimer, provided a window to one of America’s most important popular musicians. The photographs depict a powerful force in familiar personal contexts. Elvis stands out as a person capable of realizing ambitions far beyond Mississippi and reminds visitors that his future did not merely happen, but that he created and shaped it. The photographs foreshadow his ability to permeate and impact the public’s imagination and awareness and underpin his legacy to global culture.

Thanks are due to Marty Sullivan, Director of the National Portrait Gallery, and Nik Apostolides, Associate Director, who requested this study. Gratitude is also extended to Amy Henderson, Historian, for her explanation of the goals of and expectations for the exhibition.

I also wish to thank the OP&A team who worked on this study. Lance Costello and Andy Pekarik designed the survey. Bethany Miller, Charlotte Brown, Claire Eckert, Daniel Garcia, Eliza Kleintop, Givi Khidesheli, Jarrid Green, and Lindsay Haslebacher assisted with data collection. Andy analyzed the data and wrote this report. So Hyun Park put together the frequency table.


Thee Exhibittion

Elvis at 21: Photoographs by AAlfred Werttheimer wass an exhibitiion of photoographs ofElvis Presley (19935‐1977) ttaken in 19556 by photoojournalist AAlfred Werttheimer.1 Werttheimer wass hired by RRCA Victor t o take canddid promotioonal shots oof the 21‐year‐‐old performmer at the mmoment thatt he was about to enterr the national stage. The eexhibition aat the Nationnal Portrait Gallery inclluded 56 phhotographs spread amonng six roomms—three onn each side oof a central hallway thaat included introoductory texxt and also ccontained immages. Eachh room wass dedicated tto the samee time or event, annd includedd Elvis in thee recording studio, on tthe road, baackstage, onstagee, and at homme.

The eexhibition hhad a numbeer of distincctive featurees: a well‐knnown subject, strikingphotographs shoown as large‐scale prinnts, organizaation aroun d a clear timmeline, brie f but eevocative texxts that desscribed the ggroup of photographs iin a room, aand a pared‐‐downn design thaat was spaciious and rellaxed.

1 The exhibition waas organized ccollaborativelyy by the Smithhsonian Instituution Travelinng Exhibition Servicce (SITES), thee National Porrtrait Gallery ((NPG), and thee Govinda Galllery. It was shhown at NPG betweeen October 30, 2010 and Jaanuary 23, 20111.

Officee of Policy and Analysis 4 June, 20111

Thee Visitor Study

Separate but equually repressentative saamples of vissitors enterring and exitting theexhibbition were asked to coomplete a quuestionnair e asking aboout:

• Rating of the exhib ition (anticcipated ratinng for enterring visitorss; overallexperien ce rating for exiting vissitors)

• Experiennces (anticipated and aactual experriences in thhe exhibitio n)

• Demograaphic charaacteristics (sex, age, reesidence)

• Visit chaaracteristiccs (whether visitors weere visiting tthe museumm for the first timee; whether tthey had comme to the mmuseum to seee this exhibbition, who they were with)

• Rating of the artwoork, theme,, informatioon, and dissplay (for exxiting visitors oonly)

The ssurvey tookk place betwween Januaryy 8th and 144th, 2011, annd involved 210 peoplee enterring the exhhibition and 312 leavingg it. The cooperation rrate for the ssurvey was 89% on entrance and 83% on exit. Thee 95% confiidence interrval for the data is +/‐4%%.


Twoo Audiennces

Exhibitionspeccific visitorrs—those wwho came too the museuum specificaally to see Elvis at 21 compprised one‐third (32%) of all visitoors.

Geneeral visitorrs—the otheer two‐thirdds (68%) of visitors to tthe exhibiti on came to the mmuseum for other reasoons. They hhad either noot heard about the exhibition beforre arriving oor had comee to the musseum to seee somethingg else.

Exhibitionnspecific v isitors

Feweer came aloone—9% off exhibition‐‐specific vis itors were vvisiting alonne vs. 17% of generaal visitors

Oldeer—the averrage age forr exhibition‐‐specific vissitors was 4 3 vs. 38 for generalvisitors

Moree local visittors—63% oof exhibitio n‐specific vvisitors livedd in the Wasshington DCC Metropollitan area vss. 52% of geeneral visitoors

Moree repeat vissitors—62%% of exhibition‐specificc visitors haad been to thhe buildingbefore vss. 49% of geeneral visitoors


Rattings—Exxpectatiions on EEntrancee

• Exhibitioonspecificc visitors exxpected Elviis at 21 to bbe close to aan average Smithsonian exhibitio n, albeit onee with feweer negatives(i.e., Poorr/Fair/Goodd ratings 8%% lower thaan the SI aveerage), and fewer posittives (i.e., Superior ratings 7%% lower thann the SI average)22.

• General visitors exppected it to be far beloow average.. (Poor/Fair/Good ratiings 18% above average; Supeerior ratingss 15% beloww average) .

Figgure 1—Exxpected ratiings for exhhibitionspeecific and general visitors oon entrancee (in percennt)

Ex

SI E

Gen

xhibition‐spec

Exit Average

eral visitors

cific visitors

4

3

27

22

46

47

61

44

21

6

15

00% 20%% 40%% 60% 80% 100%

Poorr Fair GGood Excellent Superrior

2 “Exccellent” is the aaverage ratingg in Smithsoniian museums and exhibitionns and indicattes a generallyyfavoraable, non‐critical response. “Poor,” “Fair,,” and “Good” represent somme degree of ccriticism, whilee “Supeerior” is enthu siastically possitive. The SI aaverage is bassed on 68 exhiibitions studieed between 2004 and 2010.


Rattings—OOverall Exxperiencce at Exiit

• Exhibitioonspecificc visitors were enthusiaastically possitive, with Superiorratings twwice the SI aaverage andd Poor/Faiir/Good ratiings less thaan half the SSI average.

• General visitors ratted Elvis at 221 as an average Smithsoniaan exhibitionn, albeit onee with feweer negativess (Poor/Fair/Good 10%% below thee average).

Figure 2—Overalll experiencce ratings foor exhibitioonspecific aand genneral visitorrs on exit (iin percent)

Ex

SI E

Gen

xhibition‐spec

Exit Average

eral visitors

cific visitors

4

2

27

20

10 50

47

58

41

21

20

00% 20%% 40%% 60% 80% 100%

Poorr Fair GGood Excellent Superrior


Expperiencees—ExhibbitionSpecific vvs. Generral Visitoors

On avverage, exhhibitionspeecific visitoors marked 3 experiencces on entraance and exit. In compariison, generaal visitors mmarked 2.

Recaalling mem ories was tthe most siggnificant diffference betwween the expperiences off exhibitionnspecific vvisitors and ggeneral vissitors.

• On entrannce, more eexhibitionsspecific vissitors were lookking forwarrd to recalliing memorries (45%of exhibittion‐specificc visitors vss. 12% of geeneral visitors).

• On exit, too, more exxhibitionsppecific visiitors reported recalling mmemories aas especiallyysatisfyingg, although tthe gap betwween them narrowedd (36% of exhibition‐sppecific visitoors vs. 21% of general visit ors).


Experiences—ExhibitionSpecific Visitors

• Entering exhibition‐specific visitors were most interested in recalling memories; seeing rare, valuable, uncommon things; and gaining information.

• Exiting exhibition‐specific visitors found the experiences entering exhibition‐specific visitors were looking for.

• Exiting exhibition‐specific visitors marked one experience more often than entering exhibition‐specific visitors expected. This unexpected experience:

o much more emotional connection (19% on entrance; 43% on exit)

Figure 3—Experiences of exhibitionspecific visitors

45Recalling memories 36

43Seeing rare, valuable, uncommon things 44

42Gaining information 32

37Enriching my understanding 35

32Getting a sense of the everyday lives of others ENTRANCE40 EXIT26Reflecting on the meaning of what I saw 22

23Being moved by beauty 20

Connecting with the emotional experience of 19 43others*

0 50

*Statistically significant difference–There is greater than a 95% chance that the difference exists among the population of all visitors to the exhibition during the period of the study.


100

Expperiencees—Geneeral Visittors

• Entering general visitors were mmost interested in understaanding andd informatioon.

• Exiting geeneral visitoors found leess informaation than entering general visiitors were l ooking for ((40% on entrance ; 28% on exxit).

• Exiting geeneral visitoors selectedd three expeeriences moore often than entering ggeneral visi tors expect ed. These unexpeccted experi ences weree:

o evveryday livves of otherrs (25% on entrance; 3 9% on exxit)

o emmotional coonnection ((23% on enntrance; 36%% on exxit)

o mmemories (112% on entrrance; 21% on exit).

Figuree 4—Experiiences of geeneral visitoors

Enriching mmy understandding

Gainning informat ion*

Seeing raare, valuable, uuncommon th ings

Geetting a sense of the everydaay lives of others*

Reflecting on the meanning of what I saw

CConnecting wiith the emotioonal experiencce of others*

Being moved by beaauty

Reccalling memorries*

0 50

*Statisstically significcant differencee–There is greeater than a 955% chance thaat the differencce exists amonng the poopulation of al l visitors to thee exhibition duuring the periood of the studyy.

1 21

18

36

15

39

32

28

39

12

15

23

23

25

32

4

9

9

40

46

ENTRA

EXIT

ANCE


100

Ratings of Artworks, Theme, Display, and Information

Artworks (Photos) were the highest rated.

• Both general visitors and exhibitionspecific visitors rated the photos higher than their overall experiences.

Information/Texts and Display/Layout were the lowest rated.

• Information/Texts was negatively rated by two of five general visitors (Poor/Fair/Good, 39%)

• Display/Layout was negatively rated by one of three general visitors (Poor/Fair/Good, 34%)

Both groups rated the exhibition Theme about the same as they had rated their overall experiences.

Figure 5 Ratings of Artworks, Theme, Display, and Information (in percent)

General Visitors Exhibitionspecific Visitors

22

39

20 16

34 24

18 24 15

33

100100

8080

6060

4040

2020

00 10

41

27

19

26

20 12

34

51

Poor/Fair/Good Superior

4

Poor/Fair/Good


f

Discussion

The rresults of thhis study demmonstrate tthe impoortance of distinguishinng between visitors with different leevels of interrest. Thosee with a greatter commitmment to the topic (in thhis case the vvisitors whoo came to the museum speciifically to seee the exhibbition) arrived with higheer expectatiions—they expected ann averageexhibbition, whilee the other vvisitors exppected a beloww‐average eexhibition.

The ssuccess of thhe exhibitioon is demonnstrated by t significantly hig her ratings on exit. In bboth cases t Supeerior, was mmore than twwice as high on exit as o negative ratingss (Poor, Fairr, Good) werre cut in hal audieence rated EElvis at 21 faar above thee Smithsoni otherr visitors raated it close to the averaage.

Typiccally exhibittion‐specific visitors arre a higher pproportion of the audieence duringgthe fiirst month oof an exhibi tion—whenn media covverage and rreviews are at their peakk. If the exhiibition has ggood word oof mouth, thhe last few wweekends wwill also see higheer proportioons of commmitted visitoors, as thosee who had ppostponed thheir visit realizze that the cclosing datee is near. Thhe aggregatee rating, sinnce it is a co mbination of thee ratings of these two aaudiences, ccan be expeccted to varyy across the period thatt an exxhibition is on view, in line with thhe changing ratio of commmitted to ggeneral audieences. By exxamining thhe results seeparately foor each of thhese sub‐grooups, a more accurrate measurre of the effectiveness oof the exhibbition can bee obtained tthan bylookiing at the agggregate datta alone.

In this case, the results of thhe survey deemonstratee that the phhotographs wwere verywell received byy both segmments of the aaudience annd that theyy inspired a number of unexxpected expeeriences ammong the genneral visitorrs. Even forr the commiitted visitorrs they provided mmany more eemotional coonnections than expectted.

Geneeral visitors seemed to have had a problem wiith the limitted amount of inforrmation thatt was availaable in the eexhibition. PPresumablyy this was noot a problemm for thhe committeed visitors bbecause of ttheir greater interest inn and knowlledge ofElvis’ history.

the fact that the highest on entrance lf. In the en ian exhibitio

t both audie possible rat while the r nd the comm on average,

ences gave ting, relatively mitted while the


Appendix A: Entrance Questionnaire


Appendix B: Exit Questionnaire


Appendix C: Frequencies of Responses

(In percent, except average and median age)

All visitors

Exhibitionspecific visitors

General visitors

Entrance Exit Entrance Exit Entrance Exit

Is this your first visit to this specific building?Yes 51 45 36 39 56 49 No 49 55 64 61 44 51

Entrance: How do you think you will rate your overall experience when you leave?

Exit: Please rate your overall experience in this exhibition.

Poor 0 0 0 0 1 0 Fair 3 1 3 0 3 2

Good 40 16 22 10 46 20 Excellent 48 56 61 50 44 58

Superior 8 27 15 41 6 20

Entrance: Which of these experiences are you especially looking forward to during your visit? Exit: Which experiences did you find especially

satisfying in Elvis at 21? [Mark one or more]

Being moved by beauty 17 19 23 20 15 18 Connecting with emotional experiences of others 22 39 19 43 23 36

Enriching my understanding 44 37 37 35 46 39 Gaining information 41 30 42 32 40 28

Getting a sense of the everyday lives of others 27 40 32 40 25 39 Recalling memories 20 26 45 36 12 21

Reflecting on the meaning of what I saw 24 17 26 22 23 15 Seeing rare, valuable, or uncommon things 35 36 43 44 32 32

Did you visit today specifically to see Elvis at 21?

Yes 25 36 na na na na No 76 64 na na na na


All visitors


General visitors


With whom are you visiting? [Mark one or more]

I am alone 15 14 11 8 16 18 Other adult(s) 82 83 89 86 80 81 Youth under 18 4 7 0 9 5 5

Are you male or female?

Female 59 54 70 57 56 52 Male 41 46 30 43 45 48

What is your age? Average age 39 40 43 43 37 38 Median age 37 34 44 41 35 33

Generation Z (Born after 1995) 0 1 0 0 0 2 Generation Y (Born 1982–1995) 36 37 31 30 38 40 Generation X (Born 1965–1981) 34 28 27 26 36 29 Trailing Boom (Born 1956–1964) 13 12 12 13 13 11 Leading Boom (Born 1946–1955) 15 15 27 19 11 13

Silent (Born 1925–1945) 3 7 4 12 3 5

Do you live in the United States or another country?

United States 98 98 97 100 98 97 Another Country 2 2 3 0 2 4

New England 6 8 2 3 8 11 Mid Atlantic 18 23 27 20 15 24

Metro Washington 55 54 55 65 55 48 South East 2 3 4 7 2 1

South Central 3 3 0 1 4 4 North Central 3 2 2 0 3 3

Midwest 1 0 0 0 1 0 Mountain 1 1 0 1 1 0 Pacific 3 1 4 0 3 2

Unspecified U.S. 5 3 4 4 6 3 Country other than U.S. 2 2 2 0 3 3


All visitors


General visitors


Please rate the following features of this exhibition, Elvis at 21:

Artworks (Photos)Poor na 0 na 0 na 0 Fair na 1 na 0 na 1

Good na 10 na 4 na 14 Excellent na 51 na 46 na 53 Superior na 39 na 51 na 33

Information/Texts Poor na 1 na 0 na 1 Fair na 4 na 5 na 4 Good na 29 na 22 na 34

Excellent na 48 na 53 na 45 Superior na 17 na 19 na 16

Display/LayoutPoor na 1 na 0 na 1 Fair na 4 na 5 na 4 Good na 26 na 21 na 29


The Theme

Poor na 0 na 0 na 0 Fair na 3 na 2 na 3 Good na 17 na 10 na 21



astudy ofvisitors to 21: photographsby alfredwertheimer … · 2017. 6. 27. · elvis presley...

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