Authenticity is a relatively recent idea that has grown tremendously in importance over the course of the 20th century. Authenticity can be broken into many different factors, ranging from the authenticity of providence of an object to the genuineness of the object itself. An object’s validity is affected by its origin, attributes, and its intentions. By applying these notions, we can look at the displays of the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles and determine the authenticity of the museum and its mission statement by looking at the authenticity of their vehicles, how the museum portrays the history of the automobile, and how the museum displays the automobile as art.
1. The Authenticity of the Petersen’s Automobiles I would like …show more content…
Vehicle two represents the epitome of this kind of authenticity because the vehicle is unique and never went into production “because high production costs would have made it too expensive to sell in profitable quantities.” The vehicle displayed in the Petersen offers the most authentic experience of the 1953 Dodge Storm Z-250 by Bertone, as it is the only vehicle of its kind to ever be produced. Another factor in favor of this vehicle’s authenticity is that is very easy to determine the providence of the vehicle because it displayed for so long in a showroom, and then later gifted by the engineer Fred Zeder to the museum as indicated on the vehicle’s display plaque. However, because this vehicle was never actually produced it is easy to question its authenticity as an automobile like all the other displays. “Authenticity involves function,” which is one thing the Dodge Storm isn’t proven in like the other vehicles because it was only ever owned by Zeder and displayed at all other times. Vehicle one represents the type of …show more content…
Restored objects “may not offer an authentic experience in terms of intention, but can still be thought to off a ‘better’ experience.” This viewpoint is a direct contradiction to the previous viewpoint because it reflects that there is still value in the restored displays. The vehicles, despite being restored, display the qualities the Petersen was displaying them for. The 1929 Ford Tudor was displayed along near other hot rods, which would have undergone similar restorations processes. These vehicles represent an aspect of the automobile industry that the Petersen was trying to exhibit. Therefore, vehicle six would be considered an authentic representation of hot rodding. Vehicle three can also be considered a “better” experience due to its restoration because it give visitors a tangible view of what the car was intended to be, rather than just the chassis and parts that it was prior to restoration. This is far more valuable than strictly preserving the deconstructed parts of the original car. Its value is also exemplified by the rarity of the vehicle itself, therefore it is much more valuable to display and exhibit as the unique vehicle that it is. This gives visitors an authentic experience of the car, despite it being
1. The Authenticity of the Petersen’s Automobiles I would like …show more content…
Vehicle two represents the epitome of this kind of authenticity because the vehicle is unique and never went into production “because high production costs would have made it too expensive to sell in profitable quantities.” The vehicle displayed in the Petersen offers the most authentic experience of the 1953 Dodge Storm Z-250 by Bertone, as it is the only vehicle of its kind to ever be produced. Another factor in favor of this vehicle’s authenticity is that is very easy to determine the providence of the vehicle because it displayed for so long in a showroom, and then later gifted by the engineer Fred Zeder to the museum as indicated on the vehicle’s display plaque. However, because this vehicle was never actually produced it is easy to question its authenticity as an automobile like all the other displays. “Authenticity involves function,” which is one thing the Dodge Storm isn’t proven in like the other vehicles because it was only ever owned by Zeder and displayed at all other times. Vehicle one represents the type of …show more content…
Restored objects “may not offer an authentic experience in terms of intention, but can still be thought to off a ‘better’ experience.” This viewpoint is a direct contradiction to the previous viewpoint because it reflects that there is still value in the restored displays. The vehicles, despite being restored, display the qualities the Petersen was displaying them for. The 1929 Ford Tudor was displayed along near other hot rods, which would have undergone similar restorations processes. These vehicles represent an aspect of the automobile industry that the Petersen was trying to exhibit. Therefore, vehicle six would be considered an authentic representation of hot rodding. Vehicle three can also be considered a “better” experience due to its restoration because it give visitors a tangible view of what the car was intended to be, rather than just the chassis and parts that it was prior to restoration. This is far more valuable than strictly preserving the deconstructed parts of the original car. Its value is also exemplified by the rarity of the vehicle itself, therefore it is much more valuable to display and exhibit as the unique vehicle that it is. This gives visitors an authentic experience of the car, despite it being