Acoustiguide: Everyman's Art Expert at National Gallery by Dr. May Chew

In 1967, the National Gallery of Canada (NGC) introduced portable audio guides (Acoustiguides) for its Centennial Exhibit, Three Hundred Years of Canadian Art, marking the first time interactive technologies were used in a Canadian gallery. During a decade of social discontent and political turmoil, the exhibit was a celebration and consecration of Canada’s technological modernity. As with many other national celebrations during this time, the exhibit and its use of the Acoustiguides heralded the crucial role of technology in rites of citizenship.  This paper argues that the Acoustiguides were employed to enliven national (art) history through the endowment of intimate soundscapes—sensuous and flexible openings through which visitors were invited to access the official archive.