To ask why visitors to a museum think they know more than staff/experts?

[Dolgellau]

At a museum/house I work at, we often get members of the public telling us something is "wrong" or trying to correct us on something. Yes of course I understand sometimes even experts make mistakes on the history or would it still be an academic subject.

I'm talking about more simple stuff such as did they have harps in 1850 etc

All information learnt by front of house has been carefully prepared by highly educated researchers/historians/academics etc and been heavily reviewed. But we always seem to get people complaining about things being inaccurate.

More often or not they will be American or have "delusions of grandeur" about themselves.

Working for us we have a leading architectural historian with cantab phd etc She is pretty much the expert. An American decided to argue that something wouldn't have existed in X year as she knows this from being part of a mediaeval re-enactment group. She got really quite arsey when very politely informed that she was mistaken.

AIBU to wonder wtf a very select number of visitors think they are?

I know what you mean - I have been demonstrating a niche hobby at events, and had random people come up and explain to me how I should be doing it. You just have to smile and put up with it - they soon wander off.

Because sometimes the visitors are also experts. As an ex-curator I still enjoy visiting historic houses / museums etc.

Sometimes the staff are wrong or generally don’t know something

But that said, I’ve also experienced the kind of ignorance you’re referring to, and it is frustrating beyond belief!

Oh lord yes ... The " l'm going to ask you a question l already know the answer to so l can explain at huge length why your version of reality is wrong " brigade - we get them too!

Sorry yes, I love learning new things from visitors when I don't know something or learn things from a new angle!

.... they did have harps in 1850 didn’t they...?

Querying harps in 1850 - my first thought was they haven't read Jane Austen's Mansfield Park where a big thing is made of the transport of Mary Crawford's harp from London to the country!