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ABSTRACT
In the 1970s, Martha “Marty” Goddard (1941–2015) conceived of and designed a kit that would collect forensic evidence in order to increase the probability of suspect identification in cases of sexual assault. Goddard designed a kit using over-the-counter items such as cotton swabs, combs, bags, labels, envelopes, and glass slides, to standardize the collection, preservation, and documentation of evidence. The kit was designed for hospitals and law enforcement, and is now part of standard protocol in the United States today. In 2022, a team from different parts of the Smithsonian worked collaboratively on the acquisition of this object, while holding critical conversations about what it means to not only care for the object, but also how to discuss the topic and lived experience of sexual assault. This interview dives into the story of the acquisition and its significance, and how museums can carefully and intentionally engage with the topic of sexual assault.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
About the interviewees
Alexandra Cunningham Cameron is an internationally-recognized curator, writer and critical thinker. She currently sits as curator of contemporary design and Hintz Secretarial Scholar at Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. Formerly editor in chief of independent arts journal The Miami Rail and Creative Director of the Design Miami/ fairs, Cameron has organized a broad range of exhibitions, publications, and programs that examine the role of design, craft and visual art in shaping contemporary values.
Ashleigh D. Coren is the acting head of education for the Smithsonian American Women’s History Initiative and the Women’s History Content and Interpretation Curator at the National Portrait Gallery, where she focuses on collections research, student and teacher programs, and public programming. Her writing has been published in The Journal of American Folklore, Viewfinder: Reflecting Upon Museum Education, and the International Review of African American Art.
Katherine Ott is a curator and historian in the Division of Medicine and Science at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. She works on the history of medicine and the body, disability and bodily difference, and LGBTQ history, among other topics. She has curated exhibitions on the history of disability, HIV and AIDS, polio, acupuncture, and medical devices for altering the human body.
Notes
1 National Museum of American History, “Vitullo Evidence Collection Kit for Sexual Assault Examination.”
2 Pagan Kennedy, “The Rape Kit's Secret History.”
3 Kennedy, “The Rape Kit’s Secret History.”
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Andrea Kim Neighbors
Andrea Kim Neighbors (she/her/hers) serves as the Head of Education for the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center (APAC). She collaborates with educators and Asian American and Pacific Islander community members, and content specialists on the development of APAC’s National Education Program. Andrea is a Professorial Lecturer in the Museum Studies department at George Washington University and serves as a board member of the Museum Education Roundtable.