Musings

Karen Knutson

As we head into the autumn, the MLC takes a moment to reflect on the immense data collection that we have conducted at a variety of different museum settings: art, living history, natural history, and science museums. At each exhibit at least 30 groups of visitors were recruited and their tours through the exhibit recorded. They were also asked a few questions before and after the experience. (See the last issue of Musings for details about the procedures). The list below summarizes the exhibitions that we selected for the study, in roughly chronological order.

CONNER PRAIRIE, FISHERS, IN
We collected data at Conner Prairie in October 2000, and again in August 2001. We decided to study visitors to the area of Conner Prairie called "Prairietown," where costumed first person interpreters create an Indiana village scene in 1836. Of the approximately 14 buildings in this area, we selected 8 for our study. A doctor's house, a blacksmith, the school teacher, and a potter were among the types of businesses and people visitors encountered.

CARNEGIE MUSEUM OF ART, PITTSBURGH, PA
In November 2000, we collected data at the Carnegie Museum of Art, at the "Aluminum by Design: From Jewelry to Jets" exhibition. Originating in Pittsburgh, and traveling to several museums in Canada and the United States, the exhibition traced the evolution of the use of aluminum from its beginnings as an expensive and rare material to the its ubiquitous modern applications. The sleek and unusual aluminum objects in this show ranged from the aluminum façade of a German newspaper building, to common objects such as lawn chairs, an Electrolux vacuum and Colorama tumblers.

THE EXPLORATORIUM, SAN FRANCISCO, CA
In February 2001, we collected data at the Exploratorium, at a temporary traveling exhibition that originated at the American Museum of the Moving Image in New York, called "Behind the Screen: Making Motion Pictures and Television." This exhibition provided insight into the complicated work involved in the production of movies and television. Divided into areas focusing on film, sound and special effects, the show illuminated both the inspired moments of creativity as well as the hard technical work that is involved. The show includes some historical artifacts, and a wide range of activities, including a Chroma-Key booth, where you can see yourself super-imposed on a variety of backdrops, from a New York city street, to a land of flying saucers. Visitors can also try their hand at scoring a piece of film, dubbing their voices in a voiceover booth, and modifying a segment of film from wide screen movie format, to the proportions required for television screens.

CARNEGIE MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY, PITTSBURGH, PA
In March 2001, we collected data in the "Alcoa Foundation Hall of the American Indian," a permanent installation at the museum. This display provides insight into four Native cultures, the Tlingit of the Northwest Coast, the Hopi of the Southwest, the Iroquois of the Northeast, and the Lakota of the Plains. Beautiful objects, from each culture are situated in a larger discussion of the environment, spiritual beliefs and contemporary lifestyles of each group indicated by videos and hands-on activities pertaining to each particular culture.

CARNEGIE MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY, PITTSBURGH, PA
In April 2001, we collected data at the "Africa, One Continent. Many Worlds" exhibition. This exhibition originated at the Field Museum in Chicago. Curators developed ideas for the show from common misperceptions about Africa and Africans, on the subjects of religion, geography, and history. Selected cultures were examined in more depth with the use of dioramas, videos and hands-on flip labels. A walk through replica of part of a slave ship provided a visceral experience that introduced a more lengthy discussion of the diaspora and issues of Africans arriving in the Western world.

HENRY FORD MUSEUM AND GREENFIELD VILLAGE, DEARBORN, MI.

In May 2001, we collected data at the Henry Ford Museum at the "Automobile in American Life," a permanent installation that opened in 1986. Stunning examples of great automobile design are combined with examples of mechanical innovations in this exhibit. There is also a chronological display of automobiles and extensive label copy, videos and popular media that outlines the development of the automobile industry, and the broader ways in which cars have impacted life in America.

CARNEGIE MUSEUM OF ART, PITTSBURGH, PA
In July 2001, we collected data at the "Light! The Industrial Age, 1750-1900: Art & Science, Technology and Society" exhibition. A joint venture between the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam and the Carnegie Museum of Art, this temporary exhibition provided multiple viewpoints into a complex subject: the development of lighting technology, theory and its impact on society and artists. Blockbuster paintings by artists including Monet, Chardin, Van Gogh, and Turner, were displayed alongside scientific instruments from the period.

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