African American Museum

African American Museum

December 2011

Lorna Simpson

American, b. 1960

Details 1996

Suite of 21 Prints

I found the Lorna Simpson prints in the Mixing Metaphors exhibit in the African American Museum in Philadelphia (AAMP) more intriguing then any other work in the museum.  The entire piece is comprised on twenty-one small images of hands.  These hands come in a variety of shapes, sizes and poses.  They interact with other hands or objects within the small, framed space.  Each image is paired with a handwritten title, adding another level of depth to the already quietly contemplative images.

This work is important to the target audiences of the AAMP because of Simpson’s success as an African American, female contemporary artist.  Her photographs are a contemporary expression of the viewer’s relationship between race and society. 

The work as a whole is a sharp contrast to the Audacious Freedom exhibit on the first floor of the museum.  Intensely interactive, the first floor seems to add to the quiet, unobtrusive environment found on the upper level. 

The hands are a commentary on life, cliches and the small objects we as people interact with daily that help make us who we are, and yet often do not acknowledge.  The personal intimacy of the individual works also contrast with the more modern feel of the rest of the art exhibit on the fourth floor.  I along with many other people are drawn to works that are relatable on a human level.  Recognizing hands draws in visitors to further investigate the small vignettes formed by each image. 

Lorna Simpson Exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum 

Wagner Free Institute of Science

December 2011

English Draft Horse Specimen

Around 1889

Skeleton

            This skeleton is an example of an English draft horse from the 19^th century.  It is one of the few things in the Wagner gallery that is displayed in open air and not in a wooden and glass case.  It is an important part of the Wagner collection because of its ability to be used as an educational tool.  This object had more labeling than most objects, allowing it to be more engaging to visitors by encouraging them to spend more time with it. 

            The Wagner acquired the skeleton in 1889.  It was purchased from Edward Gerrard and Sons of London for $10.  In 2009, Charles Besant of Besant Studio repaired and restored the skeleton.  The phalanx (hoof) and coxae (tail) bones were repaired and then reassembled on the skeleton.  These necessary repairs enable this and other objects in the Wagner to remain throughout the generations.  This skeleton provides visitors with more engagement opportunities through its display and accompanying labeling. 

            The open-air display encourages visitors to get close and observe how individual bones fit together to form a whole.  As opposed to other displays in glass cases, this allows for visitors to circle and have an unobstructed 360-degree view of the entire horse.  This corresponds with the labeling for the skeleton.  Adjacent to the signs explaining how the skeleton was acquired and then later repaired by the Wagner is a sign comparing the skeletal anatomy of the horse to a human.  Many people unfamiliar with horse anatomy to not realize how similar human and horse structural anatomy are to each other.  Through drawings of a horse and a human, along with labeled body parts, visitors can compare their own body parts to the skeleton.  Sections of the body such as the neck, shoulder, forearm, knee, elbow, and foot align, allowing for visitors to engage with and understand the body of a horse.  This labeling is also important because many people mistakenly identify the skeleton of that of a dinosaur. 

            Educationally, the horse skeleton provides a connection between certain lessons taught to school groups in the lecture hall and the upstairs gallery.  Among the tools for teaching about bones, is the jawbone of a horse.  Horse’s teeth continue far into their head, unseen due to the comparatively small opening of their mouth.  Their teeth are used for grinding and continually grow.  Domesticated horses that have a set, monitored diet require their teeth to be filed down once to twice a year to keep them healthy.  The jawbone is very large, and being able to go upstairs and compare the size of a jawbone to other bones in the body is an effective way to interpret a skeletal display.  

Penn Museum

The University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology has recently decided to re-curate their Africa exhibit.  They are doing it in a completely original way, by asking their visitors and the Philadelphia community what they want to learn about in an exhibit about Africa.  “Imagine Africa” is the interactive exhibit paired with the current Africa collection on display, as an open forum of discussion about content for the revitalized exhibit. 

            Imagine Africa is divided into eight themes based on African culture.  Strength, changing, the divine, creating, healing power, beauty and fashion are each their own sections with objects, open-ended questions and white boards to write on with thoughts and comments.  Each theme corresponds with a traditional symbol and they segment the walls of the gallery.  The interactives throughout the exhibit give visitors the opportunity to be a part of the development, and part of the museum.  One interactive in particular is designed for children but is also engaging for an adult audience.  It is a system of Adinkra stamps using ink, which makes an impression of each theme’s traditional symbol onto a piece of paper.  The accompanying text asks participating visitors to use the themes and symbols to describe yourself or a loved one through images. 

            Interactives such as these are important because they give visitors of all ages the opportunity to engage with the themes of Imagine Africa.  Even if visitors initially do not understand the meanings or context of why this exhibit exists, this interactive gets visitors considering people in their own lives and how African symbols, themes, and imagery is applicable even though the concepts are foreign.    

            This activity is different from other interactive options in the exhibit because of its three dimensional tactile nature.  It t is far enough away from the wall that it asserts its presence into the pathway of visitors and its unique composition draws in attention.  Sheets of paper are provided with a short description of the symbols and directions of how and why one should use the stamps.  This provides visitors with a take-away object that they can use to reminisce on their experience, free of charge. 

            Interactives of this type appeal to me and I hope other visitors who enjoy traditional exhibition styles including informative panels, interesting labels, and tactile experiences.  Its simplicity engaged me more than touch screens, audio or computerized visuals.  Things I can touch, read and interact with allow me to absorb and analyze information on a different level.  This kind of engagement would appeal to many people of all backgrounds and ages.  People who balk away from traditional museum experiences would find other aspects of Imagine Africa more engaging.  Music, visuals and touch screens are more familiar to everyday experiences in front of the computer or television, making the transition to a museum environment smoother. 

Academy of Natural Sciences

Chasmosaurus Belli

Cretaceous Period

Skeletal Cast

Dinosaur Hall

The Chasmosaurus Belli pronounced KAZ-mo_SOREus, BELL-eye, means Bell’s open lizard.  It is part of the ceratopsian group of dinosaurs, meaning it is a horned animal, and this one has three large horns on its head.  This skeleton cast in the Dinosaur exhibit in the Academy of Natural Sciences is a copy of the original skeleton at the Canadian Museum of Nature.  It is 17 feet long and had an estimated weight while alive of 2 tons.  It was an herbivore, eating only plants, and lived in North America, specifically the region of Alberta, Canada.  It lived in the late Cretaceous period, 76-73 million years ago. 

This skeleton is set up in Dinosaur Hall among other full skeletons of dinosaurs and fish, along with other partial skeletons.  It is important because it is part of the first dinosaur fossil exhibition in the United States. It is an example of a dinosaur that only eats plants, and is much smaller in comparison to carnivores on display, such as the Tyrannosaurus Rex.  It gives visitors the reference to compare different species based on their similarities and differences.  The Chasmosarus Belli is also known for having the largest brain, enabling it to have complex social interactions.  For example, if danger were sensed, adults would form a ring around the young offspring to protect them with their horns from predators. 

The room is slightly dated, with the labels mostly originating from the 80’s.  While the color scheme and text may be less contemporary than other exhibits in the museum, the information provided is scientific and yet presents facts that make it accessible to even the youngest visitors.  Braille is also on each panel in the exhibit, something I have not yet seen in other museums. 

Dinosaurs on display such as these are much more familiar to visitors today than they were in the generations before the discovery channel or National Geographic.  Children’s’ movies like “The Land Before Time”, or “Night At The Museum” also effect children’s perspectives.  They learn some information about dinosaurs that is based on fiction, and may come to the museum with skewed expectations for the large skeletons.  However, it is important to be aware of popular culture’s influence on children and their opinions, and for the museum to take that into consideration when revamping exhibits in the future, such as Dinosaur Hall to ensure visitor engagement.    

Of Elephants and Roses

November 3, 2011

American Philosophical Society

Josephine’s March Lily

1802-1805

Watercolor on Vellum

P.J. Redoute

Of Elephants and Roses

Excerpt from The Lilies 7^th edition (1813)

Josephine's March Lily
http://www.apsmuseum.org/elephants-and-roses

This large watercolor painting of an Amaryllis flower is part of the “Of Elephants and Roses” exhibit at the American Philosophical Society (APS) museum.  The detail and skill apparent in the work lends it to be appreciated by people who enjoy rare flowers and watercolors.  As part of the section focusing on rare flowers, this painting represents the power Josephine Bonaparte possessed, and her skill at recognizing the value of flowers and animals.  She hired Redoute, an expert at painting flowers, to paint the flora within her Malmaison Estate.  As part of a compilation of Lily studies, the “March Lily” reveals Josephine’s interest in the science and educational opportunities of her objects.

This painting made its way to Philadelphia as part of the first exhibit that APS has put on with loaned materials.  It comes from France and is part of the French natural sciences portion of the current exhibit.  Within its space are other paintings of flowers from Josephine’s collection, highlighting its variety and uniqueness.  Directly next to it is a large drawing of an Amaryllis bulb worth 100 gold pieces.   It creates an interesting juxtaposition between the bulb and the flower in full bloom.  The label that accompanies the painting informs the viewer of the narrative of the flower behind the painting.  It describes how the flower travelled from South Africa to Holland in 1789 and eventually found its way to the Malmaison Estate outside of Paris.   

This painting could be compared to Dutch still life paintings of flowers.  While these are typically bouquets of a wide variety of flower species, the detail used to make each individual flower recognizable is similar.  The French painting however, has a stronger connection to the study of botany than does its Dutch counterparts, engaging scientists as well as artists in the work.  However, this could also deter people only interested in art from appreciating the value of the flower study for it’s scientific purposes. 

An opposing narrative about this object could detail the injustices around taking rare flowers from their native countries.  The colonization efforts of Europe were detrimental to many civilizations.  The transport of this flower outside of South Africa is a story that parallels the lives of many people during that time, and represents how those wrongdoings      were overlooked.    

Please Touch Museum

Woodside Park Dentzel Carousel

1908

Dentzel Carousel Company

Please Touch Museum

The carousel at the Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia was a project of William Dentzel’s.  It is a 52-foot structure with three rows of animals abreast of each other.  There are 52 hand carved animals and two chariots.  They are carved in the "Philadelphia Style" of carousel sculpture, meaning the animals are all life like detail and colors.  The main carver of this carousel, Salvatore Cernigliaro made it unique and special from others by adding a "flirting rabbit" to the middle ring.  The rabbit raises one paw as if engaging in conversation with the people who walk by.  This rabbit is one three known in the world.  

"Flirting Rabbit", saying Hello to you?

This object is also important because many chariots like it have since been destroyed.  This ride was also almost destroyed after a series of moves and park closures in Philadelphia and New York.  It was later absorbed into the collection of the Smithsonian National History museum in Washington D.C. where it was mostly in storage, with a few animals individually on display in the museum.  Eventually it was transferred again to the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, and the Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia. 

In 1960 the horses, rabbits, goats and cats of the carousel were sandblasted and repainted.  A conservation project that took two years was begun on the carousel to return the animals, mirrors, clown heads and cherubs to their original colors.  During this effort, conservators realized that some of the animals were not original to the ride, having been switched out and replaced with other animals.  Some do still date back to before 1924. 

The carousel is displayed in a glass pavilion on the east side of the Please Touch Museum, and is still in use today.  It is part of an entire carousel exhibit including interpretive panels about the history and process of creating the carousel, and the conservation of the iconic ride.  Some children may not appreciate the carousel for its historic and artistic value, this being overshadowed by fear created by the realism and size of the animals.  

  Please Touch effectively presents the historical, pop culture value of the carousel, providing anyone with an interest in pop culture history the opportunity to engage with an object from the early 20th century.  Also, artistically the carousel is important because of the skill and detail evident in the many animals and chariots.  It is an art form that is overlooked, however people interested in sculpture would appreciate the talent of Salvatore Cernigliaro.  

As an interactive exhibit within the museum, children are able to ride it while listening to traditional carousel music and looking out on Fairmont Park through the glass pavilion.  This enables the carousel to be enjoyed in a similar way to its original location in Woodside Park. 

Eastern State Penitentiary Synagogue

Eastern State Penitentiary

October 2011

                                   

Synagogue

1928-9

Plywood and Stone

Alfred W. Fleisher

            Instead of an individual object, this week I chose to write about an entire space.  The synagogue at Eastern State Penitentiary (ESP) is a religious room built out off a converted exercise yard space.  ESP was a solitary confinement prison opened in 1829 with a growing population of Jewish inmates.  During the 1920’s after solitary confinement was abolished, a synagogue was built on site so that the Jewish inmates could observe holidays and pray.  This was the first prison synagogue and its presence would have been very important to a religious Jew.  With the help of Alfred W. Fleisher, President of the Board of Trustees, this sacred space became available to fulfill the religious needs of inmates.   

            In 1971 ESP was closed and began to fall into a state of disrepair.  Once open as a museum/historic site, the Synagogue presented itself to staff as a major conservation project, one that they eagerly took on.  There were 6 inches of debris from the ceiling covering the floor, and much of the wood (originally from 1928) had become unusable.    

            The synagogue now is completely rebuilt and looks like it could be a small chapel in any synagogue today.  Original photographs that helped with the reconstruction were turned into interpretive panels and allow visitors to see the before and after images of the space as well as the space being used by inmates before 1971. 

            This space reflects a level of respect the guards had for the prisoners, and the changing times of U.S. correctional facilities.  The Synagogue could be an opportunity for ESP to continue the narrative about current issues in prison systems.  This level of respect for the humanity of inmates could be applied today.