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.