I think the idea of display or curation in the world of the museum is significant and extremely interesting. At first a superficial idea, display can communicate underlying concepts about the subject matter involved. First, it is interesting to compare how different museums attempt to show similar pieces. The AMNH shows mammals through dioramas that we are all familiar with. The British Natural History museum, however produced a large scale display where many animals are fit in together.

This makes gives no hierarchical order to the animals involved, but it lends little to no information about the figures in the display. Small placards give little information about the genus/ species but is the extent. This display seems more aimed to the artistic/ amusement rather than the scientific.

More specific, differences in display techniques can be seen in the curation of mummies/ human remains. The traditional mummy can be seen in many museums and gives little controversy over its display; they can usually be observed from behind a display case and are held as examples of how specific cultures deal with mortality. At the British Museum, however, these traditional mummies are displayed alongside other examples of human remains. the most shocking is an Egyptian man who was found lying near a tomb.

this figure seems to be less about the display of a culture and more about the shock on has from seeing a dead body. rather than displaying cultures of the past, the museum artistically crafts a display of a found object; sparking some controversy over the content.

A Gift of.

As a designer I began to observe the display system of the hall, such as the tone used to portray a certain mood and the typography used to deliver information to the audience. From there, the "Gift of" sign caught my attention. Underneath the label for what was being displayed was the "Gift of", directed to the person responsible for the museum. It is in capital letters, san serif, font size just a tad bit smaller than the label. I talked about this in my paper but it leads to the bigger idea of how we are used to information displayed. News and information is something everyone has the right to and, just as an observation, we have built a whole system around something as simple as information. We recognize the power of knowledge I guess. Everything is credited to somebody, as if the information wouldn't have existed without the person. In some cases it wouldn't have, but our possessive attitude on something that could benefit the world with its spread is intriguing.

I found that to have caught my attention and to be relevant to the ideas we are exploring in terms of collecting and displaying information.

Also... "a gift" for our obsessive nature in collecting. Anything and everything.

Museum of Natural History's Culture Halls

Amber's responses to our confusion regarding some of the culture halls' seeming inconsistencies got me to re-framework them, to a certain extent. First of all, the idea that keeping everything in present tense is very purposeful because such depicted events and rituals ought to be fluid...This is something I agree with. Perhaps it's "better," or less judgmental, ethnographically, to withhold from placing definitive labels on cultural phenomena about which we will never fully know. It is not as if the Hall of African Peoples is completely open to interpretation but the information is limited. This might be for a real reason of which we're not aware.

Again, such a re-frameworking applies to the way I thought of the halls before. I wondered why there was hardly any consistency: why are there mannequins in some halls, and not in others? Is there a way to tie all these cultures together, like patterns - a wedding in one culture, a wedding in another? Why are the layouts and lighting so different in each hall?

Thinking back, these questions were a little ignorant. To keep each hall consistent might imply that there really are "patterns" in these cultures. That's a narrow way of looking at them: everything is set up differently because everything IS different.

That said, the Culture Halls need, desperately (I think) some technological updates...

(I apologize for the late response.)

Repsonse to Remi's post

I found Remi's post about younger generations interpreting the news differently to be extremely interesting. In our ADD world, it seems to be getting more and more difficult for people our age and younger to absorb newspaper articles and other forms of information that hurl facts at your brain. It is certainly the case in news, and I would say it's a similar case in museums. As we've all discussed, kids run around the museum as fast as a mouse clicking over and over, while the parents and grandparents try to get kids to read all the text, and learn. Of course these kids don't read the text at museums, when most of the museum is eye candy anyway. And besides, they're used to a faster pace of absorbing information due to television, computers, and dvds. Taking the time to actually read hard text must seem like carving words into stone.

the museum needs a teachnological update, just as the news does. kids are absorbing all information in different ways. i think the museums are doing a disservice to kids by assuming they will read the tinie tiny black and white text that often accompanies exhibits and dioramas. i think the museum would be surprised just how much the kids would learn by reading, if only it were more accessible to their preferred method of learning.

On our last trip to the AMNH, I found note-taking a difficult task since there was so much to see in the cultural halls, and labels to note, with many ways to interpret the museum’s representation of each culture. With the different visitors I saw, I could imagine a completely different perspective on these displays; from how children might see it to people who are native to these places. As discussed in class, and as many have noted, the African Peoples Hall was dark, bluish, and a bit dreary considering the bright and loud nature of the costumes on display. I thought this made more sense for the jungle and forest environments, but for deserts and plains I would expect much more light. I didn’t see any dates, and everything was discussed in present tense, as if we were supposed to assume this was the past, or perhaps that these cultures were ongoing. I had mixed feelings about the hut display cases, I found them interesting culturally and architecturally but they felt like inauthentic spectacles that seemed to confirm a stereotype.
I found the Asian Peoples Hall a little overwhelming with all it tried to represent side by side. At the entrance there was a pile of sparkling artifacts from 19th and 20th centuries from various Asian countries, like a marketplace, but do they imply that this a timeless market continuing today? The architecture was ornate and above the doorway “the Lure of Asia” was written, kind of a silly statement. So much diversity was fit into this area, from Imperial Russia (which felt a bit out of place), to tribes of central Asia, an Indian village, to an Islamic temple. I felt the artifacts spoke for themselves a great deal, very uniquely stylistic with particular significance to each culture. Where “Japanese Style” was displayed, I noticed the backgrounds and some artwork looked much more modern than artifacts, with abstract shapes and heavy painted textures.
The Central American Peoples section was very different, it seemed they tried to recreate a temple with beige Aztec-like patterned walls, spot lighting, a giant Olmec head, and many other brightly colored artifacts. I was surprised how modern many of the ancient designs looked. I was also surprised to see a severed skull, since I thought human remains were disputed at the museum.

The Akeley African Mammal Hall was very dark with luminous dioramas, bronze reliefs were over the displays. 

A lot of children running around as if it were a playground. 

Many visitors felt the need to make animal noises when looking at the stuffed animals. 

In the Asian Mammal Hall there was more light. Over the displays there was wood carved in 'oriental' style. 

Lack of dates, no sense of time.

The Hall of Asian Peoples was very colorful.

The Hall of African Peoples was very dark. There were different color backgrounds in the glass cases to signify regions of Africa. Lime green signifies grasslands, blue signifies rainforest, orange/yellow signifies desert regions. 

This is the mannequin wearing sneakers and tribal African dress. 

Margaret Mead on Display

After reading the article on Margaret Mead, I started thinking about cultures and how they are represented unfairly represented at museums.  While searching the web for exhibits I came across a display case of Margaret Mead herself. I thought it was ironic that even Mead, who is seen as a pioneer in anthropology, is represented by the sum of her personal memorabilia and intellectual products at the American Museum of Natural History.  Her cape, staff, medals, honors, photographs, articles, and journal entries, are all displayed together in a glass case to convey some sort of truth.  

I found an article specifically about her work on Pacific Peoples and the display on her.  It was really helpful, and also had more criticism on the Hall of Pacific Peoples that was pretty interesting. 

It was called Heterotopic Dissonance in the Museum Representation of Pacific Island Cultures by Miriam Kahn if anyone wants to look at it. (It also has a picture of the display about her)

Slavery in the museum...

thought this was interesting...since we were talking about slavery in the context of museums, and the AMNH has a small display about the enslavement of Africans in the Americas.  the display was small, and pretty crappy, in the hallway on the way to the bathroom, adjacent to the Hall of African peoples.  slavery at the museum is acknowledged, but not really addressed?

field notes: initial reactions to AMNH (hardy stewart)

A big pretty butterfly on white wall, a caterpillar. A big ramp up to street . . . up ramp follow beetles and butterflies and dragonflies and ants. Grasshoppers. Bird, scorpion. Museum, it’s bigger than in pdf. Air is cold and pretty and rain—a few spits. There’s a pretty girl sitting on the fifth step. I have not been uptown so far. Inside, Pantheon type and a fat dino (little ones too) all around!

Can’t sit on the ground

If you sit on the ground don’t sit

On the ground please don’t

African mammals

The giraffes are considerably smaller than what I had expected.

“The watering hole was a place where—the water hole was a place where zebras, giraffes, and whatever you call those came, came to drink their water.”

“I think that one is getting milk.”

“So you already know that that one’s the momma.”

“And that one’s the dad.”

“How do you know that one’s the dad?”

“Same color.”

“Well, yeah, but what else is different?”

“He’s taller.”

“Right.”

--mother and two children observing water hole exhibit

--can see the reconstruction flaws on mountain nyalo—on face mostly. Before knowing about the process of taxidermy I would have thought that these were veins.


Buffalo are huge! No wonder people follow! One million portions.

field notes: initial reactions to AMNH (hardy stewart)

Field Notes - AMNH

Akeley Hall of African Mammals

Panoptic design. 6 Elephants central to exhibition, flanked by lesser mammals.

28 dioramas in total - vast range of animals from the bongo and mandrill of the dense rain forests to the impala and elephant of the savannah

Animals are lifelike, yet dead 0 vistas of African wildlife in natural settings surround the pachyderms

Temporality an issue - are the animals alive today

Displays listed by region and species

Water Hole - family units displayed: mother, father, child or couples

Brass detailing of animals above displays

Hall of African Peoples

The Hall of African Peoples explore diversity of cultures in Africa. Again, issues with time and space. Why is hall organized the way it is organized? Are these cultures present of past?

On displays are masks, musical instruments, farming tools, religious idols, ceremonial costumes, ect

Dioramas depict a variety of scenes, from the Berbers to the Mbuti pygmies (also featured are the Yoruba, Pokot, and Bira peoples) 

The hall is divided into geographical areas: grasslands , deserts, woodlands and tropical rain forests 

Gardner D. Stout Hall of Asian Peoples 

Largest cultural hall in the Museum

The hall explores topic as prehistoric Eurasia and the rise of civilization, early Asian cultures, and Asian trade

Diverse regions: Korea, China, India, Armenia, and Siberia

Focused on religions such as Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and Confusianism

Anthropologists in Iraq by Annie Sullivan

I was struck by a few minor details from our last museum visit that I don't think were yet discussed in class. In the Mexico and Central America Hall, one diorama displayed pottery vessel and figurines that were termed either "pre-pottery," "pre-classic," "classic," and "post-classic." How was this even determined? What is the usefulness or the purpose of using primarily variations of "classic" to describe pottery? In the same hall, the pathway went straight without anything in its path until a display case about gold. Was this thought to be of the most interest to people--the value placed on gold and jewerly? I would like to think I'm exaggerating but then I'm not so sure it's without meaning, considering there seems to be an intention behind everything at the museum. I was really impressed by the Guatemala Stelae structures and wondered--how did they transport these huge structures? The plaque says they are 35ft high. I'm assuming they are taken from the native area and in that case, considering part of the readings we read for tomorrow, was that the ethical thing to do? The plaque also admits the difficulty in deciphering Maya writing, so who knows what religious importance they could've had.

AP: Depressing news bumming young people out. That is why they like Jon Stewart.

Apparently, the Assocated Press has sent a team of ethnographers around the world to document and research whether young people take in news differently with today's technology (via laptops and iPhones) than older people did with just news in print and on TV. The study finds that, of course, we do consume news differently!

After going to exotic locations all over the world, the AP believe that people such as Jon Stewart may become the new model for future news broadcasting programs. They also have reported that over the top and obsessive intake of news bits brings about repetitive stress syndrome, a condition AP anthropologist have labeled as "news fatigue."

"“Participants with news fatigue would try to ascertain whole news stories but they regularly were left unsatisfied,” reported the ethnographers in a 71-page report. “Ultimately, news fatigue brought many of the participants to a ‘learned-helpless’ response. The more overwhelmed or unsatisfied they were, the less effort they were willing to put in” to following the news."

“Adding to news fatigue among the participants was the widespread belief that ‘all news today is negative,’” continued the study. “Over and over again, the negativity of news – tragedy, crisis, war and terror – added to the desire to tune out.”

"That’s where Jon Stewart comes in. “Satirical shows provided an antidote to news fatigue by creating an‘anti-negative,’” said the ethnographers. “Jon Stewart could take even the most serious news and spin it and make it palatable.”"

"Based on the above findings, forward-looking news executives would be advised to ensure that future stories report all the latest developments, contain all the facts, provide context, include in-depth explanation, forecast future events and, above all else, are upbeat and funny."

source

Anthropologists in war zones

I was most interested in the article from the New York Times about the anthropologists that are working in the war zones with the US military. I found it rather ironic that they need to bring in specific anthropologists to do this work. Would it not work just as well to properly educate the soldiers that are going over there? If so, and they could have soldiers that are sensitive to the surroundings and cultural life of the people they are surrounded by, then maybe the soldiers wouldn't be looked at as bad as they are now. Instead, they have to send over people to help the soldiers "communicate" with the civilians?

Anna R's Pictures from The Indigenous peoples halls

We talked breifly about this in class, why is there a man on a flying carpet at a Natural History Museum? This seems to give children the wrong impression or even a stereotype of this area.

 The dioramas in the Asian Peoples Hall had a lot more detail than those of the African Peoples Hall. This diorama has facial hair, skin tone, pupils, facial expression, while the African Hall Peoples do not.

I have no idea what these people or representations of people are supposed to be representing. apparently they are from Mambila or they represent people from Mambila, this was very unclear.

These heads were used to display head gear in the African Peoples Hall. Each of these heads are exactly the same and do not feature pupils or any variation in facial tone. 

These are the Pokot People from the Grasslands. The display text says "they are drawing a small quantity of blood from  the necks of young oxen." but it does not say why they do this which i am curious about.

EK Museum Notes

African Mammals
-Elephants
- stampeding as a herd when you first walk-in
- they are East African Elephants
-off to the side is the African watering hole with zebra and antelope
- its a little crowded in the museum
- there is a giraffe in this exhibits
- also small birds
- Would these animals really get along this well in real life?
- skipped over the buffalo and mountain nayla
- Lions - pretty cool
- interesting how they are just lounging around with the male on alert
- one cleaning itself
- Bongo
- strange but love the bamboo arrangement
- Skipped giant elandrupe nile region
- Plains is interesting because of the zebra
- there just seems to an unrealistic amount of animals in such a small space
- skipped greater koodo
- Giant sable
- pretty cool
- interesting features such as horns
- although one looks more dead rather than resting, its head is completely flat on the ground
- Gemsbok
- really pretty fur coats
- love the symmetry of the brown fur around the face and a line going down the middle
- plaque says they are mainly hunted as trophies and make good leather
- Okapi
- another animal with nice skin
- zebra like legs
- body o fur sort of like a dear
- Skipped libya desert/gorilla
- Elephant tusks - kind of a mean idea
Birds
- hall full of pictures
- Artic ten photo really nice
- very graphic with dark blue/black water in background and white bird with wings lifting up
- Great Grey owl
- adorable
- on snow (diving)
- wing spread out
- Elephants
- do they really walk with their tales up a lot?
- There are so many animals it is hard to believe they are all real
- also they kind of look fake
Hall of South Asiatic Mammals
- Mare Elephants
- dead center as usual
- probably because they are too big to display any other way
- Leopards
- nice
- they look like complete hunters
- I didn't know they ate peacocks
- the one is guarding its feast
- nice long fuzzy tales
- look surprisingly nice and petable
- Sambar of wild dog
- intense
- dogs growling at sambar
- sambar being fierce killed a wild dog
- noticing recurring theme of dead animals in Asiatic Mammals
- skipping black buck
Egyptians
- Religion
- many traditions and beliefs
- focus on fertility and well-being of life
- the small mummy was cool - it was shruken
- Politics
- the scarab was nice for the sun god Ra
- looks like its meant to hit people
- The Society
- the five-string harp is nice item and instrument
- Economy
- hundreds of fisherman
- this fisher box looks like many other fisher boxes today
- by the way this burnt orange color is a poor color choice and make me feel uninterested - the met displays items better
Grasslands
- the green is better but a little harsh on the eyes
Mountain Grasslands
- straw hat is very creepy and I imagine it would get hot wearing it
Forest Woodlands
- this blue is a pretty color
- fishing - super intense rituals
- annual fishing festival to propriate water spirits
- some don't eat fish
- fertile and pregnant women cannot eat them
- men not allowed intercourse while setting traps
Masks and Social
- Masks are interesting
- I like how they are used in rituals and the detail
The Spirit World
- use of items for religion and worship
- round mask used to frighten kids
Dance and Beliefs
- a lot of effort has been put into this dress
- the shell man is a little scary (snail guy)

Picturing the Museum

http://images.library.amnh.org/index.html

an amazing photo library about education and exhibition at the museum