Tips for Visiting Museums
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Read about them here, then visit these museums |
American
Advertising Museum |
American Advertising Museum |
Presents the evolution of the American Advertising Industry. Visitors learn how ads transformed from relying almost exclusively on copy to carry the message to relying almost exclusively on visuals. Visitors also learn how ad work moved from in-house departments to out-of-house agencies. Finally, visitors learn how advertising created entire industries, like orange juice. Anyone who works in communication should see this museum; its story is the story of all types of communication work, not just advertising. |
American Textile History Museum |
Explores the many facets of the textile industry in New England during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Ostensibly, it presents a chronological history of the industry, from its origins as a home-based industry to its emergence as a factory industry. The exhibit also explains the different types of textiles, and their manufacture. For example, it explains the difference in manufacturing linen, cotton, and wool textiles. But the most fascinating part of the museum is the exhibit of the textiles--all in excellent condition (a testament to the skill of the conservators working in the museum's textile conservation center)--and the exhibit of photographs of textile workers. |
Baltimore Museum of Industry |
Presents the history of industry in Baltimore. Tells the stories of the the textile, communications, and food processing industries in Baltimore, with a focus on the work and conditions for workers. Its Cannery exhibition gives children is one of the most in-depth opportunities to experience the physical and political nature of work. |
The Depot |
Offers a one-stop visit, in which each gallery is essentially
a different museums:
Sheer variety alone makes this a must-see, but many of the exhibitions themselves warrant the visit. |
Getty Museum |
Combines breathtaking views, masterpieces of art, first-class education on the issues raised by the objects, beautiful landscaping, and architectural excellence. The museum specializes in European art, and contains some of the finest examples of not only paintings, but the decorative arts (especially furniture). The walls and floors in each gallery complement the art within. When visitors tire of the art (not that they will), they can walk outside and experience the views of the Los Angeles skyline and the Pacific coast (haze permitting). Reservations required and, with its reputation as a must-see, reservations are usually only available 6 months in advance. |
Hunter Art Museum |
Offers a comprehensive overview of American art, without overwhelming visitors. The museum has 2 parts: a restored house where the architecture is as much of an object as the paintings, and a modern addition, which offers a nice view of the Tennessee River. The collection not only includes works by most of the major American artists--but good work. Also of note is the glass work. |
Minneapolis Institute of Arts |
Presents an encyclopedic collection of European, American, African, and ethnic art. Although the collection isn't huge (as compared to other encyclopedic museums, like the Boston Museum of Fine Arts and the Metropolitan Museum of Art), what it lacks in quantity is offers in quality. The art represents some of the best work by their artists--and it is explained in way that's accessible to the average, non-art-savvy visitor. Often overshadowed by the equally excellent but better known Minneapolis museum, the Walker Art Center. |
Menil Collection |
Presents a comprehensive perspective on modern, Native America, and African art. Not only is the collection well-presented, but the designers did so without overwhelming visitors. Offers a peaceful respite after a long day of work. |
Museum of Macao New! |
Presents the history of Macao, a former Portuguese colony near Hong Kong that was re-unified with China in late 1999. Visitors first learn how similar types of developments separately occurred in Eastern and Western before their interaction in Macao, the first European colony in East Asia. Next, visitors learn about the trade that fueled the founding and growth of Macao. Then, visitors walk through a series of street scenes. One shows a variety of indigenous artifacts. Another faithfully recreates local architecture and its various influences. A third shows people in various walks of life. In the hall about local culture, exhibits on cricket racing and fire-cracker manufacturing seem to stick to stick with people. What makes this museum a treat to visit is its ability to immerse visitors in Macanese culture, and its outstanding and easy-to-follow synthesis of complex information. |
National Art Museum of Slovenia |
Presents the art of Slovene artists. What's most interesting about this exhibition is the insight that the art of a given period offers into the national psyche at that time. Slovenia is the westernmost republic of the former Yugoslovia. As an independent country, it offers a storybook-like beauty and a unique warmth and welcoming to visitors. |
National Theatre Museum New! |
Displays the rich history of the London Theater. Learn about the development of the legitimate stage from the times of Shakespeare on. See sketches, costumes, scenery, and props from famous stage productions. Learn about some of London's most famous actors. All in a museum lovingly created first by the theater community, and later made a branch of the Victoria and Albert Museum. |
Peabody Essex Museum New! |
Sensitively displays one of the most unique and eclectic museum collections, which includes decorative arts, maritime pieces, natural history, and visual arts. One of the oldest museums in the United States, the Peabody Museum was originally founded by a group of whaling merchants who traveled the world and brought back treasures to share with the community. A hall in the center of the museum exhibits some artifacts from the original collection. Within the last quarter century, the Peabody Museum merged with the Essex Museum, which had an outstanding decorative arts collection. Permanent galleries present specimens from nature, Chinese porcelein, and ship-ware. Temporary collections tend to contrast interactions between the West and other cultures. |
Petersen's Automotive Museum |
Subtly tells the story of the development of Los Angeles, by telling the parallel story of the development of the automobile. I expected a tacky display of antique cars, and was pleasantly surprised by an outstanding recreation of historic street scenes. (Rest assured car buffs. The museum displays plenty of restored and one-of-a-kind vehicles.) The museum explains how the development of the automobile influenced streetscapes, such as the effect of parking needs on the emergence of shopping centers, the emergence of gas station design, and the emergence of the auto mall. The museum also explains how Southern California became an automobile design center because of the area's fascination with the automobile. |
Skirball Museum |
Tells the story of the American Jewish experience. The permanent exhibit lovingly tells the story of immigration to America and assimilation into American culture; changing exhibits present the art of American and Israeli Jewish artists. Another permanent exhibit tells the story of the Holocaust and a hands-on exhibit gives visitors a chance to understand archeology in Israel. |
Scandanavian Heritage Museum |
Presents a lovingly re-created story of the immigration of Danes, Finns, Norwegians, and Swedes to North America, the history of the immigrants' first years in the New Land (especially in the Seattle area, which has a large Scanadanavian population), and presents many ethnic artifacts. Although the story is that of Scandanavians, it's also universal, explaining the story of many European immigrant groups to America. |
Tea and Coffee Museum |
Presents the story of two of the most popular drinks on Earth. Explains how each emerged as a popular drink, how tea and coffee are grown, the problems in making each suitable for drinking (especially how the problem of coffee grounds spurred developments in coffee brewing technology), and the emergence of tea time. The exhibits are only fair, but the story is a must-see for any serious tea or coffee drinker. And at the end of the exhibit, take a few moments to enjoy some of the freshest and most reasonably priced coffee and tea in London. |
Whydah Museum |
Through recovered artifacts and documents, tells the story of the pirate ship, Whydah, which shipwrecked off the shores of Cape Cod nearly 300 years ago. In the process, it counters many of the mythical views of pirates by presenting a better documented and more balanced description of pirate life. Although it looks like a tourist trap sitting at the edge of a pier in Provincetown, the Whydah Museum is a treasure for anyone who enjoys folk lore from the sea. |
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