british galleries 2002

UK Museum Crawl 2002

J. Jensen

Mission


The Galleries display the most comprehensive collection of British design and art on view anywhere in

the world.

(BTW - The V&A is the greatest museum of applied and decorative arts in the

world.)

According to them…

The V & A


Map


The V&A is very big and confusing

Cool Britannia


This exhibit is quite possibly the most outstanding I have seen, ever•Incredible exhibit design (form, layout, colour, fabrication)•Very simple and clever interactives•Appealed to families with children under 12•Only art/dec arts museum I have ever heard people squealing with glee!

Exhibit Plan


The galleries are HUGE!!!!!!!!!!

Enter here

Exhibit Plan


Did I mention they were HUGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!??????

Exit here

Succinct Intro Panel


Basic Entry Too


Orientation Panel/Map


But it is behind you as you walk in...

Four Themes


•Style•Who Led Taste?•Fashionable Living•What Was New?

I think these are lost on visitors - most miss panel

Dates in Floor


This was a nice touch - floors are often forgotten!

Exhibit Spaces


It was a little dark in the first few rooms

Exhibit Spaces


Nice vistas throughout

Exhibit Spaces


Exhibit Spaces


This was pretty much the Chippendale exhibit...

Exhibit Spaces


Floor Treatments


Nice variation of “floors” - often forgotten

Floor Treatments



And Ceilings Treatments!

Cantilevered ceilings add to atmosphere throughout

Typical Display


Lush combination of artifacts - not segregated

“See Thru” Spaces


Openings from space to space are nice too

“See Thru” Spaces


Benches


Found throughout, with pockets for text books

Benches


Stashes of stools throughout space•Carry around•Put on hook when done

Retractable Flashlights


Provided in dark areas as needed - can’t steal ‘em!

Retractable Flashlights


Socket detail

Text Panels


These big panels are standard•note simple design…•It does rather blather on and on though•There were lots of these throughout

Text Panels


Object Label - nice and spare (only 3000 of them…)

Supplemental Text


Large print and full text•Apparently the labels don’t have all the info•Found throughout space

ADA Accessibility


Several of these engraved plates to be touched

Internal Wayfinding


Side galleries indicated (and keyed to maps)

Interactives up the Wazoo


There was stuff to mess with integrated everywhere!



Touchable carving



Yellow panels are pullouts with Braille



Touchable veneers



Another touchable carving



More touchable objects



Progressive stitch work completion and magnifier



A variety of ceramic samples, all tethered



Detail



Touchable bed construction details and fabric



Details (note Braille panels)

Chest of Drawers


Fully manipulable, with tagged questions

Chest of Drawers


You can take the drawers out!

Chest of Drawers


And spin it around!

Chest of Drawers


Question and answer tags



Use UV light to see what has been replaced/repaired on figures

Metal Flip Panels


Used throughout, will NEVER wear out (note finger lip)

Metal Flip Panels


Hinge and bend detail

Metal Flip Panels


Also multipage “books”

Metal Flip Panels


Also integrated in this orientation•This one deals with original value

Flip Panel - Object in Detail


First page IDs object



Next - question and clue (note colour change)



And then an answer



Several more pages - last on Ids object fully

Books


Plastic pages with heavy duty plastic “binding”

Books


These will last forever too•Each page screwed into round “rotator”•All mounted on a shaft•Arranged to avoid pages binding•Low friction plastic

Drawing Drawers


Open•Good way of displaying multiple flat items•Could work for comics...

Drawing Drawers


As integrated into a display

Drawing Drawers


Upright orientation

Visitor Input


Write down thoughts about what you collect!

Visitor Input


Staff edits for the best ones (laminated)

Visitor Input


Write about an important object of yours

Visitor Input


Visitors enlargements laminated and displayed

Study Areas


2 (one each floor) in corner spaces

Study Areas


Computers with all content, books, printers

Study Room


Bookcase and comfy chairs

Digital Media


In galleries and Discovery Rooms (attract loop)

Digital Media


Main screen

Digital Media


Period screen

Digital Media


Object Screen

Digital Media


Explore a single painting in detail

Video


Very well done - and no audio!

Video


Another intro screen - about attribution

Video


Standard unit•Found throughout space

Video


Another overall•As unit appears in context

Video


Unit adapted to a tight space

Audio


The one failure - all but one unit was dead!

Audio


This was the only working audio (and for DMK too!)

Audio


Was also broken in benches...

Discovery Rooms


3 found within space•Many activities grouped together•Dress up•Computers•Hands On•“Pick a Box”•“What is it?”

Discovery Room 1


First found behind armour in this view

Discovery Room 1


Overall views•Note see thru vista at armour

Discovery Room 1


What is it? case

Discovery Room 1


Open doors and mirrors reveal answers (very clever)

Discovery Room 1


Dress up activity (note hat solution - acrylic!)

Discovery Room 1


Gauntlet•Matches armour•Put your hand in it•Note thru vista here too

Discovery Room 1


Build a chair!•Just like Ikea...

Discovery Room 1


Parts stow away nicely (and people do so!)

Discovery Room 1


Weaving interactive•Aimable light on post

Discovery Room 1


Write a saga - staff collect, edit, laminate, display

Discovery Room 1


Activity Boxes•Each room has a stack of these•Each small activity different•Could work in our history kits

Discovery Room 1


Activity Boxes•Each includes materials and instructions

Discovery Room 2


Overall view - with computers and “What is It?”

Discovery Room 2


Build a Chippendale chair

Discovery Room 2


Make a frame•Magnetic components

Discovery Room 2


Tie a cravat

Discovery Room 2


More dress-up•Note hook to hang up cravat

Discovery Room 2


Pick-a-Box•Additional small activities tucked into boxes•Workspace to use them

Discovery Room 3


Build your own version of the Crystal Palace

Discovery Room 3


Discovery Room 3


Create a bookplate - print or email it!

Discovery Room 3


See what I made?•Email broke later in the day though…•Diane was very disappointed

Period Rooms


Cutout figure, not mannequin

Period Rooms


Repro chairs match artifacts - you can sit in them!

Period Room


Showing patch before restoration•Also interesting book with details of process

“Period Rooms”


Exposed construction details

Objects Displayed Open


Objects that open are shown open (in places)

Objects Displayed Open


Unobtrusive acrylic bracket on wall

Other Display Ideas


Clothing as in a closet

Mannequins


Very abstract and effective

Other Display Ideas


What makes this chair a fake?

Light Sensitive Cabinet


Only one of these•Open up doors•Push button to turn light on•Lights goes off when doors shut•Never seen something this slick!

Models


Depicted actual structures and interior layout

british galleries 2002

Design

flip panel

activity boxes

note

armour

galleries

chair

nice

open