A book that focuses on the relationships between the many departments within the Smithsonian during the creation of the new, upcoming, exhibit Deep Time. Well, it was upcoming at the time the book was being made.
It is a ethnography that records the growing conflicts and interactions between reach and outreach, between curators and exhibitions, over the 20th and early 21st Century. It covers many of the projects and exhibits before Deep Time. It also covers changes on how the museum evolved to the demands of the people.
I was looking forward to reading this book. I love history, I worked for a museum, and having lived in the area on and off for most of my life I had seen many of the exhibits the author was talking about.
I had seen the changes within the Halls of the Smithsonian. Just look at my photos. So I had a framework to hang it all on. As it were.
I have to give it a four. I enjoyed many of the chapters but found myself ramming through some of the sections. It is a subject I love but the writing brought it down a tad. Funny enough in parts of the book the author pointed out how the language used by museums had to be changed to make it more accessible to the visitors. Labels that had been made by curators were now being written by professional writers. They made it so anybody could understand what was being explained.
Funny enough the book’s language is very scholarly. It even slowed me down a tad and I am use to dealing with curators and researchers.
It was written for other scholars and researchers and not meant for just anybody who picks it up out of a interest in the subject. If you are interested in museums, museum history, or the Smithsonian I would suggest picking it up. But maybe get it used or on a sale.
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Interesting if a tad dry....
A book that focuses on the relationships between the many departments within the Smithsonian during the creation of the new, upcoming, exhibit Deep Time. Well, it was upcoming at the time the book was being made.It is a ethnography that records the growing conflicts and interactions between reach and outreach, between curators and exhibitions, over the 20th and early 21st Century. It covers many of the projects and exhibits before Deep Time. It also covers changes on how the museum evolved to the demands of the people.I was looking forward to reading this book. I love history, I worked for a museum, and having lived in the area on and off for most of my life I had seen many of the exhibits the author was talking about.I had seen the changes within the Halls of the Smithsonian. Just look at my photos. So I had a framework to hang it all on. As it were.I have to give it a four. I enjoyed many of the chapters but found myself ramming through some of the sections. It is a subject I love but the writing brought it down a tad. Funny enough in parts of the book the author pointed out how the language used by museums had to be changed to make it more accessible to the visitors. Labels that had been made by curators were now being written by professional writers. They made it so anybody could understand what was being explained.Funny enough the book’s language is very scholarly. It even slowed me down a tad and I am use to dealing with curators and researchers.It was written for other scholars and researchers and not meant for just anybody who picks it up out of a interest in the subject. If you are interested in museums, museum history, or the Smithsonian I would suggest picking it up. But maybe get it used or on a sale.
Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2023
A book that focuses on the relationships between the many departments within the Smithsonian during the creation of the new, upcoming, exhibit Deep Time. Well, it was upcoming at the time the book was being made.
It is a ethnography that records the growing conflicts and interactions between reach and outreach, between curators and exhibitions, over the 20th and early 21st Century. It covers many of the projects and exhibits before Deep Time. It also covers changes on how the museum evolved to the demands of the people.
I was looking forward to reading this book. I love history, I worked for a museum, and having lived in the area on and off for most of my life I had seen many of the exhibits the author was talking about.
I had seen the changes within the Halls of the Smithsonian. Just look at my photos. So I had a framework to hang it all on. As it were.
I have to give it a four. I enjoyed many of the chapters but found myself ramming through some of the sections. It is a subject I love but the writing brought it down a tad. Funny enough in parts of the book the author pointed out how the language used by museums had to be changed to make it more accessible to the visitors. Labels that had been made by curators were now being written by professional writers. They made it so anybody could understand what was being explained.
Funny enough the book’s language is very scholarly. It even slowed me down a tad and I am use to dealing with curators and researchers.
It was written for other scholars and researchers and not meant for just anybody who picks it up out of a interest in the subject. If you are interested in museums, museum history, or the Smithsonian I would suggest picking it up. But maybe get it used or on a sale.
It is a ethnography that records the growing conflicts and interactions between reach and outreach, between curators and exhibitions, over the 20th and early 21st Century. It covers many of the projects and exhibits before Deep Time. It also covers changes on how the museum evolved to the demands of the people.
I was looking forward to reading this book. I love history, I worked for a museum, and having lived in the area on and off for most of my life I had seen many of the exhibits the author was talking about.
I had seen the changes within the Halls of the Smithsonian. Just look at my photos. So I had a framework to hang it all on. As it were.
I have to give it a four. I enjoyed many of the chapters but found myself ramming through some of the sections. It is a subject I love but the writing brought it down a tad. Funny enough in parts of the book the author pointed out how the language used by museums had to be changed to make it more accessible to the visitors. Labels that had been made by curators were now being written by professional writers. They made it so anybody could understand what was being explained.
Funny enough the book’s language is very scholarly. It even slowed me down a tad and I am use to dealing with curators and researchers.
It was written for other scholars and researchers and not meant for just anybody who picks it up out of a interest in the subject. If you are interested in museums, museum history, or the Smithsonian I would suggest picking it up. But maybe get it used or on a sale.
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Reviewed in the United States on March 26, 2023
