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A discourse with deep time: the extinct animals of Crystal Palace Park as heritage artefacts
This essay addresses the transformation of the prehistoric animal models exhibited in Crystal Palace Park from scientific models, initially yoked to British heritage through rhetoric, to objects recognised as historically significant and worthy of conservation.
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A symposium on histories of use and tacit skills
The histories of use of the objects in museum collections, and the unrecorded skills of their operation, have posed pressing research questions for museum people and university scholars alike. This symposium drew together different perspectives on this emerging area of study.
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Challenges of conservation: working objects
A review of conservation concepts and practice, and provision of access to objects. Discussion of the conservation issues which arise when industrial objects are operated, and of the need for research into the effects of operation and the visitor experience.
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‘A Chamber of Noise Horrors’: sound, technology and the museum
This article analyses the 1935 Science Museum Noise Abatement exhibition in order to draw wider conclusions about technological sound and the museum and to make an argument in favour of hearing museum sound historically.
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Doping at the Science Museum: the conservation challenge of doped fabric aircraft in the Flight gallery
A review of the materials used to make doped fabric aircraft, the Science Museum’s collection and the conservation challenge of such objects.
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From 2D to 3D: the story of graphene in objects
This paper examines presentation of the material culture of graphene in the Wonder Materials exhibition by looking at ten of the objects on display, exploring the role they play in making the challenging nanoscience topic of the exhibition engaging for visitors.
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From the White Man’s Grave to the White Man’s Home? Experiencing ‘Tropical Africa’ at the 1924–25 British Empire Exhibition
This article analyses the exhibition and reception of Tropical Africa at the 1924–25 British Empire Exhibition, drawing attention to affect, the senses, and spatiality. It emphasises the need to look beyond curatorial intent and consider the multiplicity of potential experiences within World’s Fairs.
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Functionless
Displays of instruments in science museums are closer to those of decorative arts artefacts than to the presentation of real functional and practical objects. This article offers a critique and suggests a path forward to go beyond functionless objects.
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Giovanni Canestrini’s models of Leonardo da Vinci’s friction experiments
Among the many mechanical models based on Leonardo da Vinci’s drawings, several purport to illustrate his experiments on friction. This article traces the history of these models and examines them critically in the light of recent research into Leonardo’s studies of friction.
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‘Organising Sound’: how a research network might help structure an exhibition
In 2015, the Science Museum, with the University of Nottingham and Royal College of Music, arranged three workshops to explore potential themes and contents for future exhibitions about science, technology and music. This article reports and reflects on the proceedings.