It's Electric!

The Franklin Institute is committed to provide visitors with a scientific and interactive educational experience. This mission is clearly displayed in the exhibit titled “Electricity.” The exhibit developed from an interest of incorporating more of Benjamin Franklin into the exhibits, after all, Franklin is the museums namesake.

To set the mood when entering "Electricity" it is best to touch the key and receive a mild shock. As planned, this will ensure a clear and focused mind while experiencing how electricity works. Along with a guided tour, our class was able to sneak a peak into the preliminary design phases of the exhibit. Electricity is a large concept and to be able to see how it gets narrowed down is a perfect example of how an exhibit gets created. The space incorporates history, art, technology, and science interactively and successfully. When first walking into the space I first noticed the lighting, it was dimmed to the perfect level to see sparks and flashes of light. A number of Benjamin Franklin’s artifacts are on display, including his original electricity tube and a book he wrote on electricity. Among other things, a lightning rod, electrostatic generator, and a collection of Leyden jars, with only one missing. A mounted computer monitor allows visitors to pick an object and see a short animation of how each would have worked. I think that this combination of history and technology works well because it allows viewers to see how this outdated technology would have functioned, putting it in better context. Most of the interactive pieces were on a raised level in the center of the space. A floor that lights up when you walk or dace, cranks that power light bulbs, and a touch screen game that allows you to control a towns power supply, these are just a few examples of “Electricity.” Along with each “game,” for lack of a better word, a descriptive plaque informs what do and provides facts and information. I felt like I had to read them, because otherwise I would not have figured out what the goal was or what I was doing. I think that the exhibit does a great job of balancing interaction with education, despite everyone’s urge to huddle around “Compromising Choices.”

In connection to The Connecticut Cultural Consumer article, I found that it seemed like everyone enjoyed the technology and interaction. With the majority of the class being under thirty, we are the demographic the article says does not prefer technology in museums. I think it proves that statistics based on age and a wide subject like technology in museums is not something to take as fact. There are many variations between museums, technology, and how museums use technology. Personally, I would have enjoyed more historical background of Benjamin Franklin and the development of electricity. However, I enjoyed the technology and interaction, and I feel the Franklin Institute does a wonderful job balancing both.

When I think of the Academy of Natural Science I immediately visualize the large Tyrannosaurus skeleton in the Dinosaur Hall. I often only think of the Tyrannosaurus, and the other dinosaur skeletons, forgetting about the dioramas, butterflies, auditorium, and library. I think the Tyrannosaurus stands out and trumps the dioramas because it is the largest exhibit in the museum, and unlike the dioramas, visitors can walk around it in awe and see it from every angle. The Dinosaur Hall is also home to a cast skeleton of a Tylosaurus. This skeleton is suspended swimming through the air, and there are even water sound effects as you get closer. In fact, throughout the Dinosaur Hall visitors here the roars of dinosaurs, creating an eerie effect, especially for the younger visitors.
The majority of the museum appears to be focused on children and teenagers. The dioramas make up the bulk of the first and second floor, while The Big Dig and Dinosaur Hall occupy a portion of each, and the third floor is an interactive area for young children called Outside-In. I think that the museum focuses on gaining an audience of younger children because it will begin to encourage an interest in natural science early in their education. The museum is visually stimulating and also encourages children to participate, especially in The Big Dig and the Outside-In.
The dioramas range from North American, Asian, and African. The darkly lit halls and glowing display windows live up to the comparison of window shopping. Hall after hall, the animals are posed in their constructed habitat to evoke a sense of amazement in the viewer. I think that the interest in dioramas is in the excitement of the viewer to be able to stare at a tiger in his (glass) eyes. It is almost like time has frozen and the viewer is able to witness and experience something exotic and rare. The scientific aspects of the displays go easily unnoticed. For example, the various positioning that shows different views on the animals, the incorporation of young animals, and the specific plants used to fill the window. The background paintings of dioramas always seem like they are down by the same artist. They all have a scientific quality to them, making sure each plant is recognizable, and each mountain rage is accurate to the habitat. The curved back to these paintings help to envelop the viewer in the small constructed world. I think that these elements of scientific observation can go unnoticed because it is easy for the viewer to take the dioramas for face value, looking at it for a few moments, and then moving on to the next continent. This of course, is the negative side of dioramas. I do think that the Academy of Natural Science is aware of this, and try to combat the negative with interactive displays that will, hopefully, encourage children to take natural science out of the museum and into their own life.

Betsy Ross's House?

The Betsy Ross House experience begins in the gift shop and ends in the gift shop. As I waited in the shop for our group to gather I noticed every tourist was over the age of forty. I assume because it was a rainy Thursday afternoon most children were at school, though I was still confused by the crowd. The tour is self-guided with the provided audio tour that fills the visitors ears with the voice of Betsy herself. The tour takes the visitor room by room through the old stone house, and does not last more than a half hour. A theme through the house is a "myth buster" plaque on the wall stating a cute anecdote. I found this ironic, considering the entire Betsy Ross House is a myth. The audio tour creates a narrative that is much less accurate and informative than say, Marla Miller’s book, “Betsy Ross and the Making of America.” At the end of the tour I left thinking the house was an interesting glimpse at life during 1700’s, and with an itch of interest in the role women have played throughout American history. The debate over the accuracy and truth of the house lingered over my tour, but hearing Betsy’s voice as I walked through her kitchen reassured me. With the belief that Betsy never lived in the house, I still appreciate the attempt to put a face on a historic moment in the history of the United States. Deceitful and underhanded, though not surprising.