ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
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Matthew,
Thank you for the plug!  We do in fact have working mill-period 
machines.  Our focus is the American industrial revolution, so there are 
turbines, power looms, trolleys etc.  all in working order.  Our 
programs are all hands-on, giving students a sense of the real mill 
worker experience. 

I should mention that we are a joint project of University of 
Massachusetts at Lowell and the National Park Service; being a part of a 
national park means we have an additional draw - it is site-based, this 
is where it all happened.  Students react differently to the Primary 
Object when they are physically in the Primary Place.
Beryl

Matthew White wrote:
> ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
> Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related 
> institutions.
> ***************************************************************************** 
>
>
> Here is a short list of the ones I can think of sitting here letting 
> my Memorial Day BBQ digest:
>
> The Baltimore Museum of Industry (Printing presses, machine tools, 
> oyster canning equipment, treadle sewing machines and cutters, and has 
> a Kids Oyster Cannery that incorporates actual printing presses and 
> tin smith equipment in a role playing activity for kids canning 
> oysters and a similar role playing activity on the garment industry, 
> though I am uncertain how much are artifacts versus recreations. Also 
> ask about their 1906 Steam tug that still works once in awhile when it 
> can pass Coast guard inspections)
> The National Museum of American History (Printing presses, precision 
> machine tools, steam engines and had treadle sewing machines in their 
> Hands On History Room)
> The Baltimore Public Works Museum
> Chesapeake Maritime Museum
> Baltimore Maritime Museum
> Historic Electronics Museum of Maryland
> The American Precision Museum in Windsor Vermont
> Boott Cotton  Mills and the Tsongas Science Center in Massachusetts
> The Hagley Museum and Eleuthurian Mills
> The Crayola Factory in Easton PA has a few pieces off their factory 
> floor they demonstrate in fact corporate or factory museums would be a 
> great place to start. Since they are not historic agencies per se, 
> their ethics and standards are likely different.
>
> Railroad Museums would be your best bet including, but not limited to 
> the B&O Railroad Museum, the California State Railroad Museum, 
> Steamtown National Historic Site in Scranton, PA, Altoona Railroad 
> Museum and Railroader's Memorial, etc etc
>
> In fact, I doubt you can find many Industrial or Railroad Museums that 
> don't operate and/or demonstrate technological artifacts to some 
> extent. You should contact the Association of Railroad Museums. During 
> my brief stint at the B&O Railroad  Museum the accepted wisdom was 
> that ARM was formed out of frustration at AAM over the issue of 
> whether historic artifacts should be operated or not. The relevant 
> committee of AAM held that artifacts should not be operated because it 
> shortens their life span. Railroad museums held that NOT operating 
> certain machines led to atrophy and deterioration. I am not a 
> conservator so I cannot speak to that, nor can I speak to the truth of 
> the "Accepted Wisdom" on this, but the curators and conservators told 
> the story often. It is worth looking into.
>
> You should also look into aviation, maritime, automobile, and 
> electronics museums. There are hundreds and most of them. I haven't 
> worked with them so I don't know if there are relevant museum 
> associations, but they do talk, and my sense is they all operate or 
> demonstrate artifacts.
>
> One issue that will need to be dealt with, if it hasn't already, is 
> that many times the artifacts on display at a museum do not always 
> belong to the museum, so are they artifacts? For example, automobile 
> museums often have car shows or parades or what not that invite 
> enthusiasts to show off their hobbies  Railroad museums do the same 
> with model railroaders and some of them are historic. The National 
> Museum of American History has ham radio operators and telegraph key 
> demonstrations, but most of the equipment belongs to the volunteers. 
> Not technically a museum artifact, but the visitor does not 
> necessarily know that.  Same with the Stanley Steamer  Museums. There 
> are lots of enthusiasts who bring their own cars to demonstrate.
>
> Anyway that's all I can think of right now. You should post your 
> request on other mailing lists related to the specific museum type and 
> associated academic field (peruse H-Net's list of lists)  and/or 
> Museum-L.
>
> Good luck,
>
>
>
> Matthew White
> Graduate Student
> Department of History
> University of Florida
> [log in to unmask]
> http://web.mac.com/mattadolphus
>
>
>
> On May 26, 2008, at 5:33 PM, Sue Allen wrote:
>
>> ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology 
>> Centers
>> Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related 
>> institutions.
>> ***************************************************************************** 
>>
>>
>> Hi all,
>>
>> Do you know any museums that have technological artifacts (especially 
>> cars / planes etc) that they display in working order, or even let 
>> visitors use? A colleague is doing an international study on the 
>> issues around this, from the maintenance angle as well as the visitor 
>> experience side.
>>
>> Thanks for any pointers to museums or people....
>> Sue
>>
>> Sue Allen, Ph.D.
>> Director of Visitor Research & Evaluation
>> Exploratorium
>> 3601 Lyon St
>> San Francisco, CA 94123
>> Phone: 415-353-0471
>> Fax: 415-561-0370
>> Email: [log in to unmask]
>>
>>
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> ***********************************************************************
> For information about the Association of Science-Technology Centers 
> and the Informal Science Education Network please visit www.astc.org.
>
> Check out the latest case studies and reviews on ExhibitFiles at 
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-- 
Beryl Rosenthal, Ph.D.
Director
Tsongas Industrial History Center
Boott Cotton Mills
115 John Street
Lowell, MA 01854
(978) 970-5081 (t)
(978) 970-5085 (f)
[log in to unmask]
www.uml.edu/tsongas/index2.htm

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