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Hi Martin, and all,

I was at the Hall back then, and helped set up 'Big Machine Summer. I 
can't quite recall where the idea started. Perhaps it was Marsha Rudi 
looking for the next great thing to bump up attendance during our second 
summer after opening.

  Although we built several exhibits related to 'machines,' including a 
large demonstration area for 'simple machines,' visitors were only 
allowed to sit in several of the machines on display. They could not, in 
general,  operate any of them.

Some of the machines sprinkled around the outside space, now occupied by 
your building expansion and Science Playground were: front end loader, 
dump truck, cement truck, Bell helicopter, back hoe and the Super Pumper 
form the New York City Fire Department.

When open, visitors just walked among the machines on display. If memory 
serves, on the weekends Explainers helped visitors climb into the trucks 
and mess around with the controls. Once or twice during that summer we 
had special events. An expert operator from Case would come out and 
perform feats of daring do with various apparatus.

As a staff member who helped set up the machines, I did get a chance to 
operate a backhoe and climb inside the hopper of the cement truck.  
Quite a memorable experience - for me at least.

I'm afraid the experience was not as memorable for the great majority of 
visitors. The attempt to attract them with the lure of Big Machines, 
left most of them flat when they discovered the most they could do was 
only sit in them. Ah, we were all young and foolish back then. We have 
learned so much since.

Joe R
The Exhibit Guys


On 10/26/2012 11:11 AM, Martin Weiss wrote:
> ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
> Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
> *****************************************************************************
>
> Off the top of my head make the crane visitor operated. This will be the
> best thing since sliced bread for your visitors. Many years ago we had an
> exhibition called Big Machines which featured visitor operated construction
> machinery. I was not at the Hall then and only heard about it. Maybe some
> of my colleagues who were here will chime in.
>
> Martin
>
> On Fri, Oct 26, 2012 at 9:52 AM, Tina Wirt <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
>>
>> *****************************************************************************
>>
>> Hi all. We are looking to begin a project on custom cranes (the
>> construction
>> type.not the animal type) and I am curious to get some input on the
>> following topics:
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> If your museum was interested in adding a crane to your exhibit collection,
>> what type of interactives or movement would you like to see? Vertical
>> movement, Horizontal movement, base rotation...
>>
>>
>>
>> If your museum currently has a crane, can you provide any pro's or con's
>> for
>> the activities it offers or problems you have been faced with which have
>> ultimately lead to eliminating tasks or movements in order to eliminate
>> safety factors or have easier maintainability.
>>
>>
>>
>> If there are any other comments in regards to cranes in the museum
>> environment, I would be interested in those as well.
>>
>>
>>
>> Thanks!
>>
>>
>>
>> Tina M. Wirt
>>
>> Director
>>
>> Explorabotics
>>
>> www.explorabotics.com
>>
>>
>> –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
> Martin Weiss, PhD
> Senior Scientist
> New York Hall of Science
> mweiss at nyscience.org
> cell   347-460-1858
> desk 718 595 9156
>


-- 
Joe R
www.TheExhibitGuys.com

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