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Subject:
Re: Mummy madness: Museum exhibits lure crowds
From:
martin weiss <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informal Science Education Network <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Fri, 6 Aug 2010 16:12:02 -0400
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ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
*****************************************************************************

William

As I recall reading  Premier Exhibitions Incorporated, which staged the exhibition Bodies Revealed claimed the cadavers were donated for research by the Chinese government, because all the bodies at the time of death allegedly had no close next of kin or immediate families to claim the bodies after newspaper advertisements. 

This raised many questions and concerns about the provenance of the bodies in Premier's exhibition.  A google search will reveal many, many citations about questions, investigations and concerns. Of course, sources like anything on the Web have to be considered. 

I recall a session at an ASTC many years ago about bodies-type exhibitions and there were question raised then by a, I think, a health official from Florida (Premier's exhibition, I think was at MOSI) about provenance issues. 

Martin
On Aug 6, 2010, at 3:56 PM, William Katzman wrote:

> ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
> Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
> *****************************************************************************
> 
> Martin,
> 
> Regarding the prisoners, I think you have to specify the particular exhibition you are talking about - if memory serves there was (maybe there still is) 3 or 4 different purveyors of such exhibits.
> 
> -William
> 
> On Aug 6, 2010, at 1:58 PM, 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.
>> *****************************************************************************
>> 
>> 	Len and Peter I agree with much of what you say but when I saw the first exhibition (from Germany)  in California I was astounded by the attention visitors were paying to the bodies. I have never seen such attention outside of children in a Penny Arcade or a galley of pin ball machines or Las Vegas slot machines. So, though it maybe creepy (especially the poses)  there is something very, very compelling to see inside of our bodies, for many, many people.  Maybe they are saying a brief, or long, prayer that they are grateful that it is not them on display.
>> 
>> As to the prisoners. Did i not read recently that the organizers of the exhibition attested that none of the bodies on exhibition are executed prisoners?
>> 
>> Hasn't anyone done any evaluation of any of the bodies exhibitions?
>> 
>> Martin
>> On Aug 6, 2010, at 2:33 PM, Peter A Anderson wrote:
>> 
>>> ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
>>> Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
>>> *****************************************************************************
>>> 
>>> Len,
>>> 
>>> I think you have it dead right - especially as you personalize it - "Personally ......creep me out."  The plasticized figures are simply interesting inanimate objects until we project our knowledge and feelings onto them.  I find them very interesting and macabre in the extreme - I am relieved to exit the exhibition.
>>> 
>>> Peter A.
>>>> *****************************************************************************
>>>> 
>>>> Personally the Bodies type shows creep me out.  In relation to NAGPRA there is something unsettling about seeing people from your own ethnic background on display in a manner that is completely out of context with how those on display lived their lives.  Something akin to see Sitting Bull tour with a wild west show in the late nineteenth century.  I'm curious what feelings run through people of Chinese heritage as they see prisoners from their former country on display doing things they never did in real life.  I see similarities between trotting Sitting Bull around an arena and seeing a former Chinese prisoner posed as if throwing a football.
>>>> 
>>>> - Len
>>>> 
>>> 
>>> -- 
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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 www.exhibitfiles.org.
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>> 
>> 
>> __________________
>> __________________
>> Martin Weiss, PhD
>> Science Interpretation Consultant
>> mweiss at nyscience dot org
>> 
>> ***********************************************************************
>> 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 www.exhibitfiles.org.
>> 
>> The ISEN-ASTC-L email list is powered by LISTSERVR software from L-Soft. To learn more, visit
>> http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html.
>> 
>> To remove your e-mail address from the ISEN-ASTC-L list, send the
>> message  SIGNOFF ISEN-ASTC-L in the BODY of a message to
>> [log in to unmask]
> 
> ***********************************************************************
> 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 www.exhibitfiles.org.
> 
> The ISEN-ASTC-L email list is powered by LISTSERVR software from L-Soft. To learn more, visit
> http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html.
> 
> To remove your e-mail address from the ISEN-ASTC-L list, send the
> message  SIGNOFF ISEN-ASTC-L in the BODY of a message to
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__________________
__________________
Martin Weiss, PhD
Science Interpretation Consultant
mweiss at nyscience dot org

***********************************************************************
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 www.exhibitfiles.org.

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