ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
*****************************************************************************
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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>> 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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> ***********************************************************************
> 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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--
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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