| Behind the Scenes at the Science Museum Contributor(s): MacDonald, Sharon (Author) |
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ISBN: 1859735711 ISBN-13: 9781859735718 Publisher: Routledge OUR PRICE: $44.60 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: March 2002 Annotation: What goes on behind closed doors at museums? How are decisions about exhibitions made and who, or what, really makes them? Why are certain objects and styles of display chosen whilst others are rejected, and what factors influence how museum exhibitions are produced and experienced? This book answers these searching questions by giving a privileged look ' behind the scenes' at the Science Museum in London. By tracking the history of a particular exhibition, Macdonald takes the reader into the world of the museum curator and shows in vivid detail how exhibitions are created and how public culture is produced. She reveals why exhibitions do not always reflect their makers' original intentions and why visitors take home particular interpretations. Beyond this ' local' context, however, the book also provides broad and far-reaching insights into how national and global political shifts influence the creation of public knowledge through exhibitions. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Science | Philosophy & Social Aspects |
| Dewey: 507.409 |
| LCCN: 2001006856 |
| Series: Materializing Culture |
| Physical Information: 0.7" H x 6.1" W x 9.1" (0.95 lbs) 308 pages |
| Themes: - Cultural Region - British Isles |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: What goes on behind closed doors at museums? How are decisions about exhibitions made and who, or what, really makes them? Why are certain objects and styles of display chosen whilst others are rejected, and what factors influence how museum exhibitions are produced and experienced? This book answers these searching questions by giving a privileged look behind the scenes at the Science Museum in London. By tracking the history of a particular exhibition, Macdonald takes the reader into the world of the museum curator and shows in vivid detail how exhibitions are created and how public culture is produced. She reveals why exhibitions do not always reflect their makers original intentions and why visitors take home particular interpretations. Beyond this local context, however, the book also provides broad and far-reaching insights into how national and global political shifts influence the creation of public knowledge through exhibitions. |
Contributor Bio(s): Miller, Daniel: - Daniel Miller Professor of Anthropology, University College London. Recent books include "A Theory of Shopping," "The Internet: An Ethnographic Approach" (with Don Slater) and Ed. "Car Cultures."Gilroy, Paul: - Paul Gilroy is at the Department of Sociology at the London School of Economics. |