San Deigo, California ~ November 6, 2008Natural History Museum, Balboa Park
I thought that the art used to create the model dinosaur and the art on the mural were both outstanding.
The Natural History Museum in Balboa Park, San Deigo, is without a doubt, one of the finest museums I've ever visited. It's not large, but the exhibits are beautifully done - world class to the max, and - unlike so many museums - the descriptive text actually made sense to me.
I have to say this since I've started the subject. I'm not stupid, and I love natural history, evolution, animal sciences in general, but while I can enjoy looking at the exhibits in most museums, I begin to feel like a dummy when I try to read the text. (Does anyone else feel this way?) I wonder who it's written for, as the casual and less casual visitors are usually given little or no context. Normally in a museum crammed with exhibits, I cannot retain any of what I read. I begin to feel as though I'm learning nothing as I wander from exhibit to exhibit unless I've already been doing a lot of outside reading on the material I'm looking at. Here in the Museum of Natural History in San Diego, I found that the text on most of the exhibits was in some way more cohesive. Perhaps it focused for a paragraph or so on an explainable point rather than hitting the reader with the shrapnel of small facts. Perhaps the exhibits tell stories, although not condescending or dumbed down. Someone has a talent. Anyway, this was one of the most exciting museum visits I can remember, and I do love museums. So, thank you Natural History Museum of San Diego.
Quite a few of my photos from this visit actually turned out well. I don't know why it took me so long to dig into this folder for my various blogs, but I will dig out more, sooner than later.
1 comment:
Nice photo of the two dinos.
Since you ask: I have long been a proponent of clear English. But the usual approach in the world seems to be to obfuscate with fancy insider technical language, whatever the industry; makes people feel important and knowledgeable, while failing to communicate in any meaningful way. Only recently has storytelling been hailed as the authentic way to pass on information. Unfortunately, not many people have the skill to write stories (perhaps me included).
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