Favorite Object: Please Touch Museum

(photo from www.myphillyalive.com)

Space Station exhibit in Flight Fantasy 

This week's visit to the Please Touch Museum was a lot of fun and I am still impressed by the larger than life set and exhibit design that was put in to this beautiful building. I remember going to the Please Touch Museum as a child with my younger brother, and thinking it was fun but enjoying the Franklin Institute more because it felt bigger and more exciting to me and at the time the Franklin was more age appropriate for me. I feel like if I had experienced this Please Touch Museum as a child, the colorful murals and large trees and cloud installations and the ability to feel as though you are always stepping into a new place every time you change areas would have captivated me. It is a really exciting environment to be in. As an adult, learning about the history and architecture of Memorial Hall is also fascinating to me. I recently did a research paper on the Please Touch Museum's collections and how it meets its audiences. I find the museum does a great job of creating their exhibits to be for children 7 and under, their target audience they defined, and also providing tours and the Centennial Exhibit for the accompanying adults who want to know more about the history. During my visit in the summer, myself and the adults I was with wanted to know more about the building and the little things around the museum, such as plaques on the wall in the main lobby telling you that it’s painted in period colors, and the more text rich Centennial Exhibit answered our need to know more about the building. 

Variables available for rocket launching

That aside, my favorite area in the museum is the Flight Fantasy play area. I think it’s the scientist in me because the area's interactives are based on STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) activities. The futuristic blue and neon colors are so bright and transport you to space. A lot of the exhibits provide a lot of different variables to try and manipulate to learn from. My favorite “object” or interactive is the rocket building activity in the Space Station room. The exhibit is based on building a rocket and launching it using air cannon. Children can choose different shapes and sizes to experiment with to see what flies the best. Again, I appreciate the use of variables to encourage inquiry based learning. The interactive is futuristic looking and is designed to look like a space launch pad and the center piece looks like a giant rocket. 

Solar System stained glass- want!!

The Space Station room is large and open feeling with large windows with solar system themed stained glass on the windows and a giant solar system displayed from the ceiling. Where can I get these things for my future house one day? I love the feeling of the space and the room and it evokes imagination and wonder about space. As a child I was a part of a local astronomy club and I did a lot of stargazing with our telescope. Astronomy was one of my first interests in science and what lead me to a teaching certificate in Earth and Space Science. The importance of getting children of all ages interested in science is something I understand and appreciate, hence why I like this area and exhibit so much.

The Flight Fantasy Area is the newest play area at the Please Touch Museum and was opened in October 2010.

Other exhibits in the Space Station area include a blue screen for visitors to dress up and see themselves in space, and a cloud hopping interactive. This news clip provides a great demonstration of the rocket launching interactive and blue screen.  

The rocket building interactive can lead to children wanting to explore fields in engineering and astronomy to enrich their exploration. The entire space can help create an interest in science and technology in both young and old audiences. For me personally to understand the object better, either a greater background in rocket engineering and projectile motion or a greater knowledge of early childhood fine motor skills development and how they interpret STEM concepts and what the lasting impression of this interactive has on them.

Those who would not be interested in this object could be those with little interest in space and children with a brief attention span who don't first get the idea of trying lots of variations of rockets, unless a parent encourages it, or parents who also don't try the variables and believe it’s a once and done activity. Opposing views would believe that it is meant to be just a try it once and move on and miss the concept of exploration with all the different sized rockets and shapes. 

Other experiences that would engage the visitor could be stomp rockets or catapults to learn about projectile motion. Stomp rockets are a great activity to be made at home and can be done with children of all ages including high school students and kindergartners. 

Favorite Object: American Swedish Historical Museum

Picture from http://www.americanswedish.org

Chicago Room Mural

1937

Wood

Ewald Dahlskog

The Chicago Room at the American Swedish Historical Museum (ASHM) features Swedish builders and Architects who have made contributions to American History. The focal point of the room is the large wood inlay mural that takes up the entire wall. The mural is made of 103 different types of wood. It depicts builders and carpenters at work creating notable works from Swedish contributors to America. From left to right it shows a log structure along the Delaware River Valley, The Chicago Skyline, and Holy Trinity Church. I have not seen wood used in this way before and found the mural to be very eye-catching and impressive. It was a really stunning way to show the Art Deco style of the 1930's, and the industrial movement in Chicago. During my first visit to the museum, it was my favorite piece I saw and told other people about that day. While I have been doing my assistantship at the ASHM I have become familiar with many other objects and have not had a chance to spend time upstairs and become familiar with this object.
The piece took over five years to complete and was dedicated to the museum on June 25, 1937.
The piece is the main focal point of the Chicago room. The rest of the room is devoted to work of Swedish Architects and builders and the museums hand-made Swedish Silver. The smaller display cases in the room allows the mural to really stand out in the room. The smaller pieces provide more insight on Swedish Architecture and contribute to the mural.
Not having a background in history, Swedish culture, or architecture, I have very little understanding and background information about this object. More knowledge on Swedish contributions to American design would enhance my knowledge of this piece and more knowledge about building and architecture would also provide a better background.
People who would not be interested in this object would be those with little interest in Art Deco style pieces, and woodwork. Opposing views would find that this piece does not symbolize enough what Swedish builders and architects have contributed to society. Experiences to engage viewers with this piece would be displays showing how the piece was made and what types of wood were used to make it since I am fascinated with how this medium was used and how the mural was made.

Favorite Object: Philadelphia Zoo

Polar Bears and Habitat
Both acquired by the Philadelphia Zoo in October 1981

This week's trip to the Philadelphia Zoo was enjoyable, relaxing, and fun. I have visited the zoo many times before throughout my childhood and my adult life, so it was also nice to come to a familiar and nostalgic place for our practicum this week. I have many favorite animals, and could never choose a favorite. For this assignment I went with the exhibit that is most engrained in my memory, and what comes to mind when I think of going to the Philadelphia Zoo. For me, it's the polar bears. The polar bear exhibit hasn't changed much since I was a child, and I remember being completely captivated by it as a kid. I think it’s the bright blue water, and how you can gain two different perspectives of the exhibit. During a visit as a kid, I remember the polar bears were swimming and playing in the water and being very active. They had a ball they were playing with, and I just remember us standing there by the blue glass and watching it for ages. Every time I go back to the zoo and go to the polar bears I always go to the underwater glass side first in hopes they are playing in the water. 

From the Philadelphia Zoo Website, I found how the zoo acquired their polar bears:

Klondike: Female, born November 23, 1980 at the Bronx Zoo in New York. She arrived at the Zoo on October 1, 1981. She weighs over 475 lbs.

Coldilocks: Female, born December 13, 1980 at Seneca Park Zoo in Rochester, NY. She arrived at the Zoo on October 6, 1981. She is slightly smaller than Klondike, but still weighs over 450 lbs.

After reading this, I realized that both of these polar bears are 31 years old, and are the same polar bears I've seen since my childhood, which makes me even more excited to make them my favorite "object" this week. 

The polar bear pen is more unique than other pens at the zoo, and is the reason why it’s my favorite object. There are two distinct viewing areas: one on level with the ground land and the second lower with underwater views of the pool. There are large rocks and a waterfall and steps for the polar bears. I’ve seen the polar bears playing on the rock formation and in the waterfall as well. The underwater viewing area has rails and a few steps so many visitors can spend time in the area to view the action. It also allows the viewer to go right up to the glass. The upper level allows for a larger viewing of the pen and can see the polar bears up close while they are on the land. 

Pool viewing area

This exhibit is in "Bear Country" with the Andean Bear, Sloth Bear, and Asiatic Black Bear nearby. There are also two sign boards near the water viewing area. The one sign goes along with the zoo's mission of conservation and explains how in the 1970's an agreement was signed to protect the polar bears and in result the polar bear population has increased. However I was surprised to see no signs or information about recent trends in global climate change and shrinking ice caps and how the polar bear population has been affected. I believe this sign is out of date, because polar bear population trends have been drastically changing (some populations decreasing while only a few are increasing) in very recent decades.

 

Fields of study to increase my understanding of the polar bear would be zoology and biology. More recently though, I think a greater understanding of global climate change and the Arctic Circle and the changes it is undergoing. In my personal experience of teaching about climate change and environmental sciences, Polar bears are a popular talking point of the global climate change debate and students and children connect and understand the impact of the shrinking ice caps have on the polar bear population and want to help in some way. Also on the Philadelphia Zoo website, the Life on Ice blog provides field research being done by a Philadelphia Zoo staff member. 

Those who may not be interested in this object would be those who are afraid of bears. Those who would not be interested in having a discussion about polar bears would be those who don't feel as those climate change is real and affecting our planet. 

Opposing views would find that this environment is not the natural environment of the polar bears and they should not be living here in Philadelphia, or if they are able to adapt to conditions in Philadelphia, why can't the polar bears in the Arctic Circle adapt to increasing temperatures and shrinking ice caps.

The zoo does focus on conservation and does offer a lot of programming on polar bears and conservation efforts to help the polar bears.  The Zoo on Wheels outreach program has an Animal Action Lab with a focus choice on Polar Bears. The field experience blog also engages viewer. More ideas would be to put up new text panels about shrinking ice caps, and use education demo carts to show more about the lives of polar bears. 

Favorite Object: Rosenbach Museum & Library

Photo: Rosenbach Museum & Library. 1954.2017 

Decorative Orbital Clock

Early 18th Century

Marble, Metal

Jean-Baptiste Baillon

This Jean-Baptiste Baillon clock was my favorite object on display at the Rosenbach Museum & Library this week. My favorite thing about the museum was the overall history about the Rosenbach Brothers and how they came to amount so many objects and how their interests defined them. I also highly enjoyed the Steven Colbert exhibit and the Maurice Sendak exhibit. This clock however, caught my eye when we were taking the tour of the house. The large golden snakes were what I noticed first on this larger than life vase/sculpture and it fit in with the fine art and pieces that Philip Rosenbach collected. When Farrar Fitzgerald, The Assistant Director of Education, informed us it was a clock, I became even more amazed by the piece. I find old fashioned clocks interesting and I am always impressed by the mechanics and working of them from past time periods. Let alone, this piece was completely original and had a unique concept that I had never seen before, hence why I chose this object. The snakes tell the time with their tongues, with the numbers displayed on a horizontal dial that revolves around the top of the vase sculpture. The clock is ornate and reflects a classic timeless style. 

Close up detail of snake and tongue used to indicate time

Photo: Rosenbach Museum & Library 

This object was acquired by the museum through Philip Rosenbach's collection of decorative arts. It is on display in the Rosenbach dining room with many of the other decorative and fine art pieces he collected. It fits in well since the room is full of these fine art pieces and shows that it was a room that belonged to someone with wealth. It is not the focus of the room, but rather a complimenting piece to the entire feel of the dining room. 

A background in Art History or clock making would give me a better appreciation of the piece. The Rosebach Museum has a blog with this post about the piece that gave me a greater understanding about this piece and the creator of it. 

Those who would not be interested in this piece would be those who are not interested in fine and decorative arts. For the Rosenbach museum, it could be visitors who came to see the manuscript and rare book collections or the Maurice Sendak collection. Opposing views on this piece would find the piece to be more about the sculpture and the detail of the piece and the art history of the significance this piece holds, rather than the interesting clockwork detail that I am interested in. 

Other experiences would be to see more of the clockmaker's pieces in other museums around the world, or to visit the National Clock & Watch Museum in Colombia, Pa which has been on my museums to see list for a while.