Virtual and "Real" Museums

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Since we're throwing virtual money around here are my two pence worth...

I thought Brad De Long's TidBITS meditation on virtual/real museums was
among the best pieces I've recently read on the subject of the Internet and
exceedingly complementary to the efforts of the UC Berkeley Paleo. Museum
staff involved with this project.  Within the museum community lots of
people (including the NHM) are talking about virtual exhibits and
pretending that a couple of .gif images and some text on the web
constitutes such. However, you guys out at Berkeley have actually gone out
and done it. And, you had a credible set of virtual exhibits up before most
of the paleo community knew what the acronym WWW meant.  You're way out
ahead of the rest of us in this area. [Note: enjoy your lead while you can
for the gap will be closing ;->  ]

With respect to the relationship between virtual and "real" exhibits, at
best they are different sorts of (for lack of a better word) things that
are not easily compared. Virtual exhibits are based on images and while
images are great for illustrating certain things (e.g., what the
image-taker was interested in capturing) in most cases it is very
difficult/impossible to extract other types of information (e.g.,
structures that may or may not be in the field of view but were not the
image-taker's "subject") from the image.  Actual specimens, however, can be
examined for what the viewer is interested in.  This type of
viewer-oriented (as opposed to image/display maker-oriented) viewpoint is,
to my way of thinking, the one of the most important distinctions between
virtual and "real" museum exhibits. [Yes, I know that real displays impose
their own limitations on what the viewer can "see," but these limitations
are not as restrictive as those imposed by an image.]

Interestingly, this implies a dilemma. In order to appreciate a "real"
object for what it is a viewer must bring a fair amount of knowledge about
the object along with them to the "real" museum.  In the absence of such
knowledge a museum becomes just a cabinet of curiosities or, as a little
girl visiting a Canadian museum once put it, a "dead circus." If the public
does not already possess such knowledge, it must be supplied in the form of
written descriptions or (yes) images. But, it is very difficult to include
extended descriptions of specimens along with diagrams and tables on the
wall next to the specimen, and even if you do very few people take the time
to read them. It takes away from the "drama" of the display and these days
it seems like the pendulum has swung toward the "dramatic" (as opposed to
the informative) side of the equation when it is decided how exhibits are
designed. Indeed, in many museums today you find comparatively little
interaction between scientific and exhibition staffs. Over on the virtual
side, however, the inclusion of text, diagrams, tables, images, etc. that
illustrate and explain the information content of the various exhibits is
not so much of a problem.  Perhaps it's because of the "document" metaphor
that has been adopted by computer developers and passed on to the public,
or maybe just because you're typically sitting down (= more comfortable)
when you use a computer as opposed to standing up (= less comfortable) when
you go to a museum. Regardless, here we have two different ways of learning
about natural history that should be complementing one another rather than
being regarded as antagonistic alternatives.

By emphasizing the strengths of real and virtual approaches to museum
exhibits AND making the distinctions between these approaches plain to the
public we have the opportunity to reinvigorate the natural history museum
as a cultural institution.  Most major natural history museums were begun
(as institutions, not as collections) about 100 years ago when a knowledge
of and appreciation natural history was regarded as necessary for all
upwardly mobile people in society. These institutions were created because
the popular will demanded their creation. Today they are suffering because
of public indifference and will continue to do so unless those of us who
are concerned with the future of natural history museums can make effective
cases for the public support with the public (not with the politicians;
they will always respond to public pressure). The feasibility of
integrating virtual and real museums to reinforce one another can be a very
important to increasing public awareness and public support for studies.
The virtual museum is an experiment that I think we, as natural history
professionals, all need to support and contribute to.


Norm MacLeod



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Norman MacLeod
Senior Scientific Officer
N.MacLeod@nhm.ac.uk (Internet)
N.MacLeod@uk.ac.nhm (Janet)

Address: Dept. of Palaeontology, The Natural History Museum,
         Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD

Office Phone: 071-938-9006
Dept. FAX:  071-938-9277
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