– contributed by Kate Gray.
Kate describes the process of designing, researching, and installing an exhibition to fulfill course requirement for 1900:302 Foundations in Museums & Archives II.
The concept of time has baffled the greatest minds in human history, while timekeeping devices originally left the students of Museums and Archives II equally bewildered. When beginning work on this exhibition, we were each given about seven or eight time pieces from the Cummings Center’s collections.
The artifacts varied greatly in the background information already provided on them. Some of us had a manufacturer, date, and specific classification of the instrument. Others received pieces simply classified as “timers.” At times, this made research very difficult. However, all of us were up to the challenge.
We began by combing over the Cummings Center’s archives for any information on the pieces, manufacturers, or individuals who created them. Once we compiled that material, we then moved on to outside databases to supplement our findings. Our main goals were to track down what psychological experiments these time pieces were used in and who used them. When visiting the exhibit, you will learn about the time pieces themselves, the individuals who created them, and the psychologists who use them in their work.
After discovering the desired information, we then moved on to planning how to display the time pieces and data. We debated artifact groupings, the objects’ placements, exhibit colors, and which display cases to use.
As I write this blog, we are on the homestretch for this exhibit. We have already begun the to install the exhibition, finalize the displays, and have confirmed our color scheme. Through this experience, we learned about the immense planning that goes into creating a museum exhibit. Everything from the font size to the display case choice impacts the success of the exhibition. This project led us on a challenging yet rewarding journey through time.
Please Join Us for:
The Test of Time: Chronometry in 19th and 20th Century Psychological Laboratories
Opening reception:
- May 10, 2018 from 2:30-4:30pm
- Free admission for the opening event
After the opening reception, the exhibit will be open during regular hours of the National Museum of Psychology beginning June 28. This temporary exhibit will be open June 28 through September 2018.
Location:
- Gallery C / RDWY First Floor
- Drs. Nicholas & Dorothy Cummings Center for the History of Psychology
- The University of Akron
- Roadway Building
- 73 S. College Street
- Akron, OH 44325-4302
Contact: [email protected]; 330-972-7285
For More Information go to http://www.uakron.edu/chp/education/student-exhibit
Program info: This project fulfills the requirements for students in 1900:302, Foundations of Museums and Archives II at the Institute for Human Science and Culture. Contact Dr. Jodi Kearns [email protected] for information about the Museums and Archives certificate program.
