Earthquakes

There have been a series of earthquakes over the last few days on Reykjanes peninsula, most of them centered near Grindavik, and felt all over the peninsula, up to Reykjavik, and even over to Hvollsvollur on the south coast. 

This of course has got me worried, worried about the museum. To take an exhibition made at the Smithsonian, which used the most sophisticated printing techniques, the most secure case construction, the best practice exhibition design, etc., and put it here, well, let's just say it has increased my appreciation for the amazing skill of the professionals at the Smithsonian. 

One particular demonstration of exhibition bravado and skill comes in how the objects are displayed within the cases. Many museums, most in fact, put objects on shelves, sometimes with a little something to hold them up at an angle, but often nothing at all, often just laying on a shelf. Well, not the good folks at the Smithsonian. Nope. Instead, every artifact was carefully examined with the conservator, to determine its strongest place and its weakest place. Then, pieces of metal of various thickness and strength were soddered together, painted to match the exact color of the objects, lined with felt, and then stuck into the exhibition case. The objects then rest in these metal brackets, which are barely visible to the visitor. They are in fact as small as they can possibly be, to still hold the artifact in place. 

Like the Viking ship design, then, these brackets are a study in pushing limits, knowing the exact pressure point for an object and supporting it only there, knowing exactly how much wind force the mast can take before it splits apart. Specialized, complete absorption in the process of construction is what allows such technical wizardry to excel.

For some of my cases, I have reused the Smithsonian brackets, but on Wednesday and Thursday, I had to make new brackets for the very large spear point. I hope I did a good enough job, I hope it has not got shaken off its bracket by the earthquakes. Because although I think it was a well made bracket on my part, I do not have 20 years of bracket making experience behind me, the way the others at the Smithsonian did. 

Always a risky thing, to try to mimic the skill of a master. 

Comments

Unknown said…
Well - the earthquakes werent that big --- and great to get another subject to talk about --- other than the banking crisis
May 31, 2009 at 1:45 PM
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