Dammit, Don't Touch Anything!

[Flowerchild]

I’m going on vacation to philly in a few weeks, since the art museum is first on my list, hearing all these horror stories has definatley reminded me to keep hands off, even though I have yet to ever touch a display case, velvet rope, or anything withing 2 feet of a velvet rope

[Cardinal]

As a former teacher, I know exactly what you mean.

It sounds to me as if you have been deprived of your big gun. You need the power to tell people to leave. Announce it clearly at first that anyone touching anything will be asked to come back another day, and then watch for your first opportunity to do it. DO NOT back down or make exceptions. People understand consequences.

Rules without consequences are just suggestions.

[whiterabbit]

I don’t get it. As much as I might WANT to touch something in a museum, unless it’s clearly intended FOR me to touch, I don’t. Maybe it’s respect for these objects, many of which are quite old and fragile? I learned not to touch stuff like that as a kid and continue not to, even if I WANT to.

How hard is it, really? You want to touch everything in a museum, borrow somebody’s kids and go to a really excellent children’s museum. Some of them are surprisingly fun even for an adult.

[moi]

*Originally posted by Flowerchild *
I’m going on vacation to philly in a few weeks, since the art museum is first on my list…

Hey, Flowerchild, I don’t know how familiar you are with the Philly art scene, but if you’re interested in some recommendations, give me a holler. E-mail’s in my profile.

[Zenster]

If only all museums could do what the Getty at Malibu did. On a post near the starting point for the tour they had a half-page piece of real 200 year old vellum. You were allowed to touch and even attempt to tear it (to no avail). Museums need to have a few cheap pallet knifed oil paintings for people to get their yah-yahs out with. Sadly, they’ll just take it as license to touch everything else.

“But … they let us touch those other paintings!”

[The_Raven_1]

*Originally posted by Lissa *
**Next, I had a group of forty seniors. I ran myself ragged chasing after them. I stopped a woman as she pulled open the drawers on a dresser. “Oh, honey, I’m not going to break it!” she said dismissively when I asked her not to. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a woman pick up a vase, and dashed to intercede. Another fingered the keys of the piano, and then banged them when they didn’t produce a tone, saying loudly that we ought to get the piano fixed. **

Given that these patrons may be older than the objects they are handling, it’s to be expected that they don’t share your concern for their antiquity… To you, they are priceless artifacts. To them, they are the accessories of their life…

-Rav

[Lissa]

*Originally posted by The_Raven *
**Given that these patrons may be older than the objects they are handling, it’s to be expected that they don’t share your concern for their antiquity… To you, they are priceless artifacts. To them, they are the accessories of their life…

-Rav **

No, not in this case. In the exhibit they were pawing everything, the youngest artifact was made in 1862. Some of these folks looked pretty old, but I don’t think many of them were around during the Civil War.