Great question!
I wrote my answer for my book that came out last year:
I nestle onto a cozy ledge in a dark corner of the gold room in the Hall of Gems and Minerals. The screen behind me is white, blank, and has been for some time. The fuzzy fabric I once rolled around as a little boy is peeling off the walls, held up in places by tape.
Outside the theater, I hear the voices of the pre-recorded narrators piped in from overhead speakers, guiding no one past their cases of magnificent samples, arranged in a circle, endlessly looping from one station to another, imparting wisdom. I wonder how many more cycles they have left before they are permanently silenced in a few hours, when the Hall is closed for demolition.
I imagine much of the collections behind glass, or within arm's reach, will return like old friends when the Hall reopens, with a new design, in just a few year's time. But the inviting playfulness of the mysterious cavern that has dutifully housed them these past four decades will be lost forever.
The space is a wondrous mix of light and dark, of raised platforms and sunken dens, creating rich sight lines and multiple pathways, perfect for a young explorer.
This was my first favorite Hall in the Museum, as a rambunctious seven-year old, exploring the cave-like room with my sister, running up and down the curved ramps past topaz and tourmaline, resting on the petrified wood before brushing the purple amethysts in their geode bed, stomping up and down the carpeted curved benches cum staircases, and slipping down the giant Jade slide.
It can feel like a betrayal, when a museum hall closes. That is quite an uncommon occurrence, but when it does, what happens to all the memories once stored there, of childhood visits, of first dates, of times we eventually brought children of our own?
When I leave I do not walk. I run, down the curved ramp, arms pumping in imitation of the oblivious children around me, lost in their own play, the light from the petrified wood flashing by as I speed out towards the exit.
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Barry Joseph
Founder
Brooklyn Seltzer Museum
Brooklyn NY
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Original Message:
Sent: 10-18-2024 12:50 PM
From: Rachel Alschuler
Subject: What was one experience you had in a museum as a kid that affected you in becoming a museum professional ?
Dear All
What was one experience you had in a museum that affected you in becoming a museum professional? I have been going to museums since I was a kid and have enjoyed it. I also had the privilege to go to Monet's home in France and that was great. I also enjoy looking at his paintings. I look forward to the stories.
Thanks,
Rachel
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Rachel Alschuler
Museum Education/ Visitor Experience
San Francisco CA
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