Enlightenment Gallery, BM

The Enlightenment Gallery at the British Museum was the subject of our latest paper assignment...to give you a glimpse into what I'm learning as of late, here is a quick snapshot of the place! 

The gallery is meant to recreate an 18th century library...it began as a collection of books and antique sculpture but eventually evolved into what we now know as the British Museum. An homage to those origins, the gallery is appropriately chosen to be "Room 1." 

This assignment forced me to consider practicalities of putting together an exhibition...everything from the placement of labels to lighting was part of my report. Marrying these practical aspects with the theoretical aims of a gallery/exhibition is a difficult task - the two must be complementary, but there are inevitably sacrifices that need to be made on the part of both. 

To give you an example of the kinds of issues I've been thinking/writing about, consider this:

In this gallery, because it is meant to be a recreation of the 18th century room, it is lit by natural light flooding in from the windows. This means that there is very little artificial light (18th century libraries did not have electricity). This presents a bit of a problem though...sunlight fades and destroys many art objects (books/prints/painting...really everything) so objects need to be protected by UV-blocking glass cases. 

These bookshelves below are wonderful (they are original to the 18th century library), but they do not give one the best viewing experience. First of all, light reflects off of them so much that it is hard to even see objects, and second the objects are hidden, shrouded in shadow, and one cannot see anything except those objects at eye level.

See what I mean? 

Other things to consider were the difference between large and small cases...how do cases function to mediate the small scale of some objects while accommodating larger ones? Are the displays/labels able to be seen from a wheelchair? What about the brass bar running across the bottom of each case...does it disrupt the viewing of the object or add to the authenticity of the room because it is part of the 18th-century case? 

How different is the experience of looking into a tall case different then looking down into a small one? 

What about audience? Interactive education? Marketing? Information on the internet and in pamphlets...is it clear or confusing? The touchable Rosetta stone copy is one way the gallery is interactive...the "hands on" desk with volunteer docents is another.

What about the layout...how do the placement of entrances into the gallery facilitate one's route and traffic flow? How does the placement of these sculptural busts compare to how sculpture is placed in other rooms of the BM, like the Mexican gallery next door? 

vs.

very different effect. 

I have been reading books like this all week...

and analyzing charts like this

and it has actually been incredibly enlightening. I really never thought about how intentional every single aspect of a gallery or exhibition is - from the wall text to labels to serial arrangement to paint color to marketing to even the choice of objects - everything has been well-thought out and there is a rhyme and reason to each aspect. And now I have a much better appreciation for exhibitions and a better idea of what to consider while coming up with my own theoretical exhibition (which is my thesis)...which is due in a few short months!