I could write for hours on a few of the collections of the museum, so I will attempt to keep this shorter. The first major thing I will cover is the transportation collection, specifically the Cugnot steam cart. While we saw a 70% replica while in Turin at the Museo Nazionale dell'Automobile, on the top floor at the start of the tour, after doing a little extra digging on the Paris museum’s website I have found that this one was apparently entered into the collection in 1799, which would mean it might be the first one (despite the story told by our Italian guide about it crashing, seeing as it’s intact and not partially embedded in a building.) A few other highlights were a standard American Ford Model T, a scale model of a drive system from an old paddlewheel ship, and my personal favorite, a velodrome bicycle from 1995 that looked like a banana that grew wheels.
In the mechanics section there were many examples of historical machine tools, like a tiny shaper, a machine that essentially rips a strip of metal off a bigger plate to reduce thickness quickly, a few tiny lathes and mills, a single point threading machine, power hammers, a file cutting machine, and what appeared to be a scale model of a wagon wheel workshop, with tools for shaping spokes and rim sections and a furnace for expanding the iron bands that hold the wheels together. Seeing as most of these are functional, not only is it a great example of preserving historical manufacturing techniques, it’s a hilarious workshop to build tiny versions of old objects.
While the construction collect outdated-but-historically-important and highly specialized piece of technological history was a scale model (that appeared functional) of one of the many steam powered bucket excavators from the construction of things like the suez canal, not to mention all the other scale examples of construction techniques and other (seemingly functional) miniaturized equipment.
In one of the communication areas, there were loads of early telegraph and telephone related items, and a few dozen similarly aged items, but I think my favorite out of all of them was the collection of early computers. There was the standard 1984 shaped Apple computer, some brick from IBM, and both a Texas instruments TI-xx and some Thomson models, and to my delight, two Sinclair ZX series machines and the absolute classic, the Commadore 64. While today these machines can be blown out of the water by a TI-84 plus or a mediocre smartwatch, at the time of their debut they were pretty serious machines. While the museum hasn’t been updated since the early 2000s, I personally think they stopped at a great point. As the staff rightly stated, updating to keep up with modern technology would be expensive, and stopping before the swap from cathode ray tube displays is a fitting place for a museum with original items from the 1700s.
The last museum was a really great way to end the trip. While taking the tour, I noticed different aspects we had previously learned about from other museums. We saw some evidence of the evolution of automobiles, like the first museum in Turin. We also saw communication and radio devices similar to that of Turin's radio and television museum. But even though they were repeating information we had already learned about, some facts were new. For instance, we saw a bunch of looms and we had originally learned that Jacquard was the first to create a device that was fitted to a loom to allow for patterns to be created. But at this museum, we learned that someone else had created something similar but wasn't successful, so Jacquard took the idea, expanded it, and became known as the person who created the Jacquard machine. I overall felt that this museum acted like a little bow to tie together all of the topics we had discussed to end the trip.
-- Haley
The last museum we visited before the conclusion of the study abroad was the Museum of Arts and Crafts. This museum contained many models and artifacts from scientific history. This included things like some of the tools and devices used by Antoine Lavoisier, who many say is the founder of modern chemistry. There was also the calculator designed by Pascal and clocks and watches from the earliest ages of their existence. They also had the original Foucault Pendulum on display, which is the pendulum experiment that helped prove that the Earth rotates.
The museum had a heavy emphasis placed on many civil and mechanical constructs as well with different machines on display along with things like bridges and models of monuments. The monument models mostly depicted the Statue of Liberty. There were many different models that showed its construction, but the coolest model of the statue was in a little room we could go into and see a miniature of what it would have been like to travel by boat into New York City after the statue was complete.
- Zacharia Houghton
I thought the Museum of Arts and Crafts in Paris was a great way to wrap up our study abroad program. With it, we got to reexamine a lot of the lessons we learned from the other museums throughout our stay. We got information about the loom, videography, cars, and even communication. It was great seeing all of this brought together on our last day while learning even more cool things. My favorite overall was the construction sector of the museum. I liked looking at all of the displays and design elements of some of their more famous structures. Learning the science behind the materials and techniques was fascinating, especially considering the time in which they were built. It was a good end to the experience.
- Morgan
I found this museum to be particularly interesting because it seemed to wrap up a lot of the museums we had seen previously into one, touching on each subject briefly. This felt like a good way to end the trip as it refreshed all of the information we had learned and displayed many objects to show the evolution of specific inventions. I also found this to be intriguing because our guide talked about subjects that we had discussed at previous museums, as well as during our class discussions. One thing she mentioned that caught my attention was about Antoine Lavoisier. I had previously heard this name, since he largely influenced the subject of chemistry, but what I did not know was the role his wife played in this as well. Marie-Anne Lavoisier assisted Antoine in his work by writing and translating much of his work. Without this, his ideas would have never spread worldwide, so her work was pivotal. After Antoine's execution, she hid many of his research belongings in order to protect them from being taken, and as a result, the museum had many of the originals of his items.
I thought it was interesting to hear this because we credit Antoine with all of his discoveries, but we never hear about the work Marie-Anne did to spread these discoveries around the world. I found this to tie into many of our class discussions since we talked a lot about who deserves credit in various situations, as well as women receiving a lack of credit for many discoveries and actions. I believe that knowing the work Marie-Anne did in this story is just as important as Antoine's work because without her work, his ideas would have never gotten as far as they did since they would not have been translated.
The Museum of Arts and Crafts has a bit of a misleading name in English. It houses items related to work trades and scientific discoveries across various fields of study, including: mathematics, chemistry, mechanics, construction, communication, transportation, and physics. It is interesting to note, the museum was originally established as a conservatory, where practice as well as learning of these different crafts could take place. Today the museum is divided into seven sections that showcase these scientific and technological developments along with the culture surrounding them - as information and tools became more publicly available and widespread.
I really appreciated the depth and diversity of material this museum had. There were plenty of side-by-side models and artifacts of inventions as they developed over time; Visitors could see art of problem solving in the development of things such as the marine clock and the bicycle. It was also cool that they included iconic pieces such as Pascal's calculators and Lavoisier's apparatus for the synthesis of water.
Knowing the museum's origin as a conservatory, it was cool to see a few interactive models (found mainly in the mechanics section: rotating systems, and some electrical motors). I wish they had added more of these throughout the museum to bring a little bit more life back into the building's heritage of workshop style learning.
Posted by AEbert
There are many differences in European and American culture. One of the ones that surprised me though was the difference in coffee. In Europe the coffee seems more fresh than in America where most coffees have a slight burnt taste from the brewing. In Europe they also do not have iced coffee and espresso drinks. Out of all of the places that had coffee that I have been here, only one had an iced coffee. Many people here also seem to enjoy very strong coffee, dinking black coffee or just espresso by itself. Overall, I think I enjoy the coffee more in Europe because it seems to be better quality and is more aromatic, although I do miss my iced drinks.
-Makenna
I really enjoyed the Lumiere museum. For starters I liked that it was housed in the father’s “castle”. Besides being an art in its own right, I feel that it provides the necessary ambiance for the content inside. You get to feel that you are actually in the time period of these creations and discoveries. The focus on the family too in the museum added nice context. Through this, you were able to see some of their motivations that fueled their interest in cinema/videography and how their family ties influenced how they went about marketing and presenting their products to the public. My favorite part was the room with the color photography. Our guide talked about how expensive the dyes were to procure so most people of the time didn’t have access to them. Seeing a family of that time period so well documented was amazing and unique. Overall, it was a great experience.
- Morgan
While there are many differences between European culture and American, one of the key differences I have noticed is with the restaurant industry and culture. In America, the wait staff is constantly by you and asking questions and once you are done you are rushed out the door. In Italy and France, once your orders are taken, you are basically left alone. You can also take pretty much as much time as you can at these establishments. For example, one of our nights in Lyon, we spent two hours at a restaurant, well after we were done eating. There is more emphasis put on the experience. They don’t want to bother you and leave you to enjoy your company. While in America, the waitstaff is working for tips so they are constantly by you and trying to get a higher turn around. They are different but equally delightful experiences.
-Morgan
I have found that when comparing the cultures of France and Italy they showed to be very similar and there weren't many differences. The only thing I found that different was how well they might maintain their buildings. When in Italy I noticed that all of the buildings had beautiful architecture and seemed to be very historic and seemed to be very full of history. But when looking at the buildings I noticed that they seemed to be covered in graffiti and were more grimey and dirty. After spending time in Lyon and looking at the historic buildings that held similar histories with similar architecture, I noticed that they were very clean and well-maintained. After our tour and found out that they have "the facade", which is a cleaning that every building is required to do every 10 years. I think it is very interesting how different countries have different standards when maintaining the overall aesthetic of their cities.
Another very strange thing I have noticed is the quality of their paper napkins. This is very strange but in the U.S. most paper napkins that are used at restaurants are thin and seem to fall apart. But while staying in Europe I have noticed that when restaurants use paper napkins they seem to be a lot thicker and more absorbent. I have no idea why this is different but I do greatly appreciate the thicker and more absorbent napkins that can withstand messier meals.
--Haley
I find myself to be quite the “people watcher”, and being in Europe is no exception. Because of this, as well as just a general interest in fashion, I have been noticing differences in ways people dress here. We had previously discussed in Turin some of the differences between the US and Turin in fashion. Some of these observations were that the Italians tend to wear higher end brands, and tend to be more dressed up day to day. I personally noticed a lot of black clothing or more muted colors, higher quality materials, and fancier shoes and bags than what we typically see in America. The shops also depicted this, as there were many more high end stores on any given street, and the clothing sold at various shops were on the dressier side.
Moving to Lyon, I expected much of the same, but I was surprised at how different the two locations were in terms of fashion. The clothes appeared to be high quality yet, but where I used to see muted colors and lots of black and white, I instead saw many bright colors and patterns. Instead of high end, name brand stores, there were more boutiques featuring the bright clothes I was seeing. Day to day, the people seemed to be more “dressed down” compared to the Italians as well. Lyon was a busier city, with more tourists than I had noticed in Turin, which may explain this less dressy nature, but I did feel like it was still worth noting.
Overall, there were some similarities, as in both locations people tended to dress up more for work during the day and typically wore high quality clothing. However, I thought that the differences in styles were interesting, and can be a good representation of what two different cultures value in fashion and how they present themselves.
Most of our time in France so far has been in Lyon, known as the capital of gastronomy (food). Naturally, I tried to pay attention to some of the differences around meals. In Turin, (Italy) we had noticed people tended to have a “later” supper than in the US, with many restaurants not even opening until 7pm. In Lyon, this was true for many restaurants; however, it was interesting to note that some other restaurants would close around 6:30pm. There then appears to be more variable mealtimes. During meals themselves when we ate at restaurants, a separate glass was often provided with canned beverages, but ice cubes and ketchup, near staples of US restaurants, were absent. It is worth noting coffee was available at most restaurants regardless of daytime, similar to Italy.
In terms of dress, those in France tended to dress in nicer formalwear than that of the US. Suit-coats or at least a button down being very common while walking down the street. Compared to Italy, there appeared to be more variety of colors than the popular black and white we saw in Turin. However, the range of colors seemed limited to classic or neutral colors such as grays, dark blues, or light browns - bright or standard “drawing colors” were not to be found. T-shirts with printing as popular in the US were very uncommon as well, even in the evenings.
Posted by AEbert
I have noticed a lot of the same things in terms of culture between both Italy and France so far. Standard meals are a bit more varied instead of menus focusing mostly on pasta and pizza in France, but otherwise I have noticed a lot of similarities. There are a lot more small, street vendors and shops, smaller cars for smaller roads, and larger distances between the widespread companies. One other notable difference between Turin, Italy and Lyon, France is that Lyon doesn't usually fix damage from big events. When the city was invaded, the invaders knocked heads off statues and sculptures. When the city was recovered, the citizens chose to not fix the sculptures to preserve the history of the event. Another example of this was in Paris and the Notre Dame burning down. Most everyone who were drawing up plans for the new roof wanted to do something new for the roof instead of a replica of the old one.
- Zacharia Houghton
I found the Lumiere Museum to be very engaging and interesting. I loved how we could play with so many interactive aspects. Another thing I really enjoyed was how they didn't solely focus on just the Lumiere brother's influence on cinema, yes it was a big focus but it wasn't the only thing. I really liked how they showed other inventions with similar functions from inventors around the world. It really showed how everyone was building off one another's ideas even though they might be physically far from each other. It was also interesting to see what else the Lumiere brothers, and their family members, were interested in. I loved hearing about how the entire family was very close and how they would work together on their projects. Another thing I found really interesting was to hear about how the brothers actually didn't want to create the device they were most known for, the only reason they did it was because their dad asked them to and their being scientists really led them to enjoy how to figure out a problem. They also did this when messing with colored pictures, they had the need to create something new and kept trying different techniques until they got the result they wanted. Overall, I really enjoyed the museum and found all parts to be very informative.
--Haley
The Lumieres were interesting in that during a time that had not seen moving pictures, they brought the still to life. This museum documented their creation quite well, starting from early ideas such as Edison’s kinetoscope, all the way to 3D imaging created later from works of the Lumieres. Seeing their inventions, like the cinematograph, as well as all of the works they created puts their impact on the world into perspective. They created over a thousand short films, varying between every genre imaginable at the time, which in a time that had never experienced moving picture to begin with was an incredible feat. The museum also showcased their work in photography, with a room of colored photos lining the walls. It was interesting to see the passion the Lumiere brothers put into their photography and films, since both required plenty of time, effort, and materials to create. So while the Lumieres profited off of their work, hence the gorgeous house the museum is located in, you can tell they loved what they did just for the sake of doing it as well.
We were able to tour the Lumiere museum yesterday. This museum was actually the former home of Antione Lumiere converted into a museum. This museum was able to show the progression of the development of the cinema we know today from the single shot cameras and film. This started with reducing the time to take a photo from 6 hours, which included the preparation of the film, to just a few seconds. Then people wanted to take photos in quick succession, which gave rise to cameras that could do short bursts of photos. From there though, the other question was how to view these photos in quick succession. Edison had attempted to find the solution to this with his "kinetiscope", but it was a large object with only enough viewing space for a single person. The Lumieres were able to solve bother of these problems with their device, the "cinematographie." This device was able to record about a minute of film, then could be set up in a way to project the images and in quick succession to make the pictures seem to move. This actually freaked out audiences that saw some of these films when viewings were first allowed. The Lumieres would go on to record over 1000 short one minute films. It is amazing that we only have to go back a little over a century for the beginning of the filming technology that many of us have been impacted heavily by.
- Zacharia Houghton
In the Lumiere museum, it was very interesting to see the progression of pictures and film making in person. The Lumiere brothers Auguste and Louis were the two eldest sons of Antoine and Josephine Lumiere. Like many things, there was a little debate about if the Lumiere brothers should get all of the credit, as Edison was the first person to invent a moving picture device called the kinetoscope. The Lumiere brothers were the first to project these moving images for many people to watch in a cinema. Although the Lumiere brothers were known for their inventions in cinema, they were also involved in other fields. In the medical field, they invented a prosthetic hand to help amputees from the first world war. They also invented a dressing still used today to help with the healing of wounds.
-Makenna