Museum of Arts et Métiers: The Art of the Craft

 

The Museum of Arts et Métiers, despite the name, was not about art, but craftsmanship. It showcased its history of different inventions, processes, techniques, and creations throughout the years. Showcasing things like the first automated clock, the progression of the automobile, and the overall evolution of science and innovation as time passed.

There was a focus on techniques and styles, showing how the way things were made and created were changed and improved. The museum also showcased the improvements in the techniques used to create objects. For instance, the lion and snake art piece is shown. The piece is completely made out of glass. Despite how real the fur may look, it was also made out of glass, showcasing the unique and new technique that was created using glass in different ways. The place showcased how things evolved and developed, from the first attempt to fly to the creation that took flight. Watching as different areas of science, technology, engineering, and more improved throughout history.

Another interesting thing about the museum is its setup. Our tour guide mentioned the differences between the rooms and the cases that held what they were showcasing. The first room of the exhibit was completely wood and dark, only being lit up in the places where the historical objects were placed. The objects in this room were the oldest, being some of the first invented. It was to show how science tended to be very restricted and intimate, as only a few people, usually those who were wealthy and had high status or good connections, could access it. Then the cases also changed in one room, going to a different color case to symbolize a change in the decade. They wanted to show a distinct difference in the period that the objects were from, giving a distinct and interesting way of showing how the technology advanced as time went on. They also sectioned soon of their rooms by theme, like the animatronic room or communication room. It was proof that there was a lot of time and effort put into making sure the visitor got a good sense of the history that each instrument held as well as how science has improved as time progressed. They did a great job at showcasing a lot of different fields, not focusing on a singular type of science and technology but on science and technology as a whole. Where many of the other museums we had visited usually had a specific focus on a specific part of science and technology, like focusing on automobiles or the start of cinema. This museum wanted to get the full spectrum, encompassing science and technology as a whole.

~ Layla Polacheck