National Museum of American History (U.S.) (NMAH) Search this
Science in American Life (Exhibition) (1994: Washington, D.C.) Search this
Enola Gay (Exhibition) (1995: Washington, D.C.) Search this
Information Age: People, Information and Technology (Exhibition) (1990: Washington, D.C.) Search this
Physical description:
Number of pages: 18; Page numbers: 40-57
Date:
1995
Category:
Smithsonian History Bibliography
Notes:
Eiju Matsumoto was a visiting fellow at the National Museum of American History from 1993 to 1994.
Eight photographs and illustrations, including one of James Smithson, accompany the article.
Summary:
The expanded title of this Japanese-language article highlights Eiju Matsumoto's focus on the historical background and present activities of the National Museum of American History. An English abstract preceding the article briefly describes the composition of the Smithsonian, the types of exhibits that are presented, and the Smithsonian's policy of not avoiding controversial themes, citing the Enola Gay exhibit plan as one example. In addition, the abstract presents the author's primary focus on the evolution of exhibits at the National Museum of American History as shifting from chronological to social contextual ones since the museum's opening in 1964; the author names two 1990's exhibits, "Information Age" and "Science in American Life," as evidence of that trend. Matsumoto concludes his article by suggesting that Japan's science and technology exhibits should learn from the Smithsonian's exhibits.
Contained within:
Journal of the Japanese Museology Society 20: 1-2 (Journal)