Museum diorama getting too old?

[Quantrill's Missouri]

Absolutely !

If not for dioramas, I'm not sure I would have been interested in any history.
(and I'm not just referring to the American Civil War).

As a child, a local museum had a diorama about De Soto's "discovery" of the Mississippi River during the 1500's.
The exhibit had rather large figures of Spanish troops in plate armor and chainmail.

Was it 100 % accurate ?
Of course not.

Did the diorama spark our imagination ?
Indeed.

Such exhibits inspired many of us kids to check out the true facts as we
became older.

Not only spark the imagination, but as the child takes interest and learns more as they grow, it enables him or her to do their research to find the truth.

 

[DixieRifles]

So do well done dioramas help a museum? I still enjoy seeing a well done diorama, but some are not so well done.

I remember viewing the diorama at the Alamo. It gave an impression of the layout of the defenses in small scale. I was impressed in the detail and had to take a photo. Then a docent walked over and pointed to the NO PHOTGRAPHS sign.
I like a good map or a "sand table" layout of the topography, but nothing beats a diorama with figures and ships, etc.

 

[4thMichigan]

I'll have to admit that those books made a major impression on me as a young man. I can't begin to tell you how many "late charges" that I had to pay the library because of my resistance to giving them their book back.

Those books and their maps such as this one, had such a great magnetic effect on me.....

 

[Library Lady]

Giving field trips at my job I've seem that children can be strangely morbid sometimes.

@Joshism , you need to visit the Kids Room at your local library! I'm thinking you need to see all the R. L. Stine Goosebumps and Goosebumps HorrorLand books and the A Series of Unfortunate Events series by Lemony Snicket (Daniel Handler) just for starters. Strangely morbid kids - you have no idea!

 

[4thMichigan]

A few weeks ago, I visited the "WWII American Experience" in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. It was money well spent and the museum left a very positive and lasting impression on my friend and I. While there, I came across two extremely well-done dioramas and immediately thought of this post. If you are one of those who think that dioramas no longer have a place in a museum, I would certainly suggest that you take a look at the detail and work of these two true works of art:

 

[Virginia Dave]

These are wonderful photos. Thank you for posting them. WOW

 

[rebel brit]

A fantastic diorama. I've been to Gettysburg quite a few times but never to this museum and had to look it up on Google maps.
Thanks for posting .

 

[4thMichigan]

A fantastic diorama. I've been to Gettysburg quite a few times but never to this museum and had to look it up on Google maps.
Thanks for posting .

Here's a teaser photograph of some of the museum interior........

 

[Kurtlg]

Here's a teaser photograph of some of the museum interior........

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M36. Any M18s or M10s ?

 

[4thMichigan]

M36. Any M18s or M10s ?

There were a few different tanks on display, but unfortunately, I didn't make a list of those that I saw. While I was very impressed with the variety of items that they had on display, I was somewhat out of my element, having very little knowledge of WWII military equipage. I felt pretty certain that there were items that were on the display there that were probably found in very few other museums. The museum docents were older military veterans and that added that much more to the whole experience.

 

[Josh The Lighthouse Guy]

I had no idea this museum existed.

Dioramas are like CGI: the difference between good and bad is substantial. Someone put a lot of work into this one.

 

[Kurtlg]

There were a few different tanks on display, but unfortunately, I didn't make a list of those that I saw. While I was very impressed with the variety of items that they had on display, I was somewhat out of my element, having very little knowledge of WWII military equipage. I felt pretty certain that there were items that were on the display there that were probably found in very few other museums. The museum docents were older military veterans and that added that much more to the whole experience.

I've had an interest in WW2 vehicles for a long time. The M18 Hellcat was made by Buick in my hometown of Flint , Michigan. I now live near the old site of the Fisher Tank Plant in the same county. They made most of the M10s , some M36s and many M4 Shermans.

 

[4thMichigan]

I've had an interest in WW2 vehicles for a long time. The M18 Hellcat was made by Buick in my hometown of Flint , Michigan. I now live near the old site of the Fisher Tank Plant in the same county. They made most of the M10s , some M36s and many M4 Shermans.

I once worked at the Fleetwood plant in Detroit in the 1980's and often heard the stories of when they had built the bombers there during WWII.

 

[7thWisconsin]

A few weeks ago, I visited the "WWII American Experience" in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. It was money well spent and the museum left a very positive and lasting impression on my friend and I. While there, I came across two extremely well-done dioramas and immediately thought of this post. If you are one of those who think that dioramas no longer have a place in a museum, I would certainly suggest that you take a look at the detail and work of these two true works of art:

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Go-Go Duplex Drive! This is spectacular!

 

[USS ALASKA]

University of Dayton
eCommons
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
1989

A handbook for developing a miniature diorama to teach a history lesson about the Battle of Gettysburg
Charles Michael Speer
University of Dayton

This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses and Dissertations at eCommons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of eCommons. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected].

INTRODUCTION
Learning social studies can be a boring and meaningless experience for students. This may *turn them off" to social studies at an early age. Social studies is an important area in a student's education. Teachers need to throw out traditional teaching methods making students memorize endless lists of dates and places. When the student's interests is captured, learning social studies can become an exciting and meaningful experience. This may encourage students to do additional reading in history or historical fiction to broaden their education outside the classroom. This project involved a miniature diorama to visually present a history lesson about the Battle of Gettysburg. This was not done to promote military history or to glorify war. The purpose of this method of presenting history, allows it to become "alive" for the students.: They can relive a monumental historical event of the past. War is a horrible event. Human being have a natural curiosity about war and how they would react in similar situations. This project is not to glorify the horrible events of Gettysburg, but to instill a sense of respect for the tragic loss of life and the courage of those who fought there. Gettysburg was one of the most significant events in the history of the United States. This concept has not been sufficiently emphasized enough in the textbooks. This project is designed to instill a historical impression on students about the significance of a historical battle in the Civil War.

https://ecommons.udayton.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=6726&context=graduate_theses

Cheers,
USS ALASKA

 

[rebel brit]

That's a great read and many thanks for posting. What a positive result for using diorama's as an educational tool in schools, not one negative comment from the students.
Although this being 1989, nowadays they would probably use computers and 3D printers.

 

[MRB1863]

The diorama serves a great purpose! Just as "a picture is worth a thousand words", the diorama is priceless when it instills an interest of our history in the young minds. My vote would be to refresh, repair and rock-on with this worthwhile exhibit!!!

 

[Trooper "D"]

The diorama is getting old. I do wonder if it could be reconditioned. Any guesses what it depicts


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Probably a generic action from the creator's mind. I like it through. Maybe sprucing it up a bit would be worth the energy.