博物館巡禮:大英博物館

相信不少人也聽過大英博物館這為人熟悉的名字。它歷史悠久,藏品雖不能說是世界之冠,但如果你去倫敦而沒有去過這世界知名的博物館,彷彿還沒完全遊覽過倫敦。不能說它非去不可,除非你有博物館恐懼症。

大英博物館的展品包羅萬有:埃及的木乃伊、非洲部落宗教儀式祭品、中國明清藝術品、日本古代武士刀劍、古希臘的神廟遺址彫像等。根據國際博物館協會的分類,大英博物館屬於一間綜合博物館。

我第一次到大英是04年9月,那時暫住Uncle Albert家,經過兩個月的流浪日子,緦算有機會安定下來。一連兩天共十小時留在大英,午餐我會坐在Great Count吃自製的三文治,因為4英磅對我這個剛展開窮學生生活的人來說,實在太奢侈。我情願花六英鎊看Inside of Mummy。 

第一次到大英的感覺實在太好,因為這是我自小夢寐以求的典堂級博物館,而且它給我的印象是十分神秘,可能是電影小說影響。不過到倫敦之前去過蘇格蘭的National Museum of Scotland,再到大英時的驚喜就不是很大。

當然大英有其鎮館之寶,如影響後世研究古埃及象形文字的Rosetta Stone、早陣子跟希臘鬧主權問題的Parthenon神廟彫像群、千年木乃伊。而且它二百多年前的文物分類法,雖有不完善之處,但也可說是博物館界的濫觴;特別是動植物及礦物分類,你可在世界各地其他自然科學博物館,甚至是英國牛津的Ashmolean Museum及布拉格的國家博物館,看到類似分類。
 rosetta stone (196B.C.)

大英博物館(舊/主館)的建築外型跟其他有百年歷史的博物館差不多,但自2000年Norman Foster將主館跟圖書館用玻璃天幕相連,將它變成為英女皇登基50周年以建的QEII Great  Count。因為白色玻璃天幕把外面的太陽光引進室內,即使外面天色陰沉,裡面也不會受太大影響。站在不同角度看位於中央的圖書館和Great  Count也有不同風景。如果人不太多(似乎很罕見),我倒想躺在白雲石長凳仰臥看那由三角形組成的玻璃天幕。
 其中一只我很喜愛的古石獅彫像

博物館位置不錯,於市中心的心臟地帶,近Soho唐人街和羅素街(Russell Square)。博物館正門有一個賣熱狗的小販,不過走出大街去酒巴吃pub food更好,反正都是多一兩英鎊。而對面有一間小書店,綠色的外牆很容易認到,賣的多數是舊研究書刊、專書,店長很友善。

我沒有試過大英博物館裡的餐廳進餐,反而在國家美術館(National Gallery裡的一個人吃過晚飯)。其實很多博物館的餐廳價錢不算太貴,而且水準不錯。如果將來有餘錢又有時間,在Great Count那間用膳相當寫意。

我愛博物館 - 為博物館平反

我不敢說自己是個museum mania，因為我想有很多人喜愛博物館的程度比我更甚．不過很多時我去旅行的主要目的，就是為了看博物館．在英國留學時，我到過（我只能說'到過'，因為有時不會在一間博物館留得太久，有時因為悶，有時因為沒太多時間）大約70間博物館；在柏林的4天(其實只有2天半時間)也去了8間；而在布拉格(6月和9月)一共去了9間；2004那年去了4天台北,就是為了去鶯歌的陶瓷博物館,而且還申請了特許拍照pass...今年6月也為了看一個在宜蘭的展覽，去了台北48小時....差點虛脫.

朋友問我為什麼喜歡博物館，又問我為何將來想投身博物館，博物館究竟有什麼看?博物館不是很悶的嗎？

記得第一次看博物館，應該是小時候吧，是媽媽帶我去那時還位於九龍公園的香港歷史博物館，或者因為年紀太少，沒有什麼印象． 中學時也隨學校去過博物館，都沒有印象.　第一次一個人去博物館，應該是香港藝術館．那是唸中六的我，想做個文藝青年，又要與別不同，居然去學中國書畫（鳴謝家父經濟上支持），而且經常流年藝術館及各畫廊．而且還愛上已故畫家鄧芬．過了一年，國畫沒有再學了，但博物館／藝術館還是經常去．

博物館給我的感覺是寧靜寬敞，陳設整齊有序．展品有新有舊，有古典有創新，可以一個人消磨幾小時，好好思考好好享受安靜．我想，這都是我喜歡博物館的原因．

博物館悶？要看你怎樣看了! 以前朋友都說我在博物館工作'攪笑'，還笑問我是不是做展品，很多時我不跟她們爭論，現在回想，只覺得她們膚淺．當然有些博物館真的很沉悶，展品少，又不花心思，馬馬虎虎將展品隨便放得整齊加個caption就算．但隨著時代進步及市民要求越來越高，很多博物館也改善不少．這是世界大勢所趨，不到它們不改．但人們對博物館的感覺，很多時還停留在'博物館就是古典沉悶，中產階級知識份子，曲高和寡.....'，就顯示一個地方的人膚淺，文化水平低，香港就是其中的表表者．我不是去'踩'香港人，而是太少人去過博物館，但又太多人說博物館不值得去．如果根本沒有經驗，又有資格去作出這些批評!!!! 人云亦云!!!!

以前在香港醫學博物館做了5年兼職，之後在Portsmouth的city museum也做了半年義工，我的博物館工作經驗多屬於歷史方面，但其實自己較喜歡藝術方面，因為art給我的inspiration比較多，歷史都是很factual，給人幻想的空間相對少，不過這都是個人性格因素，歷史博物館當然也有吸引之處．

好了，這篇blog像論文一樣長，真怕悶死人．

master course in Museum Studies, Leicester

I'm applying the MA in Museum Studies by distance-learning module. Anyone is also in the same course?

My research topic will be about volunteer management. If you have any information and would share, please don't hesitated to contact me. I will create a web page to contain those information (or articles?).

Cheers,
Moody

The museums I visited

Those museums were which i visited in years. If you have visited the same museums and have something to say. feel free to leave a command.

1999
Taipei Fine Arts Museum (Taipei, 31 March)

2000
Towe of David Museum (Jerusalem-Israel, 05 July)
Islamic Museum (Jerusalem-Israel, 08 July)
Israel Museum (Jerusalem-Israel, 09 July)
Bible Lands Museum (Jerusalem-Israel, 09 July)
Chamber of the Holocaust (Jerusalem-Israel, 12 July)
St. Sophia Museum (Istanbul-Turkey, 15 July)
Yerebatan Sarnici/Cistern Basilica (Istanbul-Turkey, 16 July)
Topkapi Palace (Istanbul-Turkey, 17 July)
Dolmabahce Palace (Istanbul-Turkey 18 July)
Zelve Open Air Museum (Cappadocia-Turkey, 23 July)
Efes Museum (Kusadasi-Turkey, 28 July)
Palace of the Grand Master (Rhodes-Greece, 02 August)
Archaeological Museum (Rhodes-Greece, 02 August)
Akropolis (Athens-Greece, 05 August)
Monuments of Greece (Athens-Greece, 05 August)
National Archaeological Museum (Athens-Greece, 06 August)

2001
Miniatures Museum of Taiwan (Taipei, 12 January)
Taipei Fine Arts Museum (Taipei, 13 January)

2002
National Taiwan Museum (Taipei, 29 March)
Museum of Contemporary Art (Taipei, 29 March)
Taipei County Yingko Ceramics Museum (Taipei, 30 March)
Postal Museum (Taipei, 31 March)
National Palace Museum (Taipei, 01 April)
Singapore Art Museum (Singapore, 21 October)
Singapore History Museum (Singapore, 22 October)
Asian Civilisations Museum (Singapore, 22 October)
Singapore Philatelic Museum (Singapore, 22 October)
Blind Spot (Singapore, 22 October)

2003
Macau Cultural Centre (Macau, 20 June)
Museum of Macau (Macau, 21 June)
Museum of Contemporary Art (Taipei, 28 November)
Taipei Fine Arts Museum (Taipei, 29 November)
Juming Museum (Taipei, 29 November)
ShihSanHang Museum of Archaeology (Taipei, 30 November)
The Ancient Eqyptian Art from Louvre (Taipei, 01 December)
PeiTou Hot Springs Museum (Taipei, 02 December)

2004
Casas - Museu da Taipa (Macau, 01 January)
National War Museum (Edinburgh, 12 August)
Royal Scottish Academy Building (Edinburgh, 12 August)
National Gallery of Scotland (Edingburgh, 13 August)
Writers' Museum (Edinburgh, 13 August)
The Old Fulling Mill Museum of Archaeology (Durham, 20 August)
Durham Heritage Centre and Museum (Durham, 21 August)
Museum of Childhood (Edinburgh, 28 August)
Royal Museum & Museum of Scotland (Edinburgh, 28 August)
Dean Gallery (Edinburgh, 30 August)
Museum of Edinburgh (Edinburgh, 30 August)
The People's Story (Edinburgh, 30 August)
Museum of Scotland (Edinburgh, 31 August)
Scottish National Portrait Gallery (Edinburgh, 31 August)
Royal Museum (Edinburgh, 01 September)
Stirling Smith Art Gallery & Museum (Stirling, 02 September)
Wallace Monument (Stirling, 03 September)
Aberdeen Art Gallery (Aberdeen, 05 September)
Aberdeen Martime Museum (Aberdeen, 05 September)
Marischal Museum, University of Aberdeen (Aberdeen, 06 September)
Inverness Museum & Art Gallery (Inverness, 08 September)
Loch Ness 2000 Exhibition Centre (Inverness, 08 September)
Hunterian Museum & Art Gallery (Glasgow, 10 September)
Mackintoch House (Glasgow, 10 September)
Museum of Transport (Glasgow, 10 September)
People's Palace Museum (Glasgow, 12 September)
Provand's Lordship (Glasgow, 12 September)
St. Mungo's Museum of Religious Life & Art (Glasgow, 12 September)
Glasgow School of Arts (Glasgow, 13 September)
Mclellan Gallery (Glasgow, 13 September)
National Gallery of Modern Arts (Glasogw, 13 September)
Barrel's Collection (Glasgow, 15 September)
Centre for Contemporary Arts (Glasgow, 15 September)
Manchester Museum Art Gallery (Manchester, 17 September)
Whitworth Art Gallery (Manchester, 18 September)
Manchester Museum (Manchester, 18 September)
Urbis (Manchester, 20 September)
British Museum (London, 24 September)
British Museum (London, 25 September)
Natural History Museum (London, 27 September)
Victoria & Albert Museum (London, 27 September)
Tate Modern (London, 28 September)
Museum of the History of Science (Oxford, 23 October)
Mary Rose Museum (Portsmouth, 21 December)
British Museum (London, 22 December)
National Gallery (London, 22 December)
National Portrait Gallery (London, 22 December)

2005
Ashmolean Museum (Oxford, 03 February)
Modern Art (Oxford, 04 February)
Museum of Oxford (Oxford, 04 February)
Oxford University Museum of Natural History (Oxford, 04 February)
University & Pitt Rivers Museums (Oxford, 04 February)
Victoria & Albert Museum (London, 22 March)
Victoria & Albert Museum (London, 11 May)
Toy Museum (Prague, 07 June)
Natural History Museum (London, 08 August)
Victoria & Albert Museum (London, 08 August)
Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum (Salisbury, 23 August)
Stonehenge (Salisbury, 23 August)
London's Transport Museum (London, 01 September)
Tate Modern (London, 01 September)
City Museum & Art Gallery (Bristol, 04 September)
Bristol Industrial Museum (Bristol, 05 September)
British Empire & Commonwealth Museum (Bristol, 05 September)
Kitchen Museum (Bath, 06 September)
Roman Bath Museum (Bath, 06 September)
Building of Bath Museum (Bath, 07 September)
Museum of Costume (Bath, 07 September)
Museum of East Asian Art (Bath, 07 September)
Royal Crecrest Dining Room (Bath, 07 September)
Bath Postal Museum (Bath, 08 September)
Victoria Art Gallery (Bath, 08 September)
Barbara Hepworth Museum & Sculpture Garden (St. Ives, 11 September)
Tate St. Ives (St. Ives, 11 September)
Judisches Museum (Berlin, 15 September)
Museum of Design (Berlin, 15 September)
Berggruen Collection (Berlin, 16 September)
Brohan Museum (Berlin, 16 September)
Agyptisches Museum (Berlin, 17 September)
Altes Museum (Berlin, 17 September)
Germany Historical Museum (Berlin, 17 September)
Pergamon Museum (Berlin, 17 September)
Kafka Muzeum (Prague, 19 September)
Miniature Muzeum (Prague, 19 September)
Muchovo Muzeum (Prague, 19 September)
Muzeum of Czech Cubist (Prague, 20 September)
Prague City Muzeum (Prague, 20 September)
Muzeum of Decorative Arts (Prague, 21 September)
National Muzeum (Prague, 21 September)
Dvorak Museum (Prague, 22 September)
Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery (Birmingham, 24 September)
Beatles Story (Liverpool, 26 September)
Tate Liverpool (Liverpool, 27 September)
Merchant Adventurer's Hall (York, 28 September)
City Art Gallery (York, 29 September)
Yorkshire Museum (York, 29 September)
Jorvik Viking Centre (York, 30 September)
National Railway Museum (York, 30 September)
York Castle Museum (York, 30 September)
National Maritime Museum (London, 04 October)
British Museum (London, 05 October)
Victoria & Albert Musuem (London, 05 October)
Tate Gallery (London, 06 October)
Museum of London (London, 07 October)
Design Museum (London, 07 October)

2006
HK Heritage Museum (Hong Kong, 12 March)

HK Maritime Museum (Hong Kong, 12 April)

National Center for Traditional Arts (Taiwan, 24 June)

Taipei Fine Arts Museum (Taipei, 24 June)

HK Heritage Museum (Hong Kong, 22 July)

Museum A-Z

I am thinking the issues that the museums usually concern. If you have any idea, please feel free to leave a message.

A:
B: Budget
C: Cooperation / Consevation / Collection / Community Communication / Curatorship
D: Disability
E: Education / Exhibition
F: Funding / Financial
G: Government Support
H:
I: Intangible Culture
J:
K:
L: Loan Service
M: Marketing
N:
O: Outreach
P: Publicity / Professional Development / Publications
R: Resources / Research
Q: Quality
S: Security
T: Training
U: Usability
V: Volunteers / Visitors Behaviours
W: Website
X:
Y:
Z:

welcome to Museums All-Around

Hello fellows,

I have just searched the term "Museum" in the Blogger.com and found there are tons of bogs about museums. It is amazing that many people are dedicated to the same profession and willing to share ideas.

I worked in an indepedent museums, the Hong Kong Museum of Medical Sciences, as a part-time helper since 1999 to 2004, and went to England in order to complete my bachalor degree in English Studies. During my staying in Portsmouth, I kept helping the School Loan Project for the Portsmouth City Museum. And now, I have been back to my home city.

As a museum lover, I visited over 70 museums in 2004-2005 while I was 'flaneur'ing in England and parts of Europe and 40 museums in Asia. I believe that there are some fellows who visited museums much more than I did.

I am going to study the Master course on Museum Studies by the University of Leicester in distance-learning module. Thus, I built up this blog in order to attract someone would share their experiences and ideas.

I will keep posting articles and photos to here and hopefully, give out the data base in which I visited museums in those years.