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Jan 26

Museum of Jurassic Technology

Collection

DSC02070.jpgFinally visited the Museum of Jurasssic Technology in Culver City, a bizzare collection of obscure historic ideas and artifacts, like a cabinet of curiosities. It just sounds too cool. The entrance door looks like a closed society. Inside is dark, creepy and gloomy...awesome atmosphere for a surreal 'lost in Wonderland' afternoon. The exhibit is a curious mixed of factual antiquity (17th century scholar's wacky but forgotten theories), natural abnormalities (giant stink ant in Africa; woman with horn) and whimsical dubious ideas from the past (remedy such as 'sticking a goose beak inside people's throat to treat illness'). The bookstore inside has an awesome collection as well, DVDs such as Jan Svankmajer's Alice, black & white midget silent films...

DSC02052s.jpg I attempted to take some photos inside, but it is too dark (flash prohibited). Well at least they show a bit of what kind of exhibits are collected inside. The bell wheel in the pic belongs in an exhibit for 17th century Jesuit scholar Athanasius Kircher's theories, who attempted to explain natural phenomenon and religion miracles. They built the actual bell wheel from his music theory. Other theories include 'Why the Tower of Babel Could Not Reach the Moon", "A Magnetic Oracle," etc. Some of the theories were presented in a glass boxes display that shows scenic drawings, but when you look through these lens in front of the boxes you'd see figures in them...a bit of mirror/light reflection magic trick.

DSC02041.jpgCan't see shit from the pic. The exhibit is called The Eye of the Needle, works by Egyptian Hagop Sandaldjian which are these crazily tiny sculptures called "Microminiatures" that are as big/small as the hole of a needle. You need microscope to see them. The one in pic (through the microscope lens ^^;;) is supposed to be the Pope. There're also Napoleon, Goofy in the room. They are incredibly detailed, how on earth can anyone sculp something so impossibily tiny?

DSC02033.jpgMore crazy works that can't show by pic. These are "Micromosiac," little work of mosiacs (image of flowers and potteries) as small as a dime. When you look through the microscope you'd find these elaborate, colorful tiles of pictures.

DSC02031.jpgDSC02032.jpgDSC02039.jpgDSC02036.jpgGalleries of documented 'monsters' from history.

DSC02063.jpgDice: Deception, Fate, and Rotten Luck, a collection of dices from the past. In the dark, claustrophobic space, there's something grim and ominous about these rotting dices.

DSC02066.jpgDSC02067.jpgMiracles and Disasters in Renaissance and Baroque Theater Mechanics. Showcases how the stage scenery and clever machinery of Renaissance and Baroque theater works. Nice miniatures~

DSC02061.jpgDSC02055.jpgDSC02057.jpgThe Napoleon Library: This bust sculpture is Thomas Jefferson's collection.

DSC02062.jpgDSC02029.jpgMixture of oddities. The wolf thing is strange, if you look through the glass cube in front, you'll see a video projection of a man impose on the wolf (who's making lots of weird noises). There are many optical illusion sets like this.

There's also an exhibit of these x-ray photographs of flowers that you can use 3D glasses to see them in their 3D-glory. Up at the second floor there's a little theater house (they were showing a Russian documentary at the time), a nice tea room (with free coffee, tea, biscuits) and a very beautifull hard wood Victorian bathroom. ^^;;;


Freda | January 26, 2005 05:33 PM


Comments:

Yeah the microminiatures were the most amazing thing there. I really can't imagine how they made them! ^^;;;

Joan | January 31, 2005 05:25 PM

The microminiature is amazing!! If you cannot even see it with naked eyes and need a microscope, how the hell can you make it?? Amazing indeed!

Oh mice sandwich...gross. ^^;;;

seat | January 29, 2005 04:28 PM