This blurry photo doesn't really convey how cool the Cabinets, Curiosities, and Collections lecture was tonight at the American Museum of Natural History. Justine Cooper was the first Artist in Residence at the museum starting June 2003. She photographed the aisles, passageways and hidden spaces in the 25 interconnected buildings. We were a few minutes late, but really enjoyed her explanations and stories behind the photographs. She captured a sense of the intense curiosity that helped build the collections, and the history she found tucked away.
For the photo on the screen, she described the original Victorian design and how the skylights were the main source of illumination for that room as well as the one below (thanks to the glass panels in the floor). At some point it was roofed over to create an attic full of Elephant bones.
I loved the long shots down the halls and catwalks. Like anyone living in the city, there's never enough room so you'll find mounted elephants in the Power Plant and Barnum and Baily Seals on the catwalks.
Curator Rob DeSalle described her level of access as unprecedented. These areas are where the scientific portion of the Museums work is accomplished. Years ago, if you managed to sneak out of the public spaces, everything was wide open, you could pull open any of the drawers and look in any of the boxes. Most of the long passsageways in her photographs are now locked down with security doors, the cabinets behind lock and key.
See her photographs on her website or at the Kashya Hildebrand Gallery. Opening on April 21st.
Update: I pointed this out to Jason Kottke