What is a museum? Most people would probably say something that looks a bit like this!
The British Museum, London.
But in the day and age of computers and the internet things are changing, many museums have put their collections online for the world to access from home. This notion of a virtual museum is more important and getting more attention especially due to the current COVID-19 pandemic with many stuck inside and wondering what to do with themselves or their family are turning to resources such as virtual museums to keep them occupied at least for a little while, indeed many news outlets such as The Gradian and Business Insider have published articles about this exact topic giving lists of museums to enjoy online (Meisenzahl, 2020 and Wilson, 2020).
However, with this though of virtual museums comes another question, is it just museums with a physical collective space, such as the British Museum or the Natural History Museum that can be the curators of virtual collections for people to enjoy?
@magnifyzoology on Instagram has gone one step further than just showcasing awesome pictures of museum related content but has has challenged museum lovers around the world to be curators of their own collections and contribute to an online exhibition of their own the #museumofme (magnifyzoology, n.d.). Over the course of 7 days the idea is to upload images based on prompts all about you!
Day 1 - childhood photo!
This photo was taken in my old living room when I was about 8, why do I have my face painted I hear you ask. Answer, I have no idea and neither do my parents. Also, would you look at that hair! Wow was it curly! I chose this photo to represent my childhood for a few very simple reasons: 1- I am currently away at university and asking my dad to climb into the attic to find childhood photographs to scan and send to me seemed a bit mean and this photo is one of a few of me as a child I have on my computer. 2- what expresses childhood more that face painting I don’t know, think about it as an adult (if you are currently an adult) when was the last time you had your face painted? 3- I look so happy, and it’s this unreserved happiness that all children should have (in my opinion), though I cannot remember this day or the whys and how’s, looking at it now and seeing how happy I was makes me smile.
Day 2 - Something you collect!
The postcards in this photo are just a fraction of my postcard collection (again I am a student away from home, so these are some of the ones I have collected and received since September). I not only buy postcards for my collection myself, but I send and receive cards from all over the world. I love reading what people write telling me about their favourite places or how their day was in a different country or culture from my own! Plus, they look pretty!
Day 3 - A person that is important to you!
Wow there are so many people who are import to me, that have touched my life and influenced me in so many ways, teachers, friends, family, family-friends some have been there for ever, some flutter in and out, some are newly found and some left to soon. I could not pick just one person, so I picked one category as I feel these people had some of the biggest impressions on me, those who left to soon. The keen eyed among you will notice that the photo contains no people just things, I have no photos of these important people together as they all left at different times and some before others arrived. The wedding band was my Gran’s (Dad’s side) we lived with her when I was a child and she not only taught me to read but made me fall in love with books and learning, thanks to her I have not only read a few hundred books over the past several years but am in the middle of my third degree, thank you Gran for everything (I never met my Grandad because he died many years before I was born, but this ring feels like it represents him too). The Celtic style ring was my Granny’s (Mums’ side) given to me by my Grandad, my grandparents did not have much, but my grandad liked giving me things that meant something to him, this taught me the importance of kindness and memories, thanks Granny and Grandad. Lastly, a necklace with Australia on it, this was sent to me by a daughter of my old neighbour, my neighbour became like an extra grandparent to me, I would spend hours listening to her tell me stories of all the places she had adventured too always remembering to send me a postcard of the places she went, she ignited my love of travel and when I was old enough to travel myself I would send her postcards and sit for hours telling stories of my adventures, thank you D. These are my most prised and precious possessions, representing so many important people, I very rarely wear them as I am afraid I will lose or brake them, I am known for my extreme clumsiness, however during special events and during exams they provide memories, happiness, solace and good luck, just like the people they represent.
Day 4 - Favourite Object!
It is a cuddly dinosaur what can I say, it was a graduation present from my parents, and it is the softest and squigiest thing I own!
Day 5- A book that represents you!
Peter Pan, not only is it an excellent read and a childhood favourite of mine (thank you again Gran). I feel I fit in between both Peter and Wendy, the boy who refuses to grow up and a girl who knows she must! Depending upon the occasion I am either more Wendy or Peter, but on a normal day I like to think I am healthily somewhere in the middle.
Day 6 – Family
This is my Mum and Dad, they are awesome, I don’t think I own a photo of them were my mum is not wearing sunglasses….
Day 7 – Home!
I have had a few houses over the past several years but the house I grow up in is home! But not just the house itself but the surrounding area, the rocky and grassy moorland that ponies and highland cows like to roam free on. The sea that has some of the best surfing waves in the world and in the summer can both be the most amazing shades of blue and turquoise, as well as the home to seals and dolphins, and the sunsets that never disappoint with amazing colours that seem to dance across the sky.
Reflections of the week
There was some smiles, some laughs and some tears but it was a lot of fun and made me think deeper about the roles of museums in this day and age.
Also thank you to the awesome @museumsandemily for telling me about this awesome project!
Links to more Information
@magnifyzoology Instagram Page: https://www.instagram.com/magnifyzoology/
Prompts for Museum of Me: https://itsthemuseumofme.wordpress.com/the-prompts/
Museum of Me homepage: https://itsthemuseumofme.wordpress.com
How to Submit to Museum of Me: https://itsthemuseumofme.wordpress.com/submit-an-entry/
@museumsandemily Instagram Page: https://www.instagram.com/museumsandemily/
The Gradian’s List of Virtual Museums you can visit: https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2020/mar/23/10-of-the-worlds-best-virtual-museum-and-art-gallery-tours
Business Insider List of Virtual Museums to explore: https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2020/mar/23/10-of-the-worlds-best-virtual-museum-and-art-gallery-tours
References
(mostly the same information as above but Harvard Referenced, because I am a nerd)
Magnifyzoology. n.d. Magnifyzoology’s Profile. [Instagram]. Available at: <https://www.instagram.com/magnifyzoology/> [Accessed: 31/03/2020].
Meisenzahl, M. 2020. You can check out out more than 1,000 of the world's finest art museums online for free through Google — take a look inside. Business Insider. [online]. Available at: < https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-visit-museums-online-through-google-while-social-distancing-2020-3?r=US&IR=T> [Accessed: 31/03/2020].
Museum of Me. n.d.a. The Prompts. [online]. Available at: <https://itsthemuseumofme.wordpress.com/the-prompts/> [Accessed: 31/03/2020].
Museum of Me. n.d.b. Homepage. [online]. Available at: <https://itsthemuseumofme.wordpress.com> [Accessed: 31/03/2020].
Museum of Me. n.d.c. Submit and Entry. [online]. Available at: <https://itsthemuseumofme.wordpress.com/submit-an-entry/> [Accessed: 31/03/2020].
Museumsandemily. n.d. Museumsandemily’s Profile. [Instagram]. Available at: <https://www.instagram.com/museumsandemily/> [Accessed: 31/03/2020].
Wilson, A. 2020. 10 of the Worlds Best Virtual Museum and Art Gallery Tours. The Gardian. [online]. Available at: < https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2020/mar/23/10-of-the-worlds-best-virtual-museum-and-art-gallery-tours> [Accessed: 31/03/2020].
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