Recently, a fellow student in the M.A. program at UWO stated that a virtual museum tour can be more intimate and detailed, and that they preferred the virtual tour, over the hustled and detached tour they associated with museum visits. I was surprised to hear this, not in a judgemental or contradictory way, but in a, "Wow! I would have never thought of that," way. Personally, I only go to a museum's website for a few specific things, such as, directions, exhibit schedules, and possible internship opportunities.
I decided to look into the virtual museum to see if it was indeed a positive experience, and
challenge my comprehension of what a museum visit should be (marble stairs, large groups of children, lines, tour guides, velvet ropes, gift shops, unique architecture, etc.). I decided to look at the virtual tour for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio. Having visited the museum this past summer, the image, atmosphere and tour is fresh in my memory.
I entered my virtual museum visit with an open-mind and I started out with four giant bonus points on the side of the virtual tour: 1) I was in my pyjamas 2) I was drinking coffee 3) I was alone 4) It was free! But my bubble soon burst when I recognized the painfully quiet sound of my own apartment. The onsite Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is full of games, audio clips and visual clips, which saturate the museum with the sound of music and musicians. The website was already falling short, with very little audio and visual interest. So, I thought I would visit one of my favourite exhibits, the ‘Revolution Rock: The Story of the Clash’ – as I remember it, it was loud, dark, full of onlookers and loaded with information, pictures and artefacts. What I found was this. White, clean, and quiet! I especially noticed that this virtual exhibit created a distinct absence of intimacy with the objects in the collection, displaying the showrooms from a distance and only narrowing in on one poster and one guitar. Throughout the tour I noticed that the Hall of Fame included 'Artefact Spotlights', which would change as you selected different topics. While this was an interested effect, it takes the artefact out of any collective storyline or context for the virtual viewer; instead, they just see Hank William’s White Wool Hat or Chuck Berry’s Gibson Guitar. In order to find out more about the artefact, the viewer must click on the picture and leave the exhibit they are visiting at that moment.
As I continued through the virtual tour, there were some advantages, such as a closer look at the Everly Brother’s Report Cards, which I remember not being able to make out too clearly at the museum. As well, little things such as Janis Joplin’s scarves, which were displayed at the museum among numerous other possessions, are photographed separately to provide a visible and clear look at the artefact. Also, the virtual tour allows the viewer to access things such as Past Exhibits and Travelling Exhibits, which you may miss with an onsite visit.
In some ways, the virtual tour did allow for a more intimate and somewhat detailed look at numerous artefacts. Overall, though, the virtual tour of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame fell short for me. I preferred the onsite tour full of flying cars, loud concerts scenes, hyper children, numerous artefacts, games, video clips and old Rolling Stone Magazines. Maybe the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame wants the virtual experience to lack-lustre? Perhaps it is just a tease to get us down to Cleveland, to see the real thing? They make more money from onsite visitors anyway – I have an expensive ticket stub and overpriced magnet to prove it!
I decided to look into the virtual museum to see if it was indeed a positive experience, and
challenge my comprehension of what a museum visit should be (marble stairs, large groups of children, lines, tour guides, velvet ropes, gift shops, unique architecture, etc.). I decided to look at the virtual tour for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio. Having visited the museum this past summer, the image, atmosphere and tour is fresh in my memory.I entered my virtual museum visit with an open-mind and I started out with four giant bonus points on the side of the virtual tour: 1) I was in my pyjamas 2) I was drinking coffee 3) I was alone 4) It was free! But my bubble soon burst when I recognized the painfully quiet sound of my own apartment. The onsite Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is full of games, audio clips and visual clips, which saturate the museum with the sound of music and musicians. The website was already falling short, with very little audio and visual interest. So, I thought I would visit one of my favourite exhibits, the ‘Revolution Rock: The Story of the Clash’ – as I remember it, it was loud, dark, full of onlookers and loaded with information, pictures and artefacts. What I found was this. White, clean, and quiet! I especially noticed that this virtual exhibit created a distinct absence of intimacy with the objects in the collection, displaying the showrooms from a distance and only narrowing in on one poster and one guitar. Throughout the tour I noticed that the Hall of Fame included 'Artefact Spotlights', which would change as you selected different topics. While this was an interested effect, it takes the artefact out of any collective storyline or context for the virtual viewer; instead, they just see Hank William’s White Wool Hat or Chuck Berry’s Gibson Guitar. In order to find out more about the artefact, the viewer must click on the picture and leave the exhibit they are visiting at that moment.
As I continued through the virtual tour, there were some advantages, such as a closer look at the Everly Brother’s Report Cards, which I remember not being able to make out too clearly at the museum. As well, little things such as Janis Joplin’s scarves, which were displayed at the museum among numerous other possessions, are photographed separately to provide a visible and clear look at the artefact. Also, the virtual tour allows the viewer to access things such as Past Exhibits and Travelling Exhibits, which you may miss with an onsite visit.
In some ways, the virtual tour did allow for a more intimate and somewhat detailed look at numerous artefacts. Overall, though, the virtual tour of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame fell short for me. I preferred the onsite tour full of flying cars, loud concerts scenes, hyper children, numerous artefacts, games, video clips and old Rolling Stone Magazines. Maybe the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame wants the virtual experience to lack-lustre? Perhaps it is just a tease to get us down to Cleveland, to see the real thing? They make more money from onsite visitors anyway – I have an expensive ticket stub and overpriced magnet to prove it!
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