Many people think they will see all of our objects on display when they come here. In reality, it is only a fraction, says Frode Weium, senior curator at The Norwegian Museum of Science and Technology .
- In total, we have close to 90,000 items. What we show is therefore only a tiny part.
The four F's
On the banks of the Akerselva River, right next to the train lines at Kjelsås station, lies a large, red brick building. With over 250,000 visitors a year The Norwegian Museum of Science and Technology is a celebrity in the neighborhood, which is otherwise characterized by things that attract families with children: townhouses, villas, gardens, a school, the field. Hundreds of school classes come to the museum every year, to press buttons and learn simple technology and mechanics – in other words, how things work together. Little do most of them know that this museum is not just a fun, advanced playland.
- We are responsible for the national cultural heritage in industry, science, medicine and technology, says Frode.
- It involves building up and taking care of large collections.
- And how do you do it?
- In the museum industry, people often talk about the F's, Frode begins.
- The four f's: research, administration, dissemination and renewal. These are the museum's core tasks, and we want the F's to be connected.
Things tell stories
If you click on the website of The Norwegian Museum of Science and Technology you will quickly discover that it is the communication aspect that dominates. Exciting exhibitions and events are supposed to tempt people to Kjelsås. But of the 60.5 employed full-time employees, most of them are "backstage". Here, there is everything from technicians and conservators to educators and archivists. It is true that the building houses a total of 28 exhibitions, but it is back there, behind closed doors, that much of the activity takes place. There, research is conducted on everything from old photographs to human embryos in glass.
- Much of the research we carry out is object-based. This means that we use our objects as a starting point for both research and dissemination, says Frode.
Although the museum also has hundreds of thousands of photographs in its collection, as well as films and books, it is primarily objects that we associate with The Norwegian Museum of Science and Technology . Things.
- Things are valuable sources for a historian, says Frode.
- Many may think that books and old newspapers say the most, but things can also tell stories. And they are well suited for dissemination. That is one of the unique things about us as a museum. When we put together an exhibition, people can come here and experience the physical things. It's different than seeing them depicted in a book or online.
- In his famous essay "The work of art in the age of reproduction", Walter Benjamin writes about the aura of things, the special feeling of standing in front of something original and feeling genuine.
- Authenticity is a big topic in a museum context, Frode nods.
– Some people probably associate cultural historical objects with old beer mugs and rays. Here at The Norwegian Museum of Science and Technology we believe that science, medicine, technology and industry are also just as important a part of cultural history.
The article continues below the picture.
Centennial perspective
But in order to gain knowledge through things, the things must be taken care of.
- And it must be done in the right way, points out Thale Sørlie, photo archivist and group leader for the museum's collections department.
- Conservation is something different from restoration or renovation. The challenge is to find a balance between the thing looking used, but at the same time feeling good. The object must be kept alive - authentic - but not degraded by dirt.
Read about the painstaking work that underlies the preservation of historic objects here.
An important part of the process, Thale points out, is documentation.
- The difference between an eBay collection and a museum collection is that the things sold on eBay are detached from each other and from history. A museum is interested in the narrative, the authentic. Thanks to time-consuming documentation, museum objects have a story in them. The artefact conservators and the historical conservators together take care of both the artefacts and associated documentation for the future. And all work is done in a hundred-year perspective. It should last.
The collections of The Norwegian Museum of Science and Technology are made available at digitaltmuseum.no. There you can search for information and images, for free use.
- Not everything has been digitized yet, says Frode.
- Among other things, because some of the objects are missing information and pictures. When we are not working specifically on large projects, we are out on our remote magazine updating the database. Much of what we have in magazines will probably never be exhibited. Nevertheless, care must be taken.
Intake stop
Magazines, yes. Because with over 90,000 objects in the collections, it goes without saying that not everything can fit in the building by the river.
- In the past we have had many magazines at Kjelsås as well, says Frode.
- In fact, there are still some here. But during the last 20 years, much has been moved to Gjerdrum. Thanks to the database system Primus, we no longer need to keep things close to us. As long as we can easily find the items, it is fine to store them elsewhere.
They bought the warehouse at Gjerdrum in 1994, when housing prices were low. Frode believes they were lucky, many museums struggle with warehouse space. Still The Norwegian Museum of Science and Technology doesn't say yes to everything they are offered. Considering how painstakingly each item is assessed for condition, cleaned and registered, it quickly becomes a question of resources.
- It quickly takes a few days' work on a car, maybe a week's work, maybe more. Then you can start calculating what it costs us. It's not free to do this, smiles Frode.
Although the collection grows from year to year, the website states that the museum has introduced a suspension of admissions.
– We often get inquiries from people who are emptying attics or estates and come across things, and think that they will give this to The Norwegian Museum of Science and Technology . As the situation is today, there should be good reasons for us to take in more things, says Frode.
- What will it take for you to say yes?
- We consider a lot of different things. An object can be interesting because it is unique, but it can also be interesting because it is the opposite, representative of something widespread. National value is also something we often talk about, but at the same time we should not be a museum for only Norwegian things.
- No?
- We live in an international world, much of what we take in is made up of things produced in several countries. At the same time, it is interesting in itself if something is produced in Norway, if it is Norwegian industrial history.
- So an object can tick off different criteria?
- Yes. One of the first things we do is check what we already have. For example, we often get offers for radios, but we already have a lot of radios.
Dimensional differences – from fetuses to planes
- Speaking of physical space, does size matter to you? Can things be too big?
Frode draws on it:
- Actually, we probably think that we are governed by other criteria, but it is clear that size and condition help to influence us in practice, he says.
- The biggest thing we have is one of our planes, a Caravelle.
- Do you have more planes?
- We have several, yes, he laughs.
- I don't know how many, but most are on display. And then we have 130 cars, including a completely unique collection of electric cars.
Electric cars are not a new invention. At the beginning of the 1920s, there were just over 400 electric cars in Norway, says Frode.
- It was especially popular during the First World War, when there was a shortage of petrol. Among other things, we have an electric Porsche from 1905.
The museum boasts some really old objects, scientific instruments dating from the 16th-18th centuries, but the vast majority are from the 20th century.
- There is a certain bias in the collection today, Frode admits.
- We have a lot from the 1920s up to the 70s. After that, time becomes so close that we don't think of it as part of history. Ideally, we should carry out continuous collection for posterity. We should be active and try to anticipate which objects will be important. The first conservator smiles:
- I think we should bring in a Tesla.
