Shaped by Her Life on a Narrowboat
Visiting museums while traveling the canals of England
Today’s savvy museum visitor has a perspective on museums that is shaped in part by her life on a narrowboat, traveling the canals in England. Amanda loves details, she’s intrigued by behind-the-scenes information, and she delights in local history told through museums.
What's your favorite museum and why?
The Black Country Living Museum in Dudley, England, is my current favourite. Why? You get to visit for a whole year for one fee. And, we could visit on our narrowboat and moor outside the rear entrance.
You get to go into buildings that have been moved brick by brick from the local area to save them from demolition or falling into disrepair. Each building has its own history. You can go into a miners’ cottages with lit coal fires. And pubs where you can have a drink in an authentic candle lit bar with sawdust on the floor. There’s a brickworks where you can see them making handmade bricks. There’s also a chain-makers forge where you see the blacksmith forging a link, sending out a shower of sparks. There’s even a working fish and chip shop where you can eat food cooked on an original Art Deco range.
In a year, we visit several times, each time finding something new. Once we visited at nighttime when they had a celebration of Diwali the Hindu festival of light, involving dancing, a parade, and food all inspired by Indian traditions. I could go on but you get the idea!
[Note: The Black Country Living Museum is known as a very successful museum on social media. They have over 300,000 followers on TikTok, and a presence on Instagram and Facebook.]
What's one thing that you look for in nearly all your museum visits? It might be something you want to see, to learn, to feel, or something else.
I want to be surprised or shocked or inspired by a museum visit. Yes, I want to see the famous pieces that are well known and recognizable that may be linked with the premises, but I want to go away with a memory.
When visiting the Casa Battlo in Barcelona, created by Gaudi, I was blown away with the whole experience: the exterior the interior, the visitor experience. My takeaway moment was the Gaudi Cube, a light show by Refik Anadol, an immersive six-sided cube that morphs from Gaudi to his inspirations, ideas, drawings and actual buildings. It’s like being in the mind of Gaudi himself. It’s emotional and intense, using AI, data, photographs, and lights in kaleidoscopic formations that take you into another world experience. Fantastic!
When you go to a new town, how do you pick which museum(s) to visit?
If we can visit somewhere that is walkable from our continually changing mooring, then that is perfect for us. We don’t want to have to travel out of the area. We went from being spoilt for choice in Birmingham, the UKs second largest city, to finding a National Trust property on our doorstep or canalside! Or we might discover a small-town museum that is reflecting the very local history. It really doesn't matter. There’s always a gem you can find if you look hard enough!
What's one thing that you wish museums did differently?
I like something personal, not just clinically white walls with cabinets. I like it when there is someone in the room that sees you intently looking at an item and tells you something that you didn’t expect. I don’t like cards with boring info. Tell me something more!!! I love behind the scenes hidden secrets that are common knowledge to the guides but they seemingly share with just you! It's also nice if you can do a bit of hands-on arts and crafts on your visit.
What was your first museum experience?
My first museum was my home town library, museum, and art gallery, the Harris Museum in Preston, Lancashire. It’s a wonderfully eclectic museum that houses objects that are prehistoric, Roman, relating to the cotton industry, and a large personal collection of perfume bottles donated by a local lady. The Foucault Pendulum amazed me as it continually swung in one plane with a disc beneath that shows the rotation of the earth. A portrait painted by Herbert James Gunn of his wife, called Pauline in the Yellow Dress, was always a standout painting for me. It was enormous to me as a child. It’s a vibrant memorable sitter with a dog on her lap. The museum also has a detailed model of the Horrocks Cotton Mill, a tangible exhibit that brings to life the enormity of the mill, very little of which remains today.
Thank you, Amanda!
Readers, did Amanda’s observations about museums remind you of any historic sites or museums that you’ve been to?
Did you read this one?
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Or these Notes?