Griffith

Although it’s admittedly not the most central idea in his essay, I have never compared the entertainment aspect of museums to those of the freak shows, such as those found at Coney Island. I have always thought, ‘this is in a museum; it must be purely educational.’ But when viewed through a different lens, the dinosaur at the Museum of Natural History becomes “Come see the largest/biggest/strangest _____ on Earth.” Museums do compete as a form of entertainment, and I somehow never connected these lines. As I’m interested in architecture, I think it would be an interesting social experiment to switch the facades of the American Museum of Natural History and one of the great “freak halls” of Coney Island, a phenomenon loosely explained by Robert Venturi. As one building creates undertones of civil equality and solid truths, the other conveys tones of a temporary, makeshift exhibit. It’s cheap construction hinting, “see it while you can!” I wonder if people would see the exhibits within differently, as they make assumptions and cast doubts before even stepping into the buildings.