In Electricity: The spark of life, we have some very large objects too, such as the K6 public telephone box. The variety of fragile materials that the collections are made up from, such as glass and paper, mean that they require different types of display, such as mounting for support and different levels of restricted light exposure so as not to fade images and surfaces, losing them forever.Ībove: The phonebox during conservation (left), and after the exhibition opened (right). The great thing about working with the collections at the Science and Industry Museum is that they are so varied, but in return installing them into an exhibition often needs careful thinking about and planning. And now this is where all the different elements need tying together. Then there’s the time spent gathering the objects up, and one by one patiently cleaning, preserving and bringing to life the collection hidden in the stores, ready for their moment in the exhibition to shine, helping bring history to life. When you walk into the exhibition space being built, the walls and graphics going up around you and the empty showcases waiting to be filled with treasure, it all starts to feel real. You could have been working on the exhibition for years before you reach this point, but it is all behind the scenes, working from plans and designs as to how best to show off the wondrous objects but keep them safe for many years to come. None of it can be achieved alone it doesn’t work. You are just one part in a machine and everyone needs to work together, playing their own part to make it all work. Installing exhibitions brings a great sense of achievement and really makes you feel part of a team.
To find out what exhibitions and activities are open today, visit our What’s On section. Please note: Electricity: The spark of life ended in April 2019.
We take a look at the work our conservation team did with two of the more unusual objects in our Electricity exhibition, the electric eel and the red phonebox.
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