"The function of the historical museum is to portray to the eye a correct impression of a historical fact. It may be done by means of an object preserved from former times, or by means of sketches, paintings and photographs of scenes, places or men. It is with the belief that history can be taught most excellently by means of picture representations that the Los Angeles Museum has undertaken the presentation of California's history in a series of shadow boxes, whereby the scene is shown in perspective, thus giving appearance of reality not to be had in any flat picture. It is felt that the story of California may be fairly well represented in forty such pictures."
—Dr. Owen C. Coy in the May 1927 Museum Graphic of the Los Angeles County Museum of History, Science and Art
Comments
I'll enjoy the following long read:
https://www.portoflosangeles.org/about/history/cabrillos-legacy
> in "Reframing Dioramas: The Art of Preserving
> Wilderness...
> NHM is restoring and reopening
> a diorama hall that has been closed
> for decades.
I wish a reason were given why that area has been shuttered for decades. For storage? For party space? For maintenance crews?
LAMNH is different from LACMA, but apathy (or indifference) and a tight budget combined with poor decisionmaking can lead to "Huh? outcomes. The museum's new remodeled southern side, the Lucas next door, and the Geffen Gallery across town are still TBD.