Making space for models: (re)presenting engineering in Scotland’s national museum, 1854–present

Abstract

The model-making practices and the role of engineering models on display within a British (and since 1999 Scottish) Government-funded, ‘national’, museum are examined. The changing curatorial perceptions of models and their role over the 160-year history of the Museum are analysed, as are the spaces in which, and the processes by which, objects were translated and re-scaled into model form. Particular attention is focused on the Museum’s claims to ‘authenticity’, ‘authority’, ‘credibility’ and ‘realism’ in relation to models.

Keywords:

• curation
• exhibition
• model-making
• public engagement
• translation of scale
• workshop practice

Acknowledgements

We wish to thank the staff of the Library of National Museums Scotland for providing access to documents in the Museum’s archive (Archon code GB587) and to the staff of the Museum’s Directorate for providing copies of archival documents in their care. We are grateful also to our colleague Louise Innes for generously sharing her knowledge of the history of the Museum’s workshops and workshop practice and to Alexander Hayward for commenting on an early draft of the paper. GNS is grateful to Charles Withers for his encouragement to think geographically.

Notes

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