I just want to post a short rave about the Leonardo Codex Leicester
   exhibit at AMNH.

   We used to argue on the list about computers on the exhibit floor and
   virtual exhibits vs actual objects.  I used to weigh in vehemently and
   at length about the intangible value of actual objects in actual
   places.  The Codex Leicester exhibit is an interesting and valuable
   study in how these things can work together.

   The actual 18 pages unbound are displayed individually in hermetically
   sealed cases which are lit at a low level four minutes of every five,
   and then a brighter light illuminates them.  The cases they are in are
   so star-trekky that they distance one quite thoroughly from the actual
   artifact.  As a brief aside, I used to pretend that I was a graduate
   student (this would be in the late 70's) and ask to look at drawings
   in the Met's print cabinet (as it was then called).  They would seat
   me in a carroll, and give me a binder full of original Leonardo
   drawings and leave me alone with them! Times have changed.

   On the side of the exhibit floor are a generous number of computer
   stations with absolutely the hippest piece of exhibition software I
   have ever seen in my born days. I can't begin to describe it
   adequately in this forum, but effectively the software displayed a
   facsimile of all the pages, at full size.  With a click of the mouse,
   one could portray a mirror image of the facsimile (since Leonardo
   wrote these in his famous mirror handwriting, that would make the
   words appear forward); or one could choose a transcription
   into Italian typed text; or a translation into english typed text.
   Cool enough, as this would happen virtually immediately.

   Even more amazing is that one could choose a "lens" which passed over
   the text with the same choices independent of the background text.
   Therefore, one could have the background text in, for example, facing
   forward facsimile, and have the lens go over about a 1/4 of the page
   with the English translations.  The illustrative drawings on the
   originals were maintained in all of the formats.

   Told you I couldn't describe it adequately.  You must see it if you
   are interested in any way in computers for learning and computers in
   relations to exhibitions.

   Also, alongside the exhibition is one of my favorite things, a reading
   room with several relevant texts, including a facsimile of the codex
   with translations on the verso.

   Finally, a wonderful room of hands-on water experiments with serious
   and well-trained explainers (the bulk of the Codex Leicester is about
   water).  This brought home how Leonardo was from a different species,
   as trying to analyze the motion of water using only one's power of
   observation is a super-human task.  There is a perfectly fine little
   five minute filmed overview narrated by Isabella Rosellini (and it
   thrills me to my heart to hear her pronounce both english and italian.
   hell, she could read the phone book...)

   Even the little temporary gift shop was well done.  Go, and get there
   before 11:30 when the schoolkids take over the computer stations.

   This exhibition demonstrates how wonderful a museum can be, and how
   irreplaceable it is as a resource for learning and joy.

   Eric Siegel
   [log in to unmask]