The Nine-Ton Cat and Other True Tales of an Art Museum - Hardcover

Thomson, Peggy; Moore, Barbara

3.27

11 ratings by Goodreads

9780395826553: The Nine-Ton Cat and Other True Tales of an Art Museum

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0395826551 ISBN 13: 9780395826553

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 1997

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A behind-the-scenes look at the National Gallery of Art including its private spaces, workshops, offices, and labs where visitors rarely enter.

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From School Library Journal:

Grade 6 Up. A fascinating glimpse at the people and processes that make an art museum tick. Thomson uses the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, to frame her narrative, starting at 6:00 a.m. when the gallery buzzes with horticulturists hosing down trees, "lampers" replacing 30-foot high light bulbs, and specialists scrubbing sculpture. Ensuing chapters describe in detail the work of curators, conservators, guards, educators, designers, librarians, and other staff. The author skillfully blends tidbits of trivia with child appeal (e.g., the stairs in the East Building "are designed to vacuum-clean the shoes of visitors") with in-depth information, such as how a conservator uses infrared photography to restore a da Vinci. The book design mirrors this approach, alternating a series of small photographs depicting the installation of a 15-ton bronze sculpture with full-page color and black-and-white scenes of a sea of guards or the interior of a design studio. Explanations of technical vocabulary are incorporated seamlessly into the text and most of the photos have informative captions. While many of the explanations would apply to any major museum, the book begs to be used in conjunction with a field trip to Washington. Thomson creates the same excitement about the National Gallery that Joy Richardson evoked for the Metropolitan in Inside the Museum (Abrams, 1993).?Wendy Lukehart, Dauphin County Library, Harrisburg, PA
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review:

"This intriguing look at the intricacies of an art museum delivers dozens of fascinating facts about the hidden world. . . . With its conversational tone and attention to details, this book not only celebrates the museum but also invites those who love art to consider related occuaptions." Horn Book, Starred

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