| [ |
mood |
| |
 accomplished |
] |
The Franklin Institute, one of the nation’s premier learning museums — not to mention the most popular museum in Pennsylvania — hosts Cleopatra: The Search for the Last Queen of Egypt, from June 5, 2010 – January 2, 2011. It was no small feat getting this exhibition together.
It has been a very busy few months for me and my family. I had to leave Athena and Liam for a bit in May to begin the set up of a new exhibit in Philadelphia, Pa. Dr. Hawass, Head of Egyptian Antiquities, who I used to train under and still do work for, wanted my personal touch for this event so I was on loan from the Met for this project.
We basically had to receive and inventory all the pieces, do a physical layout design and get the lighting right so it did not affect the artifacts. Record an audio tour, Set up the multimedia audio and visual screens and components and then begin the arduous task of rebuilding 15 foot high statues as well as strategically placing other very heavy objects and showcasing all the jewelry and gold artifacts down to the tiniest coins.
These artifacts are the real deal; not replicas. It was not an easy task but we accomplished it. There is a profound history behind this exhibition and a pride of Egypt in Dr. Hawass as he takes the visitors through a great part of Egyptian history.
Just a bit of history behind this ambitious exhibition and the people who have worked so hard to bring these wonderful finds to the public's attention:
Cleopatra, the last great pharaoh of Egypt before it succumbed to Roman opposition, lived from 69 – 30 B.C., and her rule was marked with political intrigue and challenges to her throne. She captivated two of the most powerful men of her day, Julius Caesar and Marc Antony, as she attempted to restore Egypt to its former superpower status. Later, her Roman conquerors tried to rewrite her history and destroy all traces of her existence. Although her body has never been found, her story survives.
Told through never before seen artifacts and multimedia components, Cleopatra: The Search for the Last Queen of Egypt unravels the mystery of one of history’s most powerful women.
Visitors to the exhibition will be treated to an inside view of the search for Cleopatra through two ongoing expeditions by modern explorers Dr. Zahi Hawass, Egypt’s preeminent archaeologist and Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, and Franck Goddio, French underwater archaeologist and director of IEASM; Institut Européen d'Archéologie Sous-Marine. Or in English, The European Institute of Underwater Archaeology.
Goddio’s search has resulted in one of the most ambitious underwater expeditions ever undertaken, which has uncovered Cleopatra’s royal palace and two ancient cities that had been lost beneath the sea for centuries after a series of earthquakes and tidal waves.
The artifacts in the exhibition, ranging from the smallest gold pieces and coins to colossal statues more than 15-feet tall, provide a window into Cleopatra’s story as well as the daily lives of her contemporaries, both powerful and humble. Artifacts on display will include magnificent black granite statues of a queen of Egypt dating from the Ptolemaic era in which Cleopatra ruled, which Goddio’s team pulled from the sea.
I am including a video of Dr. Hawass talking about the the continuing search for the tomb of Cleopatra and Marc Antony so:
a)You will know who I am always talking about and
b)You will see his enthusiasm and pride in these finds and the ongoing search for the tomb of Cleopatra.
I took some shots as we were putting this exhibition together and though I can not show you everything this is a sneak peek into what the visitors have in store. If you have time to make it to Philly you really should go see this exhibition. It is spectacular, educational and well worth the time; and I am not saying that just because I helped in my small way.
I hope you enjoy the pictures and are encouraged to go see more at the Franklin Institute. By the way, when you see the Cleopatra Exhibit you gain access to the rest of the museum which concentrates on astronomy, the sciences and has a large planetarium as well as an IMAX theater, a flight simulator and several telescopes set for viewing the sun, planets and other celestial bodies.
( Pictures of Cleopatra's Treasures )
|
![[info]](http://www.insanejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small}
