Global Tragedy -The National Museum of Brazil burns. - by Nicker
Nicker on 5/9/2018 at 04:35
What a terrible loss for all of humanity. (
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-45392668) The National Museum of Brazil burns entirely. The whole building was gutted.
Twenty-two million artifacts, including the finest pterosaur collection in the world. Countless fossils and biological collections. Countless historical artifacts and archives.
Government neglect is considered mostly to blame.
One thing this tells me is that our existing collections need to be digitalised and those virtual collections duplicated and dispersed to prevent further loss. While this is no replacement for the irreplaceable, at least some record of our past can be preserved.
So very sad.
Azaran on 5/9/2018 at 05:15
Heartbreaking :(
It was a gorgeous, classical building too. I know it's the least concern in this case, but it pains me to think that if they rebuild it, they likely won't replicate the original structure, but replace it with some cheap, modernist glass monstrosity
Quote Posted by Nicker
One thing this tells me is that our existing collections need to be digitalised
There's been a heavy manuscript digitalization drive in the last 10 years or so; I don't know about this museum specifically, but countless rare manuscripts from all over the world now online
bjack on 5/9/2018 at 06:41
I saw this fire on a very short clip on the news this morning (Sept 4th). It is a terrible loss. I was disappointed it did not get more press, but not surprised. A significant destruction of history, Sad :(
Naartjie on 5/9/2018 at 10:20
These pictures are absolutely awful.
Quote Posted by Azaran
There's been a heavy manuscript digitalization drive in the last 10 years or so; I don't know about this museum specifically, but countless rare manuscripts from all over the world now online
I work with manuscripts from time to time, digitalization is a great thing. Nothing like using the original if you need to know certain things about it, but there are also major advantages to digital copies, e.g. the ability to zoom in to decipher difficult handwriting or compare two folios side by side. Plus you can sometimes get archives and libraries to send you digital copies if they're not already online, rather than having to travel to the site (though that's fun sometimes as well).
I have a few pals in computer science departments who also work with museums, it seems like 3D technology and virtual reality might come to play a big role in conservation and cultural heritage in the next decade or so. Not that helps these poor people in Rio :(
Tocky on 6/9/2018 at 00:20
I heard some of their collection was on loan so there is at least some saved. Makes one wonder if perhaps collections should be housed in groups of buildings rather than all the eggs in one basket.
SD on 8/9/2018 at 20:29
Important museum collections should probably not be housed in third world countries in the first instance. See also: Syria, Iraq, Egypt.
SubJeff on 9/9/2018 at 07:14
That's a bit harsh.
What else can't they have in your opinion?
Nicker on 9/9/2018 at 14:36
Maybe some arrangement a little less colonial in appearance might be good.
Firstly, critical collections should be dispersed within their countries. Second, have an international cooperative of museums prepared to evacuate and house collections at risk during natural or political disasters or from sites identified as insecure for any reason.