Boros István (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 5. (Budapest 1954)

Boros, I.: The new exhibitions of the Hungarian National Museum - Museum of Natural History

material of their reconstruction. Attached to these, another standing tableau demonstrates the endeavours of man to change species and varieties ; and another horizontal case displays the results of Mitchourin, in lifelike waxen preparations. The material of themes exhibited up to now were arranged in 28 standing and 39 lying (a total of 67) cases in a way that, besides the constrained room-space possibilities at our disposal, some symmetrical equilibrium and the possibly most favourable utilization of lighting effects could be secured. To enhance this latter, all standing cases, with the exception of their backgrounds were made of glass : even side walls and tops, too. Walls were bound together by screws and metal clamps at the corners. We tried to eliminate every other frame, tob, disturbing to contemplation ; plant preparations were placed between glass sheets, and the gaps were sealed up by glass, too. A considerable portion of the wet preparations are displayed in Petri dishes, covered by polished glass plates. The effects of dried preparations sealed between glass sheets were made more illustrative by painting the flower or other vegetable parts of the respective plant on the glass, if necessary, in many cases together with the texts of explanation. And we experienced it ourselves that the efficiency of the material on show levelly in the relatively narrow glass cabinets was really much augmented by the extensive and manifold use of glass. Nothing disturbs contemplation, no ornament or fluorish distract the attention of visitors. Their interest centres on essentials: the exhibited material. Exceedingly attractive are our mushroom models, made of plaster and very finely colored in every particular; they are lifelike, displayed in their characteristical undergrowth, twigs, leaves, in one word : on pedestals in their natural environment. They produce the illusion of reality so covincingly that they can be said to be more successful than any other former attempt, being, at the same time, decidedly beautiful. As a rule, we tried to abide ourselves to the points of view of artistic execution. As I have formerly expounded (Ann. Hist.-nat. Mus. Nat. Hung., 3, 1953.), this is one of the fundamental principles of our exhibitions, and we exactly agree with the sentiments of Holdhaus : »Artistic perfection is to be endeavoured not only in totality but also in minute particulars«. The same holds good in the grouping of the exhibited material of the most heterogenous elements, as in the choice of titles, inscriptions, the typography of explaining texts, the types of the letters used, the selection of colors and background tones. This last particular is specially important, and,as our illustrative material isbothvariegated and colorful, we took painstaking care to bring into accord shades to produce a pleasantly harmonious impression by the use of agreeable ground colors. Concerning furnishings, our artistical conception was essentially infuenced by the baroque architecture of the hall of the exhibition. The 10 meters long central gallery-room on the first floor of the building, and the gallery halls originating from it to the right and left (18,5 m long and 5 m broad, arched, extending along the length of the building), with their stucco ornaments almost predestined the style of the cases for the display material. The use of heavily sculptured baroque cases would, however, have offended the basic principles of modern exhibition technique ; whilst new-fashioned, plain cases would have struck a flagrant contrast to the architecture of the rooms. To bridge diifficulties therefore, we placed, against the plain and straightlined standing cases,horizontal ones with legs bent in the baroque style ; and the connecting lines of the two eases, built together in wedges and in right angles to the wall-spaces between