This piece links to an interview with Sharon Ament, and an article by Olu Alake, director of The Peel Institute. Notes in italic for info, will be edited out.
I’m excited by Sharon Ament’s vision for the new London Museum - and also believe we needn’t wait three years to engage with the extraordinary heritage on our doorstep in EC1, drawing on the knowledge of residents as well as historians(one of Sharon’s points).
In the Echo last year City councillor Mathew Bell proposed re-staging Bartholomew Fair to coincide with this year’s Barts900 celebrations for St Bartholomew the Great and Barts Hospital.
I added ideas on how digital technology can extend the experience by streaming events online. In addition I suggested that the Fair doesn’t have to be limited to a few days in August or available only to those who can visit the area. I wrote:
“We can develop augmented reality experiences, so that visitors to the area can use their smartphones to match images from today with historic images and information. We can draw on the resources of the London Metropolitan Archives and Museum of London - which pioneered the StreetMuseum app 2010. Local creative agency Shift has developed Historypin, which allows you to embed historic photos in today’s settings”.
I hope that a Barts Fair for 2023 might be supported by the Corporation’s Destination City programme to promote tourism. It would sit well with the programme’s take-over of Culture Mile - see below - and with the proposed Business Improvement District.
In any case, we don’t necessarily need the Fair to take forward the virtual fair ideas.
For example, the StreetMuseum app was promoted by the Museum as“a bid to put the collections of the museum where they belonged, on the streets of London.”
Unfortunately changes in phone operating systems mean the app is no longer available. Fortunately it is possible to develop something similar using 360 degree photos with embedded hotspots.
Anyone using Google Streetview will value the way that you can stroll, virtually, down a street and click on hotspots that then take you into bars, shops, and restaurants where they have added information and photos to Google maps.
I’m currently developing some demonstrations, using a 360 camera, show how that can work with virtual tours. As well as content that might be provided by the Museum and Metropolitan Archive, there is a lot in the public domain.
Our excellent City Guides are walking museums, and many share their knowledge on blogs, often linked to maps.
I’m following through another initiative featured in last year’s Echo - adding additional content to the quiet and interesting routes through Clerkenwell and City created by the Living Streets Footways project.
As well as building on the Angel to Farringdon route already developed by Footways, which highlights interesting places,we could work with The Peel on maps and media to celebrate its 125th anniversary and the radical heritage of Clerkenwell(link to Olu’s article).
Museums are expert in curating and displaying content from many places and sources, using traditional and new media. These days we can partner with them in creating our own museums, enhancing our explorations online and on the ground.
A Museum of the Streets would also help realise Mike Franks’ Clerkenwell Commons idea featured in the first edition of the Echo - using maps and media to tell stories that promote conversation and collaboration.
Sharon envisages an innovative, open, sociable museum. I think we can start to realise that vision now, building on ideas first featured in the Echo.
The Corporation is ending funding for its Culture Mile initiative in the north west of the City and“embedding” it in the Destination City programme. The proposed Business Improvement District is being offered the name and street-level designs. The BID will be in operation from April, subject to a ballot of businesses now under way.
More about Culture Mile and the BID on my blog, https://connections.commons.london/, where I will provide updates and links to Museum of the Streets demonstrations.--
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I’m excited by Sharon Ament’s vision for the new London Museum - and also believe we needn’t wait three years to engage with the extraordinary heritage on our doorstep in EC1, drawing on the knowledge of residents as well as historians.
In the Echo last year City councillor Mathew Bell proposed re-staging Bartholomew Fair to coincide with this year’s Barts 900 celebrations for St Bartholomew the Great and Barts Hospital.
I added ideas on how digital technology could extend the experience by streaming events, and through augmented reality apps.
I hope that a Bartholomew Fair for 2023 might be supported by the Corporation’s new Destination City programme, and the proposed Business Improvement District, if approved by ballot.
In any case, we don’t need a Fair to take these ideas forward on the doorstep of the new museum in West Smithfield, and elsewhere.
Back in 2010 the Museum pioneered a StreetMuseum app promoted as“a bid to put the collections of the museum where they belonged, on the streets of London.”
Changes in phone operating systems mean the app is no longer available, but it is now possible to develop something similar using 360 degree photos with embedded images, video, and hotspots.
Anyone using Google Streetview will value how you can stroll, virtually, down a street and click on hotspots that take you into bars, shops, and restaurants where they have added information and photos to Google maps.
I’m exploring how to do that using a 360 camera and virtual tour software.
I’m also following through another initiative featured in last year’s Echo, adding additional content to the places highlighted on quiet and interesting routes through Clerkenwell and City created by the Living Streets Footways project.
I hope there’s scope to work with The Peel on maps and media to celebrate its 125th anniversary and the radical heritage of Clerkenwell.
Museums are expert in curating and displaying content from many places and sources, using traditional and new media. City and Islington guides are walking museums of knowledge, and some share that online. I believe we can partner with guides and historians in creating our own museums, enhancing our explorations online and on the ground.
Sharon envisages an innovative, open, sociable museum. We can start to realise that vision now, building on ideas first featured in the Echo.
I’m excited by Sharon Ament’s vision for the new London Museum - and also believe we needn’t wait three years to engage with the extraordinary heritage in the streets of EC1, drawing on the knowledge of residents as well as historians.
Here’s how we can explore what’s possible in Clerkenwell and Smithfield.
In the Echo last year City councillor Mathew Bell proposed re-staging Bartholomew Fair to coincide with Barts 900 celebrations for St Bartholomew the Great and Barts Hospital.
I suggested digital technology could extend the experience by streaming events, and through augmented reality apps.
I hope that a Bartholomew Fair for 2023 might be supported by the Corporation’s new Destination City programme, and a proposed Business Improvement District.
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