Topic: RhyDin Museum Complex

Azjah

Date: 2008-02-19 18:26 EST
The RhyDin Museum

Head Curator: D. Thornburn Burns PhD

The museum consists of five interconnected halls, all under one roof. The building was constructed ages ago, and no building cornerstone can be found to substantiate the age of the building, despite repeated efforts to unearth one. The suspicions and best guesses put the building at around 300 years. What can be said about the museum structure is that it was originally designed to be a museum and is not a converted building. This gives the museum the appropriate storage facilities, and environmental settings to properly house the collections, both on display, and those stored below for restoration or when they are not on public display above.

There is a staff of ten curators, who are responsible for the collections. They answer public questions, and monitor the field researchers who often request access to the collections, for studies and reports in their respective disciplines. All research requests must be approved by the appropriate curator before any access is granted to academicians from outside of the Museum. Dr. Burns is the Head Curator, and all special requests are directed to him. Through Dr. Burns, the museum has undergone extensive renovation of the buildings. At this time, the sadly neglected institution is undergoing a small renaissance.

The museum wings include: Museum of Natural History, Museum of Art, Museum of Industry and Technology, Museum of Anthropology and Cultural Heritage, and the Museum of Zoological Studies. The Museum of Art is the smallest of the five branches, and the Museum of Zoological Studies is the largest wing.

The wide, stone stairs lead into the main entry hall of the museum, where the central greeting desk faces the four sets of double doors through which all visitors must arrive. A team of three museum employees man the desk from 8:00 AM until 8:00 PM. They issue pamphlets to guests, answer questions about where to go to find specific topics. As well as providing a visitor?s first introduction to the Museums.

The floors through out the museums are polished granite, with marble Corinthian columns rising 50 feet into the air, and supporting a massive domed ceiling above. The ceiling has been painted with images much like those found in European Cathedrals. There are cherubs, angels, halos and religious depictions creating a riot of color overhead in the vaulted dome that gives the entry an awe inspiring view.

Situated along the walls of the circular reception hall are life-sized or larger statues that were recovered from several ancient Greek and Roman sites. Most of them are white marble, but the sculpture in the center of the space was crafted from Carrera marble. The rich red of the marble contrasting starkly with the white pillars, and mostly white granite floors, is an immediate attention getter at it towers nearly twenty feet into the air. When the sunlight filters through the leaded glass windows above; the gilt portions of this sculpture glow with an unearthly radiance.

Azjah

Date: 2008-02-19 18:28 EST
The Museum of Natural History: The first set of doors on the far side of the entrance lead to the Museum of Natural History. This section of the buildings is reserved for the study of life. One well known researcher is quoted on a plaque to the left of the entry doors:

Natural history is the scientific study of plants and animals in their natural environments. It is concerned with levels of organization from the individual organism to the ecosystem, and stresses identification, life history, distribution, abundance, and inter-relationships. It often and appropriately includes an esthetic component.?Stephen G. Herman, 2002

Housed within the RhyDin Museum of Natural history are the various plants, animals and geological phenomenon to explain how the natural world functions.


The Museum of Anthropology and Cultural Heritage: The Museum of Anthropology and Cultural Heritage differs from the Museum of Natural History in that it focuses on the rise of hominids and other sentient life forms that reside in and around RhyDin. The focus here is cultural rather than biological. The vast array of sentient life in RhyDin makes this section of the library complex a very large and well visited area. This museum focuses on cultural past for many species of sentient life. Their histories, how their cultures have developed, and what the customs are for each race. It is the most contentious of the museum?s exhibits. Especially when a strongly warrior group is displayed, or when darker species are highlighted. Several demonstrations have been staged in front of the museum when the Dark Elves and Vampires were the primary displays.

The Museum of Zoological Studies: The middle set of doors leads visitors into the Museum of Zoological studies. Here the focus is not on sentient beings, but rather animal life as it exists in RhyDin. Exhibits of both live and stuffed animals are presented in native settings. Where appropriate, the visitors can schedule a ?hands on? experience with many of the museum?s exhibits. There is a petting zoo at the far end of the hall, and a large aquarium reef system where people can gain first hand experience touching an alpaca, or feeling the tube feet of a star fish as it walks across your hand. The local schools often bring children here for the opportunity to meet these creatures first hand.

The Museum of Art: The fourth set of doors leads to the Museum of Art. The collection housed here is woefully lacking due to a huge heist successfully completed about one hundred years ago. The collection was robbed of several Van Gough?s, a Monet, four Cezanne?s, six Renoir?s, and three Seurat?s, among other lesser known artists. The curator for this wing has sought in vain for the return of these stolen prizes.

The museum has begun to collect the works of some of RhyDin?s contemporary artists.

The Museum of Industry and Technology: RhyDin is home to many cultures, including those who use and have technology. This museum is the repository for the history and development of industry and technology. Some of the collection represents everyday objects and how they have developed, while others are absolutely fantasmagorical! There are six divisions of this museum. 1) Maritime, 2) Aerial, 3) Torture and Imprisonment, 4) Household objects, 5) Electronic/Electrical, 6) Miscellaneous. By far, the most visited theater is the Torture and Imprisonment display. This wing hosts over 3000 visitors a month.