Blog 4

After having the entire afternoon free to explore the Deutsches in Munich I decided my favorite part was the exhibit on machine tools. I find automation fascinating so it is always cool when I can see an automated system in action like today at the museum or at the BMW factory. After out guided tour I went back to the machine tools section and saw that the system had been turned on by one of the museum employees so I not only got to see the various machines running, but I also got to take one of the magnets they made as a souvenir. Near the automated system was all of the older machines and systems that were used throughout the years to produce different products. It was interesting to see how each of the machines began and how they evolved with the times into what we have now.

Deutsches Museum-The Pharmacy Exhibit

Hello Friends!
I really enjoyed the Pharmacy Exhibit.  It starts off with showing various types of plants and their medical properties.  For example, it explained the properties and need to know info about the Cardamom plant.  It explained what type of plant it was, its origins, cultivation, what part can be used, major components its used for, size of dosage, the effects of the plant, and a random cool fact about the plant.  This one in particular besides being used for improving digestion is used in seasoning soups, sauces, meat dishes, coffee, etc.  Another part that was pretty cool in this exhibit was that it showed the inside of a living cell.  You walked into this blob (the cell) and it showed the various parts of a cell (mitochondria, nucleus, etc.) on the walls of the exhibit/cell.  This exhibit definitely topped the others I saw in the museum.

Cheers!

Deutsches Museum - Musical Instrument Exhibit

Dear blog,

Today we went to the Deutsches museum in Munich. We took a tour of some of the industrial revolution artifacts that they had, and then we were allowed to have a few hours of free time. During that time my favorite exhibit was the music room, which was full of old musical instruments along with some more modern ones as well. When you walk in you were greeted by a piano that was playing music by itself and there were many unique pieces as well. We found a Theremin that you were able to experiment and play with which I had never had the opportunity to do. We also saw a piano that was using violins to make music by having the keys on the piano correlate to the strings on the violin. This was my favorite exhibit because I play a musical instrument, and it was very interesting to see some of the old instruments as well as some very unique and one of a kind instruments.

Jake Wetsch

Blog #3 BMW

On Tuesday, we got to see BMW up close and personal. We saw BMW Welt, their museum, and their factory. BMW has helped shape the transportation industry that we know today. They created well known and high performing airplane engines. They also later made motorcycles and cars. BMW set a standard of what transportation should be, and had a vision for this new industry. Today, everyone drives cars, and needs to  get around in the world that we live in. BMW has helped greatly in improving this.

Augsburg Textile Museum

Visiting the State Textile and Industry Museum in Augsburg was an incredible experience. I especially enjoyed seeing the exhibit displaying the history of women's clothing for the past 200 years. I was shocked by the grusomeness of the corset and how it irreparably damaged the bodies of women starting from their childhood. I really enjoyed how our guide pointed out the early links between women's clothing and their independence. The idea that a woman's corset and dress would render her unable to use the bathroom or sit properly without assistance was horrifying. When the patriarchy is so pervasive that even a woman's clothes are meant to literally disable her, you know there's a problem. Overall, seeing the progression of dresses was a very effective learning experience and provided a unique glimpse at the standing of women in those times.

Blog Post #3: BMW Museum

Of the last few places we have visited, I really enjoyed the BMW museum. By no stretch would I call myself a "car" person, so I was surprised how much I liked this site. I never knew that BMW started making plane engines. But I was also suprised that the government prohibited BMW from making aircraft engines after WWI and all engines after WWII. I never realized that governments could stop a company from producing product all together. I also found it fascinating that they decided to make pots after WWII. I never suspected BMW, a well known car company, would making kitchen supplies. Looking back, I suppose they were in a hard place and wanted to keep their employees and give them some sort of work and making pots was a viable option. In general, I thought it was interesting to see the overall evolution of the BMW-- from making aircraft engines to making futuristic cars with skin. My favorite part was seeing the "vision" cars. I think that the vision cars are an important part of the engineering process. It's important for engineering to express their creativity in an unrestricted fashion. Sometimes the engineering environment can put employees into a standard way of thinking and making a certain product. However, this can be a dangerous place. It's important to not stifle creativity and I believe BMW is encouraging thinking out of the box.

Blog post #3: Textile Museum

Travelers,

At the begining of our time in Munich, Germany, one site caught my eye. The textile museum personifies how technology was changing in order to industrialize European companies. So far on the trip, I feel that we have only observed technology that was meant for improving science. At this site, technology was simpily improved to make fabric more efficiently. From the simple drop spindle all the way up to the technology of 2009, the improvments were quite impressive. This is a perfect example of how technology improves at a fast pace when the demand for it is high. Although technology was improving, the machines were still dangereous for operators to handle. Many moving parts made it easy to loose fingers and hands. Dust and loud noise was also harmful. Even metal being incorperated into the machines made them suseptable to sparks, which would eventually lead to fire. It was interesting to me that working conditions in Europe at the time were very similar to conditions in the United States. Textile industries in North America also didnt have laws to protect workers from accidents, long term damage or even fire. For example, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory experienced a fire on March 25, 1911. Inadequate saftey features and many locked doors in the factory lead to 145 deaths. I can imagine that similar incidents occured in European history. These conditions in factories may be hard to accept, but for the first time in history where machines were being used on a large scale for production, these issues may not have been thought of. However, child labor should not be included as a harsh reality that can be forgiven. The soul motivation for putting childern to work was for money. Like Germany, the U.S also employed children. I never thought of this issue as a world problem during this time in history. Although I am sure in ancient times it occured everywhere. In conclusion, the museum allowed me to realize that Europe and the U.S had similar issues during the industrialization of humanity.

Sincerely,

A.W

Blog Post 3

Of the sites we went to in Munich thus far, I really enjoyed the Textile Industry Museum. I love to sew and in my fibers and fabrics class we actually wove rugs and spun yarn by hand. It was very long and tedious work to spin yarn and weaving could also take a very long time. Thus it was incredible to see the modern looms at the museum. They were so quick and efficient, even the oldest machine. Also, I did not know that now modern looms don't even use a shuttle, they just use compressed air. This must make the machines somewhat safer to use because you no longer have something, which is essentially a projectile, flying back and forth at very fast speeds within the machine. Also, I thought it was amazing that all of the machines were still functioning. I expected that the older ones would have broken down by now. After all the oldest one was from, if I recall correctly, the early 1900s and that is quite a long time for a machine to continue running, especially one that was probably heavily used in the industry.
Outside of the looms we saw, I also liked the pattern room. I thought it was funny that workers from the textile industry would steal patterns from other companies so that their company could make the pattern better and more efficiently. I also liked that you could identify an era or time based on the patterns that were created then. Also, the books containg these patterns were enormous. I am surprised that they made such a variety of cloth back then. Even today I am surprised at how quickly certain patterns and lines of cloth filter in and out of the industry. For example some pieces I bought just a month ago are no longer available today. I think this is very reflective of the industry itself. Like the evolution of the looms, the industry is always changing and innovating itself and its products.

Post #3: Textile Museum (TIM)

Hello again fellow travelers and students!
Recently we visited the Textile Museum in Augsburg, Germany, which turns out has been one of my favorites so far. Honestly I didn't think this site would be very interesting at first, but once we started moving along in the tour I found it quite interesting as well as interactive. We could see for ourselves how hard it was for workers in the day to make the threads, by hand, in which they had to twist cotton as the strand was pulled from the 'bundle' or 'clump'. Eventually tools were created to make the process quicker. Once the cotton was in strand form  it could used for weaving. The weaving machines, or looms, used analog computers (punching cards) to create the patterns printed into the fabrics. And one worker was supposed to be in control of 36 machines, which is completely mind boggling. I couldn't imagine controlling so many machines all at once. And then, in another section of the museum we could follow women's fashion trends, which was quite fascinating as well. The styles/outfits would go from low-key, feminine and proper to flashy and some even man-like. Women gradually became more outspoken in their fashion, just like they became more outspoken in basically every sense. All in all, I'm glad we visited this museum.
Until next time!
-B

TIM

The past few locations we have toured have all been very interesting, but my favorite has been the Textile Industry Museum. The layout and order of the tour proved to be very useful because it followed the timeline of looms very closely and chronologically. It was very cool to see the evolution of the loom; I had no idea what present day weaving machines looked like, let alone the ones in the past. I liked how every machine had a blueprint with holes punched in it and that's how they knew how to operate and which threads to weave where. To see how sophisticated the looms became was so intriguing, and to think about how at first one person ran one machine, and as time went by, one person could watch over dozens of them at once. And also to think it all really started with twisting your own yarn and thread by hand, and then manually weaving it. It's exciting how far that industry has come, and how farther it can still go. With any industry and technology, it seems like anything is possible and it's hard to even imagine what the future might hold. That's what's so exciting about this trip and all of the majors we are studying because hopefully this will inspire us all to work hard and see what innovations we can come up with.

Blog Number 3

I really enjoyed the Red Cross Museum we saw on our first day in Munich. I thought it was very neat that the entire collection was acquired by our guide and that we were the last ones to see it in that location. I was surprised to learn that the Red Cross has been around for so long and that the founder was able to convince all of the different kings and emperors of the different European countries to agree to its creation. Something else I thought was cool was that all of the items were authentic and that we were able to touch so much of it. It was fun seeing all of the different medical equipment from throughout the years and trying to guess what it was since it looked nothing like its modern version. Lastly, hearing about the different logos for Red Cross around the world and the change to the red diamond was fascinating.

The Red Cross Museum

I found the beginnings of the Red Cross to be very interesting because I know we see it in our every day lives and at school but never knew how it came to be.  The swissman who started all this couldn't stand how many people died because they laid on the battlefield for hours and even days slowly dying.  To think that an organization could be neutral in a war and help both sides victims of it was definitely revolutionary.  Although, it was mentioned that even though a treaty with three main rules was drawn up and signed by over 100 countries, the countries that signed the treaty and some that didn't sometimes wouldn't follow it and they would persecute and kill the Red Cross doctors and nurses.  I also didn't know that there were different symbols to represent the Red Cross in various countries because of their religious affiliations.  For example, in Pakistan there is a crescent (that also applies to other countries around Pakistan as well) while of course we have the traditional red cross.
Thanks for listening!

Cheers!

Textile Industry Museum - Augsburg

Dear blog,

I really enjoyed going to the Textile Industry Museum in Augsburg. It was interesting to see the outside of the building and how they were constructed at the time in order to take full advantage of the sunlight so that workers could easily see their work. I also thought it was interesting to see some of the unrestored buildings that were damaged by bombs during the war, this gave us a better perspective on the war times. I loved that we were able to see the machines run and hear how loud they were, it really helped me to imagine how loud a whole room of 30-60 of those would've been. And at the time there was no form of hearing protection so many of the machine workers would eventually go deaf from all the loud noises. I also found it interesting that many of the fabric books that companies had would become forms of "industrial espionage" because many competitors would steal fabric from the books to try and replicate it and make it cheaper and better. This really helped give me an idea of how important this industry was at the time, and how much the textile industry has grown over the past century.

Jake Wetsch

BMW GINA Light Vision

At the BMW museum we got a glimpse into the companies past, but we also took a peek into the future. Here we were introduced to GINA. This "vision car" is made from an extremely light weight spaceframe and covered with an elastic fabric. This ensures the car is a light as possible, but that is just the beginning. The car is able to change its shape while it is moving to adjust its aerodynamics. The rear spoiler and side sills can be raised or lowered to adjust the down force on the car. The doors do not have visible hinges, and the headlamps are concealed during the day. Although the car was never put into production due to safety concerns, the concept of the cars body changing shape is still being used for future models.

I enjoyed looking at the women's clothes throughout the years and discovering how the styles have changed. I have never realized how there are two major styles that have changed  repeatedly over the decades. The first style being more formal with a fitted torso and a larger, non-fitted skirt. The second style is more of a straight dress that is not fitted anywhere. The fabric of the clothing has changed as well over the past several decades. Fashion closer to today has become more flashy and "look at me"material. However, older clothes were very conservative with simple flower patterns and included more complicated layers of clothing required. Finally, I was surprised by the how much the average height of woman has grown over the years.

The BMW Museum

The BMW museum was the site I've enjoyed most in Germany so far. I have always had a great interest in cars and engines, and since BMW is one of the oldest car manufacturers in the world, it's obvious why I have a huge interests in the museum. I really liked seeing the past of BMW and how the company had progressed through the ages. I never realized how German companys were affected by the World Wars until our guide pointed out that BMW could only manufacture pots after the war to keep the company running. It was amazing to see the cars progression from the machines that could barely run, to the futuristic cars made of flexible materials. It makes me wonder what the future of automobiles will actually bring.

TIM

Hello fellow travelers,
I would like to talk about the Textile Industry Museum we visited in Augsburg Germany. To be honest I was very impressed at this museum. I thought the tour was very informative about how the industry grew from a manually doing every step to modern machines of today. We started the tour seeing how fabric was made in pre industrial revolution times. It started with cleaning the material whether it was wool, silk, or cotton. After that long process we learned how they spun the raw material by hand and how the technology developed to make this step faster. After that, we looked at different models of looms from the industrial revolution to the late 1990's. I especially liked this part because it showed how the technology grew to make shuttles move faster. Some the earlier shuttles moved  by physical hits and by the 90's the shuttle moved my compressed air. Not only the shuttle movement became faster but the complexity of the fabrics became a more common due to the advances of the looms speed and accuracy.  My favorite part of the tour was seeing these machines and how complicated they got over the last century.

Until next time fellow travelers.

Blog Post 2

My favorite site from Delft was the Royal Delft porcelain factory. I especially liked seeing the process they use to create their pieces. It is hard to believe that they have used the same process since the 1650s and only just started modernizing some of their techniques. I was most intrigued by the painting step. As a dabbler in ceramics I have used cobalt oxide to draw patterns on vases before, however I could never get it to come out quite right. I believe this is because I have not used porcelain clay, but just regular clay. When we return I will have to make a plaster mold and attempt to make some porcelain slip casts. Hopefully I can get the correct mix down. I think it would be amazing to be able to paint patterns as well as the master painters at the Royal Delft porcelain factory...perhaps I may apply there one day if the engineering thing doesn't work out.

Outside of the process, I thought that all of the pieces were incredible and it is too bad that I do not have enough money to bring a handpainted piece home with me. I think that my favorite piece was the copy of Rembrandt's Night Watch. I had seen that very same painting the day before at the Rijksmuseum and their blue porcelain copy of it was just as impressive.

The Oude Kerk

The Ode Kerk was amazing because it is the final resting place of Johannes Vermeer and Antoni Van Leeuwenhoek. Never did I imagine that I would visit the burial site of such prestigious people of the 17th century. It is interesting to see how Leeuwenhoek's grave is so ornate and the memorial that his daughter built for him is beautiful. Meanwhile, Vermeer wasn't as famous at the time and didn't have as much money. So his grave was small and simple, although he was important enough to be buried beneath the church. I am glad that after Vermeer's works became more appreciated, the St. Luke's guild paid to give Vermeer a more fitting gravestone.

Blog #2

The porcelain factory was very interesting to see how the paintings were made with all the different shades of blue. In the large recreation of the Night Watch the shades of blue were very noticeable. It is amazing how much detail the master painters put into every block. The commemorative dishes for the royal family were beautiful and I liked how they added orange color into their special dishes. The process of making the dishes looks like a tedious process. The detail in every step is essential to a perfect would become nerve racking. The thought of any mistake you make on the painting of a dish must be perfect would not be a great job for me. 

I found it very interesting that back in the 1500s people did not know what whales were, because I have never thought of all the unknowns that would have occurred to them. Once our guide explained about the story of the crew on ships seeing these huge monsters out at sea. It made since why people used to believe they looked like dragons of the sea and artist began to incorporate them into their paintings. In the earlier paintings they started out as dragon-like sea creatures. Gradually as technology advanced, the image of whales transformed from sea creatures into a reflection of what we know a whale looks like today. In the Maritime museum, one could look through all of the painting and see the progression between these stages, which I found very interesting.

The Amsterdam Hortus Botanicus

The Amsterdam Hortus Botanicus was one of my favorite sites overall. The main reason why it was my favorite was because of our guide through the garden. Asker was by far the funniest and most interesting guide we have had so far during this trip. The stories he told us were as interesting as they were funny. My favorite story of Asker's was the story about the plant that is officially extinct even though there are still a few left,  but they are deemed extinct because there are only male plants left. I also have always had an interest in plants which is another reason why I really enjoyed the botanical gardens. There are many plants that I had only seen pictures of or read about and I was able to see them in person at the gardens. I saw very interesting plants like the lotus flower, and the Venus flytrap. Asker also told us about plants I had never heard about before like the giant lily and the plant with exploding pods. Overall I really enjoyed the Amsterdam Hortus Botanicus because of the eccentric guide and the very interesting plants.

Blog #2

When we went to Delft, Adam gave us a tour of the city. He showed us where leeuwenhoek and vermeer worked and lived within the city. It was really interesting to see where these people worked and live for their lives. It made much more connections to the book and made the descriptions from the book make much more sense. I especially liked the main square. The architecture of the town hall and new church were absolutely incredible. Being able to see over the whole city on top of the new church has been one of my highlights of the trip so far.

Post #2 - Amsterdam Hortus Botanicus

Exploring in the Amsterdam Hortus Botanicus was one of my favorite events. The beautiful and sometimes strange flowers and trees were so fun to look at, and our guide seemed incredibly knowledgeable. One of my favorite plants to see was the Victoria, the spiky water lily with giant green lily pads. Learning how the Victoria blooms, with its flower changing from white to pink as it entices beetles to pollinate it, was incredibly interesting. I also liked learning about how the Victoria grew raised edges on its lily pads, as if forming a very shallow flat bowl, in order to push away other plants with its thorns as it expands. The entire plant reminded of me some strange mutant from Super Mario Bros. Being able to see it in real life and have detailed information on it from our guide was truly amazing.

Blog 2

For the second installment of my European Adventure Blog, I have chosen to write about the Royal Delft Porcelain Factory. From the pie at the beginning to the Lunch at the end, the entire trip was a great experience. I really enjoyed the videos and “trip through time” we took to start the tour. I was a little disappointed to learn that the vases and plates that I thought were each individually handcrafted and painted were actually part of a set that were painted using stencils. Regardless, the time and skill that goes into creating one of the vases or plates at the factory was still impressive. Something else I liked was seeing the real sized Delft Blue copies of famous paintings. 

Blog Numero Dos-The Hortus Botanicus

Hello!
While the Royal Delft Blue Porcelain factory and the walking tour of Delft were pretty awesome, I would have to say that the Hortus Botanicus was my favorite site of the past few days.  My Dad is a logger and skidder and he has to know the types of trees that are good for firewood, building with, etc.  He's told me a lot about the North American trees like pine, ash, oak, etc. but it was nice to hear about the other various trees around the world.  I had never seen a yew tree before, but I knew that they were used to build bows.  I didn't know that they were really poisonous to us, cows, horses, and I thought that it was great that our tour guide included that nugget of information.  I also loved the butterfly house.  There were several types of different butterflies and they were all very beautiful.  Its amazing how the greenhouses that the gardens have that contain these butterflies and varying types of plants are adapted to suit each of the climates that they come from.  All in all it was a great experience.

Cheers!

Blog Post #2: Hortus Botanicus

From the last couple of days, I really enjoyed the Hortus Botanicus. Asker was a very knowledgable guide and mentioned a slew of interesting stories behind the plant species and the plants themselves at the garden themselves. Him explaining these details and stories really emphasized what Tieman talked about at the Boorhavve Museuem-- that the stories behind museum artifacts are as important or more than the artifacts themselves. Social context is what allows history to live on in the present. Plants are also a way of preserving history. The living fossil is an obvious example of this. Additionally, I thought that the Botanical Garden offered a fresh site-- different from the typical museum experience. Especially in Amsterdam, going to a garden was a nice escape from the city pace. My favorite plant story was about the trees growing sideways. It was a whimsical story that proved even smart, educated people can make silly mistakes when trying to solve a problem-- and in doing so, can cause another problem. This is an important lesson to remember in engineering and in other fields as well.

The Churches

Out of the last couple of days, I had the best time at the new church and climbing that tower. It is so amazing how that building was constructed hundreds of years ago and how beautiful it still is today. To me, it is amazing that we all stood exactly where Simon Stevin stood and performed his studies on gravity and falling objects. That church holds so much knowledge and it is incredible. The floor of the other church is also really neat with all of the tombstone type tiles--and to just think about what great scholars lay right beneath our feet is so amazing and also a little creepy. I also think the contrast between Leeuwenhoek's and Vermeer's burial markers is interesting, as well. Some of those markers/tombstones are so ornate and some really aren't. All in all, that church is a magnificent piece of arcitecture. 

Utrecht University Museum - Utrecht

Dear blog,

I enjoyed going to the Utrecht university museum. We were able to go through their cabinet of curiosity and see some very interesting things that you wouldn't normally see in museums. Our tour guide showed us some cool artifacts as well as multiple skeletons of people that had different bone and growth disorders. I also enjoyed going through their garden behind the museum and seeing the different types of plants they had on display. It was a nice museum that had a wide array of items ranging from technological devices, bones, gardens, and several other unique specimens. Overall I enjoyed my experience at the museum and would happily go back for another tour.

Jake Wetsch

Hello fellow travelers,
I enjoyed the botanical gardens Amsterdam. I thought our tour guild even though he was a little quiet was very funny in his presentation. It was kind of interesting to see plants from different places around the world. Everything from a redwood from the United States and a living fossil from Australia. I think what made this destination fun though was the tour guide, with his knowledge and personal stories of bad coworkers named Bob. My favorite plant was the thicker shorter palm trees in the first green house we went into because of how old and slow they grow.

Until next time fellow travelers

Blog Post #2- Walking Tour of Delft

Travelers,

 During our time in Delft, I felt as though I was walking through time. Seeing the place where Vermeer and Leeuwenhoek lived most of their lives was truly extraordinary. I visualized what the town square most have been like during the 1600's. The different clothing, shops and maybe a few livestock. Despite the sites of Vermeer being completely gone or rebuilt, the city was well preserved. It was somewhat upsetting to see Leeuwenhoek's home as a dentristy. I feel that it deserved to be a site to visit like the Anne Frank House, so his life and work could be celebrated. I would have loved to walk into the home of a biological and optic pioneer. However, walking the same streets was just as fulfilling. In addition, as said in the Eye of the Beholder,  Vermeer and Leeuwenhoek lived within a three minute walk of eachother. I thought perhaps the author was exaggerating, but clearly she was not. Therefore, to conclude that Vermeer and Leeuwenhoek were not even aquaintances is an unlogical conclusion. While living in a small area for many years, you are likely to run into just about everyone in that space. Although this does not prove a friendship, it is a plausable fact that Vermeer and Leeuwenhoek must have met at some point in time. If this would have had an affect on the quality of their work, or was a historical significance, I cannot say. 

Sincerely,

A.W

Blog Post #2

Hello again fellow students and travelers!
These past couple of days we've witnessed quite a bit of history. On one of those days we traveled to Delft, in which we toured the Porcelain factory as well as key landmarks throughout the city. The Porcelain factory was cool, but I would have to say I was most influenced by the landmarks. It was really cool to go from reading about Leeuwenhoek and Vermeer to seeing where they lived as well as getting a greater glimpse of what their lives were like. (And our guide was awesome as I'm sure we can all agree.) Of course we could only imagine what their houses looked like since one was a vacant clothing store and the other was removed to create a fire lane, but we can at least put some of the pieces from Eye of the Beholder together by walking the same sidewalks as two great men once did. Now I really do know they lived only a short distance apart from seeing it with my own eyes and walking the distance with my own feet. In such a small world I have to believe the two men knew each other and became great friends. Another part of the walking tour was the church where Vermeer was buried, or so it says. A few of us actually noticed he may not be buried under the small rectangle anymore, but perhaps under the more detailed slab or maybe somewhere else entirely. We may never know where his body lies, but at least we have his microscopes and his wisdom.
That's all for now! Until next time... B  

Blog Post 1

Of the sites we have visited thus far, one of my favorites was the painting exhibit in the National Maritime Museum. I found the paintings to be extraordinarily detailed and realistic. Also, for something that was so heavily discussed at the time, I thought all of the paintings displayed an incredible amount of detail and depth. I was expecting flatter images with less perspective, especially in the older paintings.

I noticed that several of the paintings utilized slanted horizon lines. Up until that point I had only ever seen paintings with perfectly horizontal horizon lines. I think the use of these slanted horizons gave the paintings a more off-kilter and dynamic feel to the artwork.

I was also intrigued by the medium used. Initially I was surprised that almost all of the paintings were oil paintings. However after remembering the details on how artists made and stored their paint from our book, it would make more sense to use oil paints. For those not acquainted with art, this is because oil paints take a much longer time to dry (sometimes a week for a small painting) and they may have been easier to make and work with.

Outside of structure and composition I thought that the early depictions of whales and other sea creatures were not only amusing, but also insightful as to the views the Dutch held towards the sea and its inhabitants.

My favorite painting was called "The Elder" by an artist whose name currently escapes me. (It was the first painting that the tour guide showed us.)

Blog Post #1

My favorite site of the first 3 we saw in Amsterdam was the Meritime museum. Specifically I liked the replicated Dutch East India company ship. It was interesting to see how sailors back then lived, and what kind of conditions they had to deal with. I especially found the living quarters interesting, and seeing how small everything was. It made me appreciate the age that I live in much more. Growing up I always knew about sailors and old ships like the one we saw, but I never saw one up close like this. I am now much better able to understand the hardship and risk that people made back then just to make a living.

Blog #1

Of all the sites I went to, the museum Boarhaave was my favorite for a couple of reasons. We may not have been able to actually step into the museum because of the renovations, but I still feel that it had the most information. The most and best information came from our guide Tiemen Cocquyt. Tiemen had known a story for every artifact at the museum and we could tell he was excited about each of them too, whether the story was about how it was invented, or his story of how he acquired it. I think it is very important to know the story behind each artifact because it gives each item so much more importance. An example of that is the microscope that was made of a rifle barrel, it was only a strange oddity at first. Then Tiemen had pointed out that the microscope was made in a prison camp and the scientist just made it out of whatever materials he had. It felt like there was more importance surrounding the microscope after I understood more about the story behind the artifact.

Museum Boerhaave

Hey everyone! We've been to many cool and exciting new places, but out of all of them I would say that the Museum Boerhaave was my personal favorite. First off, the tour guides could not have been any better. Both were not only well knowledged in their own respective field, but also had a vast knowledge of the entire collection that was been housed. They helped to bring the life and interest to what ine might think to be just an ordinary rod of glass. One example was the meter stick. They talked about how hard it was to make the true meter stick, because of the air and humidity the meter sticks would become distorted and could no longer be counted on for accurate measuring. Another time that they brought the history to life was when they were talking about the building and how two professors could not get along because of each others.  It showed how that behind all the technological innovation and complicated discoveries, there are people with emotion and lives behind them. Not humanoid robots without feeling or emotion. The guides showed not only the machine, but also the struggle behind what it was trying to prove and the adversity that the people faced. This is why the Museum Boerhaave was my favorite part so far on the trip.

The National Maritime Museum

Visiting Het Scheepvaartmuseum, The National Maritime Museum, in Amsterdam was an incredible experience. My favorite part of the museum was the paintings gallery. I really enjoyed how the arrangement of the paintings created a unique and immersion environment for the viewer. Painted arrows on the wall with the text "Follow the horizon" emphasized how the horizon of every painting was aligned at the average viewer's eyelevel, allowing one to admire the paintings with the same natural pose as one might use when looking out a window. The paintings did not always lay flat against a wall; several paintings were displayed in the middle of rooms, with reflective black glass beneath them resembling a mysterious sea. I have never seen art displayed in such an interesting fashion, and I really enjoyed how the composition of the gallery made me feel a natural and intimate connection with all of the incredible art that was displayed.

Hello fellow students and bloggers,
I would like to express my like of the Boerhaave Museum. First of all, our guide(s) couldn't have been better. When someone thoroughly enjoys what they are talking about it makes the audience enjoy the topics as well, and that is just what our guides did. Then one of the first things we viewed, and that I enjoyed, was the multitude of meter sticks, of which weren't all necessarily the same length (or so we were told). The next items I enjoyed were the books - I am still amazed that gloves weren't needed when handling the books. And seeing two versions of the same book in one day - what are the odds! Lastly, the fact that we got to see one of Leeuwenhoek's microscopes in a way no one else has was pretty spectacular - we are one special group. 😊
Bye for now!

Blog Numero Uno

Hello Everyone!
It was definitely fun these first few days, but of all the sites I would have to say the National Maritime Museum was my favorite.  The painting gallery was amazing.  Most of the pictures seemed like you could reach out, touch the water, and feel its wetness.  They were very lifelike, and some of the artists styles even reminded me of Vermeers styles that he used in his paintings.  My favorite painting was of course the one that depicted "sea monsters" which were actually supposed to be whales.  Another favorite part was the navigation room.  The walls featured all the various constellations that can be seen in our solar system, and they glowed like a real night sky.  The exhibits in that room were pretty awesome also.  I never knew that compasses were made that big.  It really is amazing how people found out how to use these various technologies to their advantage on the high seas.

Cheers!

Blog Post #1

The site that I found to be the most compelling and significant to the advancement of scientific knowledge was the Biblioteca Thysiana. Although this site did not contain elaborate instruments and inventions, it still contained valuable historical pieces, which were simply knowledge itself. Thysiana's collection allowed others to better themselves and allowed them to process scientific concepts. Giving the untrianed public access to books lead to more discoveries in science. Therefore, a mind can wonder and be talented without being taught. This was the beginning of sharing skills, resources, and knowledge, which were previously just given to scholars. This concept would later be affiliated with music. Masters in the classical era would teach the middle class simple melodies. Lastly, I was amazed by the condition of the book collection. It is a truly irraplacable artifact showcasing the methods of recording knowledge in 17th century Europe.

Biblioteca Thysiana

I really enjoyed the tour of Biblioteca Thysiana.  I thought it was so interesting to see the architecture and learn the background of this library. What I found most intriguing was the fact that all of the books and all of the money had been donated in order to share the knowledge and pleasure that books bring to the readers. It is so fascinating that even when Thysiana wrote his name in his books, he also added "and friends" because he already knew he'd share his books with other people interested in them. He must have been such a selfless man; although it came about due to sad circumstances, he was very wealthy and it seems he didn't take that for granted or boast about it, instead he tried including the less fortunate by sharing his abundance of books. I can't even imagine all of the kinds of books in that library and what joy and studies they provided for the lucky users of them. It is incredible the way it came about, how it was constructed, and how today people still visit and read there. 

Blog Post #1: Biblioteca Thysiana

Hello everyone. From our trip this far, I have really enjoyed the Biblioteca Thysiana. Typically, I am not one to frequent libraries today, so I was surprised how much I enjoyed this site. Our guide, Paul, was so passionate about the history of the books in the library, and that made the tour much more enjoyable. I thought it was incredible how much thought went into the library site itself. The library executors really had the best interest of the books and of the visitors in mind. Today, libraries are just placed wherever a community can find a plot of land or a vacant building, but the Biblioteca Thysiana was not such a project. The immaculate attention to the light was astounding. However, when Paul explained about the indirect light and compared to direct light and its effect on reading and on the books, it is surprising that more institutions haven't considered this lighting in their constructions. Additionally, I really connected with the books and their history when we were able to feel the pages. There is so much more of an intimate connection with its history because you can feel the impressions that the printing press left on the pages. My favorite book was the old Bible. I thought it was absolutely incredible that someone hand painted all of the images and illustrations in the story. I also appreciated that they had images at all. Seemingly insignificant, but these images could have helped spread the word of Christianity and of the Bible to those who would have otherwise been unable to read about it. Visiting the Biblioteca Thysiana has made me appreciate the history that books have to offer and the attention to detail of each individual book.  

To whom it may concern:

My favorite activity of the first three days was the Museum in Leiden. Even though we did not get to see the exhibits as they are displayed, it was still cool to see so many historical scientific instruments and learning the stories that went with each of them. It was interesting to actually see Leeuwenhoek’s microscopes after reading about them in our book. They were much smaller then I thought and I can’t imagine using them for actual scientific research. Being able to see all of the other microscopes throughout the ages lined up on the shelves was also really neat. I liked being able to see the different improvements, design changes and ascetic flourishes of each device. The museum was especially cool because we were led by Tiemen and his coworker who were able to give us the exclusive and behind the scenes tour. 

National maritime museum - Amsterdam

Dear blog,

My favorite exhibit was the national maritime museum in Amsterdam. I especially enjoyed going aboard the historic East Indian company ship. We were able to see the living quarters of the captain, crew members, and soldiers. Our tour guide was a wealth of information and explained to us how powerful the Dutch rebublic was in the golden era and also how important the shipping company was to the country at that time. We learned the various meanings of the flags that were being flown on the ship, and also how the crew members would go about daily life while on the seas. It was interesting to see the immaculate detail and color put into the back of the ship, showing how successful the company was at that time. It's also crazy that they were able to fit 350 people aboard the ship, although having to spend 6-8 months at a time would no doubtebly get old after awhile. In conclusion, I thoroughly enjoyed my time at the maritime museum and I'm excited to see the tours we have planned for the future. Until next time!

Jake Wetsch 

Dear fellow travelers,
My favorite site that we saw this far was the National Maritime Museum. I liked the visualization of Amsterdam growing as the golden age started on the map that was behind the glass on our guided tour. It showed how people built cities before, and how that changed after a huge influx of people entered Amsterdam when the golden age started.
 I also enjoyed the big projected map that was also on our guided tour that showed where the Dutch made the dykes and drained the lakes of the county to have more land for farms. After the guided tour ended I went back to the big map of the Netherlands to see if options were given to see a step by step of how the Netherlands grew over the past centuries.
 I also thought the boat was also a cool experience because it showed the craftsmen that went into the ships. Then I realize they spent all this time on the decorations and sometimes the ships would never make it back to the Netherlands. I also thought that some of the rooms where ridiculously small like the galley and the captains bedroom.

until next time fellow travelers have a safe trip

German Bible at Biblioteca Thessiana

The bible at the Bibliotheca Thysiana is fascinating because it is a centuries old bible that was translated from Latin into a dialect of German well before Martin Luther would officially translate the bible into the vernacular. Also, the book's text is printed to look like a manuscript while the illustrations and formatting symbols are beautifully hand painted in a variety of colors. The binding and exterior of the book was also interesting, because of how the front and rear covers are made from oak, which is very rare. In addition, there are brass latches and feet fixed to both covers to protect the book from getting dirty or damaged. Thus, physically and metaphorically protecting the book from corruption.