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The Elephant and the Sky: Ivory in Astronomical Instruments
Author(s) -
Raposo Pedro M. P.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
curator: the museum journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.312
H-Index - 8
eISSN - 2151-6952
pISSN - 0011-3069
DOI - 10.1111/cura.12240
Subject(s) - planetarium , exhibition , sky , scientific instrument , scientific discovery , history , visual arts , sociology , art history , astronomy , art , psychology , physics , cognitive science
In this short essay, the author presents studies on ivory in astronomical instruments through examples of ivory instruments from the collections of the Adler Planetarium in order to suggest that the use of such artifacts in museum exhibitions may serve a twofold purpose: to emphasize that historical scientific instruments embody social and cultural meanings that go beyond the pursuits more commonly associated with scientific activity, while fostering the public engagement with the history of ivory trade and the issues surrounding this material.