This past summer we saw the History of Jazz exhibit at the Quai Branly and I couldn’t have asked for more… until John found out there was a Miles Davis exhibit at Cité de la Musique. Yesterday we went to the museum near Parc de la Villette (in the North of Paris) hoping to find something interesting. In actuality the museum was great! We were hopeful once we noticed the interesting architecture from the Metro stop but had no idea the permanent exhibit would be so well done. The museum’s permanent exhibit shows the progression of musical instruments. We were both given a headset and instructed on how to follow the exhibit. At each set of instruments (for example the flutes) you were given an explanation of the history of flutes and their progression to modern day but were also given the opportunity to hear what they sound like. I found myself listening to the music more than the explanations but thoroughly enjoyed the instruments on display and set up of the exhibit. We then visited the Miles Davis exhibit. It was great to be able to follow his career through song clips, movies, newspaper clipping, different costumes, official notes between him and his record label, etc. The exhibit was able to highlight what an impressive musician he was.
It was really hard to take pictures of the permanent exhibit but here is a link to what we were able to get! Sadly, we weren't able to take pictures in the Miles Davis exhibit. We attempted to do so anyway but it was too dark.
Today we went back to science and visited the Office of Madame Curie. Marie & Pierre Curie are best known for their work on radioactivity: techniques to isolate isotopes as well as the discovery of polonium and radium. Mme. Curie was the first female professor at the University of Paris and the first person to receive two Nobel Prizes. Her office/lab has been transformed into a small museum, displaying where she worked but also displayed information about her life and the Curie Institutes. The first thing that really caught our eye was the fact that radium was once, not too long ago, used in make-up! That’s right folks, we’re talking the 1920’s/1930’s. I wonder what I’m doing now that’s poisoning me?? We also saw this “Radium Fountain” which would “radio-activate” whatever liquid you put inside… thus giving you the “benefits” of radium in your bath or drink. As if that wasn’t enough, we saw a page from Marie and Pierre’s work on radium that was still radioactive! Of course it’s currently contained in, what I hope was, a high-tech picture frame. Rest assured, the office and lab were decontaminated and restored back in the ‘80’s.
Definitely check out all our pictures here!
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