Friday, September 2, 2011

Greensboro History Museum Diagram & Narrative


   "Waiting, waiting, waiting, ok walk signal...walk, walk, walk, walk faster, the lights turning yellow," are my thoughts on the crisp morning walk through downtown to the Greensboro Historical Museum.  I walked past the Summit eatery peeking through the windows, wondering what secret atmosphere lay behind the glass.  Finally I crossed the street, jumping onto the curb of the sidewalk beside the museum.  I looked up examining my surroundings.  Brick...green trim...darkened windows...gold lions....I walked towards the gold lions, expecting a grande entrance only to find a large white sign signaling the group to enter the Museum from the Lindsay St. entrance.  I walked around the corner, expecting the Lindsay St. entrance to be just as grande, though it was unfortunately just curved, sans lions.  The colors of the building relate to many famous buildings in the Greensboro area, including that of the Faust Building on UNCG's campus.  Pausing outside of the entrance, I looked up at the towering brick castle before me.  Somewhat confusing to my brain, my eyes wandered amongst the windows, wondering which of those were original and which had been replaced.  The answer unbeknownst to me, I entered the first set of doors, halfway expecting the old museum smell and an enticement of old sounds to creep upon me immediately.  Unfortunately they did not and I confusingly opened the second set of doors.  I entered the main foyer and stopped examining my surroundings.
    The set up of the furniture and displays almost forces you to chose what you want to do first.  Though there is a check in desk, it is not at standing level, so it is definitely not at eye level, which makes it very easy to over look the desk or the sign in.  There was a small clutter of display on the Jewish community in Guilford county, which I found most entertaining upon the discovery of a plate saying "Shalom Ya'll".  Though funny, the display seems unintentional and a little confused about what it is doing in the space.  In the back of the space is an auditorium, hidden by the dark shadows of a make-shift sitting area.  The auditorium is very nice and cozy, holding it's own theme, hardly mimicking the style set before it by the museum.   In the right corner of the room was a grand staircase, made dull with its forest green paint and goldish accents, and hidden beneath the stairs is a car showcase waiting to be stuffed back into to closet for a few years.  The space was very confusing to me.  I felt like wandering around the space was the best way to take the space on, so i did.  Walking around and walking around again, seeing things from every angle of the museum.  The space is an odd space, but though it is odd it will have many uses, they just need to be discovered.   

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