OUTSTANDING museum exhibitions from across the globe have been recognised by the BSHS Great Exhibitions Prize 2018.
The Norwegian Museum of Science and Technology took home the prize in the Large category for its FOLK: From Racial Types to DNA exhibition. BSHS judges praised the museum’s exploration of the history of scientific attitudes towards race and the legacy those attitudes have today.
SS Great Britain’s Being Brunel, in Bristol, was commended in the same category.
In the Small category, Royal Holloway, University of London came top for its 200 Years of Becoming Digital. Judges said the exhibition excellently portrayed the overlooked contribution of women to the field and captured the audiences’ imaginations with its display of 3D prints, animations and a live steam engine.
The Royal College of Physicians of London was commended for its ‘This Vexed Question’: 500 Years of Women and Medicine.
Dr Elizabeth Haines, Chair of Judges, said:
“We had an amazing international set of entries for this year’s prize from national, regional and local museums as well as from collections held by universities and scientific societies.
“We felt that the winning exhibitions stood out from the crowd because of their success in engaging audiences with unusual and challenging aspects of the history of science and technology.
“As a Society, the BSHS believes the histories of science and technology are a vital tool for understanding our lives today.
“It’s our ambition to promote exhibitions that convey those histories in all their richness and complexity, and the winners do just that.”
Images (top to bottom)
Norwegian Museum – Visitors explore the FOLK exhibition – copyright to Åsa Marie Mikkelsen.
SS Great Britain – A family discover the SS Great Britain exhibition – copyright to SS Great Britain.
Royal Holloway – Visitors explore 200 Years of Being Digital – copyright to Adrian Johnstone.
Royal College of Physicians – Dr Dossibai Patell, 1911. Copyright – Library and Archives Service, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
