Exploring the Unassuming World of Audio Guides in Detail
The Science Museum in London made history in 1960 with the launch of the first radio-guided tour, a groundbreaking technology that has since become a common feature at museums, galleries, and heritage sites. This pioneering initiative marked a significant milestone in the evolution of audio guide technology in museums.
The radio-guided tour was initially developed for the Iron and Steel Gallery, a space that exhibition designer V. Rotter transformed using the technique of 'exhibition as landscape'. This approach, inspired by the picturesque principles of contrast, concealment, and revelation, aimed to engage visitors and evoke emotions such as awe and wonder.
The tour consisted of a tape player, a radio transmitter, and portable radio-receivers known as 'lorgnettes'. Visitors could hire these receivers from the Museum's bookstall for one shilling and a refundable deposit of ten shillings. The commentaries from the tapes were picked up by visitors on the ground via these hand-held radio receivers.
Interestingly, the Science Museum's radio-guided tour was prepared before that of the Duke of Bedford, owner of Woburn Abbey. The Duke's tour took eight months longer to materialise. This competition between the two institutions added an element of excitement, with the Science Museum's director, David Follett, expressing his excitement about being the first to launch the radio-guided tour.
The radio-guided tours were not limited to the Iron and Steel Gallery. They were installed in the Electric Power, Sailing Ships, Acoustics, and additional galleries in the Science Museum. However, the scheme was abandoned in 1964, four years after its launch.
Today, a tape player, magnetic tape, and a handful of 'lorgnette' radio receivers are stored at the Science Museum's Blythe House, providing a glimpse into this pioneering technology.
Dr. Jennifer Rich, a Cultural Engagement Fellow at the University of Nottingham, is currently working on a project called 'Acoustics on Display: Collecting and Curating Sound at the Science Museum'. Her research may shed more light on the history of the installation and development of radio-guided tours in the Science Museum's galleries.
For those seeking precise historical documentation on when and how radio-guided tours were installed and evolved in these particular galleries, contacting the Science Museum's archives or curatorial staff, or consulting dedicated museum publications, would be the best approach. These sources are likely to offer a more detailed account of this fascinating aspect of the Science Museum's history.
Science has played a significant role in the advancement of technology, as demonstrated by the Science Museum's pioneering introduction of the radio-guided tour in 1960. This groundbreaking technology, initially developed for the Iron and Steel Gallery, transformed the way visitors experienced exhibitions, providing a new level of engagement and emotional immersion.
