Английский язык. Хрестоматия по чтению специальных текстов «Famous World Museums» для студентов 1-2 курсов специальности 070503 «Музейное дело» дневно

(historical armored vehicles) and the new Artillery Park located on the West side of the museum.

In addition, there are exhibits of jet aircraft, helicopters and artillery pieces located around the parade field. A conference center, historical archives collection and a library are located inside the museum building.

HISTORY OF THE ABBE MUSEUM

The Abbe Museum was founded in 1926 and first opened to the public in 1928. The museum is named for its founder, Dr. Robert Abbe (1851-1928), an eminent New York physician known for his pioneering use of radiation therapy. A beloved summer resident of Bar Harbor, during the 1920s Dr. Abbe assembled a collection of early Native American artifacts found in the Frenchman Bay area. He persuaded others with similar collections to join him in establishing a museum that would protect these objects and display them for public education and enjoyment. Early supporters included George B. Dorr, «the father of Acadia,» and John D. Rockefeller, Jr. The museum opened as a private museum at Sieur de Monts Spring in Lafayette National Park (later renamed Acadia National Park) on August 14, 1928. It was dedicated to the memory of Dr. Abbe, who had died in March.

Also in 1928, the Abbe became the first institution in Maine to sponsor archaeological research. The museum continued to conduct extensive excavations, and later expanded its archaeological research throughout Maine. It is now the main repository for archaeological collections from the midcoast region.

From the initial focus on archaeology, the Abbe soon expanded its scope to include ethnographic materials from the 17th through 20th centuries. In 1931, Mary Cabot Wheelwright, founder of the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian in Santa Fe, donated an important collection of Native American baskets and other objects. Other major basket collections have been given to the museum, and as a result, it holds the largest and best documented collection of Maine Indian basketry. The museum also has acquired an extensive contemporary collection documenting the continuing Wabanaki craft tradition in Maine. The Abbe's collections now represent 10,000 years of Native American culture and history in Maine, and its conservation program has been recognized nationally as a model for museums. As the collections grew, the museum also expanded its educational role. Small exhibits on

51

subjects such as basketmaking and the museum's founding complemented the displays of archaeological artifacts. The museum also developed publications to share its scholarship with a broader audience. The Abbe began collaborating with Native people and, during the 1980s and 1990s, mounted exhibitions on themes such as the birchbark art of Tomah Joseph, the role of Wabanaki basketmakers in the local tourist economy and the archaeology of the Ruth Moore site. The 70th anniversary exhibition «Beads, Bones and Ancient Stones» was favorably noted in the New York Times. During recent decades, Native Americans have become increasingly involved in all aspects of the museum, including policymaking as members of the Board of Trustees. By the 1990s the Abbe's 2,000-square-foot museum at Sieur de Monts Spring had become inadequate to house the growing collections, and provided no space for indoor programs, changing exhibitions or research. Because of its location it could only operate seasonally. In 1997, the Abbe purchased the former YMCA building in downtown Bar Harbor. A $6 million capital campaign enabled the Abbe to renovate and expand the 1893 landmark to create a 17,000-square-foot museum with spacious exhibition galleries, indoor and outdoor program spaces, a research lab and state-of-the-art collections storage. The Abbe opened its new museum on September 29, 2001, with permanent and changing exhibitions including the permanent exhibition «Wabanaki: People of the Dawn.» Each exhibition is accompanied by a variety of educational programs for adults and families. The Abbe also presents special programs for school groups, designed to correlate with their curricula and to meet the objectives of Maine Learning Results. The new museum is open April through December to serve the year-round community, at the historic, trailside museum at Sieur de Monts Spring, open from mid-May to mid-October, visitors take a step back in time to an early 20th century presentation of the Native American archaeology of Maine.

HISTORY OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

From its earliest days, LMU began to receive and put on display Civil War and Abraham Lincoln1 memorabilia. In 1929, a room in Duke Hall of Citizenship was dedicated to house the growing collection. The Lincoln Room served as a showcase for the collection until the early 1970s.

In 1973, University President H. Y. Livesay and Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees Dr. Frank G. Rankin shared

52

their dream of a permanent facility to house the Lincoln Collection. Colonel Harland Sanders, a trustee, responded by providing $500,000 to construct the library and museum. The Board of Trustees secured another $500,000, and on December 31, 1974, the University completed the building's fundraising campaign.

The Lincoln Room was retired and a few months later, groundbreaking for the Abraham Lincoln Library and Museum was held. The facility was completed in 1977. Today, the museum sees an average of 14,000 visitors per year.

1.Abraham Lincoln – Авраам Линкольн, 16-й президент США, написавший Декларацию об отмене рабства.

MODERN ART, MUSEUM

Museum of comprehensive collection of primarily American and European art ranging from the late 19th century to the present was established in New York City in 1929. The museum's holdings of Cubist, Surrealist, and Abstract Expressionist paintings are especially extensive. Besides paintings, sculpture, and graphic art, the museum specializes in industrial design, architecture, photography, and motion pictures.

The 1939 museum building by Philip Goodwin and Edward Durell Stone was later expanded with an addition designed by Philip Johnson, who also planned the garden in 1953. A condominium tower and a west wing that doubled the museum's exhibition space were completed in 1984.

KINGSTON

Kingston is a city (seat 1683) of Ulster county, Southeastern New York, U.S. It lies on the west bank of the Hudson River (there bridged), at the mouth of Rondout Creek, 54 miles (87 km) south of Albany. A fur-trading post was established on the site about 1615. The first permanent settlement, called Esopus, was made by the Dutch in 1652. Governor Peter Stuyvesant fortified it (1658) and issued a charter in 1661 renaming it Wiltwyck. With British control its name was changed to Kingston (1669) for the English family estate of Governor Francis Lovelace. The year 1777 was one of historic firsts for Kingston. In that year it was chosen as New York's first state capital; the state's first legislature, senate, and supreme court (under John Jay) convened

53

there; the first state constitution was adopted there; and George Clinton was inaugurated there as New York's first governor. Burned by the British on October 16, 1777, during the American Revolution, the community survived and was incorporated as a village in 1805. In 1872 Kingston absorbed the adjacent villages of Rondout, Wiltwyck, and Wilbur and became a city.

Kingston's growth during the 19th century was stimulated by the completion (1828) of the Delaware and Hudson Canal (providing a link with the Pennsylvania coalfields) and the arrival of the railroads in the 1860s. Boatbuilding, limestone quarrying, and the manufacture of cement products were early enterprises. The city's industries were later diversified; the manufacture of machine tools and blasting components is important. The city is surrounded by fruit lands and is a tourist base for the nearby Catskill resort areas.

The old Senate House (1676) is preserved as a museum and state historic site. The city's Old Dutch Church (1852) originated with a congregation established in 1659. Other local attractions include the Hudson River Maritime Museum, the Trolley Museum of New York, and the Volunteer Firemen's Hall and Museum of Kingston. Ulster County Community College, part of the State University of New York system, is at nearby Stone Ridge. Ashokan Reservoir, an important part of the New York City water supply system, lies 5 miles (8 km) northwest. Pop1. (1990) 23,095; (2000) 23,456.

1.Pop. – population – население.

AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY

Institute established in New York City in 1869. It is a major centre of research and education on the natural sciences. It pioneered in mounting field expeditions and in creating dioramas and other lifelike exhibits showing natural habitats and their plant and animal life. The museum's collections of research specimens number more than 30 million, and its collections of fossils and of insects are among the largest in the world. Its exhibits of fossil dinosaurs and mammals are particularly impressive. The museum conducts research in anthropology, astronomy, entomology, herpetology, ichthyology, invertebrates, mammalogy, mineralogy, ornithology, and vertebrate paleontology.

54

The museum has a 485,000-volume library on natural history, as well as photo, film, and manuscript collections. It also conducts a wide range of educational activities for the public and publishes the monthly magazine Natural History. The Hayden Planetarium, one of the world's largest, forms part of the museum; it has a 10,000-volume library on astronomy and a 75- foot-diameter (23-metre) Sky Theater.

PORT AUTHORITY OF NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY

Formerly Port of New York Authority self-supporting corporate agency formed in 1921 by agreement between the states of New York and New Jersey for the purpose of developing and operating trade and transportation facilities in the northern New Jersey of New York City region. Twelve nonsalaried commissioners, six appointed by the governor of each state, plan and oversee the operations of a variety of services and facilities. This responsibility includes the maintenance and management of the Lincoln and Holland tunnels under the Hudson River and of the bridges linking the two states. Kennedy, Newark, La Guardia, and Teterboro airports also are under the jurisdiction of the Port Authority, as are three bus-truck terminals, seven marine passenger ports, and a heliport. During the 1970s the Port Authority constructed the twin-towered World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan1 to house firms and agencies engaged in international trade in an effort to further encourage commerce in the region; both towers were destroyed in a terrorist attack in 2001.

1.Twin-towered World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan – башни-близнецы Всемирного торгового центра в нижней части Манхэттена.

BROOKLYN MUSEUM OF ART

Art institution in Brooklyn, New York, that pioneered in public education in art and community participation and service. The first section of the museum was opened in 1897. It added wings and special facilities over the years, and in 1923 it became the first museum in the United States to exhibit African cast-metal and other objects as art, not as ethnological artifacts. The first period room installation was opened in 1929. Twelve Assyrian alabaster relieves were added to the museum's collections in 1955. The museum's collection of Egyptian art is one of the world's finest. The arts of Africa, the

55

Pacific, the Americas, and Asia are also represented. Examples of the diversity of topics covered in special exhibits include Cubism, black American art, women's art, and Haitian art.

SMITHSONIAN MUSEUM

The Smithsonian Museum is a component of the Smithsonian Institution administered and funded by the American Government. The Smithsonian is called America's greatest museum. It unites museums, galleries, centers and even a zoological park, located all over the United States and the world.

The British scientist James Smithson died in 1829. In his will he stated the idea of giving his estate to the United States and creating an educational and research institute.

This will was carried out in 1846 when Congress passed an act establishing the Smithsonian Institution.

Nowadays the Smithsonian museums are devoted to African American history and culture, African American music, American history, natural history, American art and others. For example, the Freer Gallery of Art was founded due to a major donation of Charles Freer, the philanthropist and an industrial tycoon from Detroit. Freer's private collection includes over 25,000 works dating from Neolithic times to the 19th and 20th centuries: paintings, manuscripts, metal ware, and ceramics. On display are the works of art from the Far and Near East, as well as James Whistler's Peacock Room, decorated in blue and gold with wood, canvas, and painted leather. Another example would be the National Portrait Gallery which is in the same building with the National Museum of American Art and the Archives of American Art. The portraits which are on display belong to different people in the American history. There is a Hall of Presidents with paintings by Gilbert Stuart and John Trumbull. There is also the famous portrait of Mary Cassatt by Edgar Degas1.

1.Edgar Degas (1834-1917) – французский художник, один из основателей Импрессионизма, известен своими картинами, изображающими реалии мира яркими красками.

NATIONAL AUTOMOBILE MUSEUM

The National Automobile Museum is devoted to automotive history. It was opened in 1989. The basis for the museum was the collection of Bill

56

Harrah, the famous collector from Nevada. The building of the museum covers about one thousand square feet and contains more than two hundred cars from 1892 to present.

It is widely known that the first automobile patent in the United States was granted in 1789, while the first Russian automobile was demonstrated in 1896 in St. Petersburg. It was designed by Evgeniy Yakovlev and Peter Freze. It took them three years to develop the car in France the first car was made as early as 1884. In the same period of time inventions were made in England, Germany, Austria, and some other countries. By 1900 mass production of automobiles had begun in Germany, the United States, and France. In the first decade of the 20 century thousands of cars were produced in the world. Nowadays there is a huge number of small and large automobile manufacturers. All of them are competing to gain the attention of drivers from all over the world.

There are four halls in the museum devoted to the 20 century, reflecting style and moods of the era. The museum's exhibitions are about the first accounts of one of the first attempts of auto making in the 17th century. Then in the end of the 18th century engineers went further and developed such innovations as hand brakes, multi-speed transmissions, and improved speed and steering. The first producers of cars used various technologies and their cars were steam, electricity, or gasoline-powered. The exhibitions also tell about many advances which were achieved: dual-engine, multi-valve engine, four-wheel breaks, transmissions and throttle control.

There are some legendary cars, race cars, special coupes, convertibles, cabriolets, minivans, sports wagons, and pickup trucks. The design of cars can be different. Some designs are more artful, other designs are computer-aided. There are also cars which demonstrate luxurious interior.

Overall, the museum is worth seeing. Here both children and adults will spend a marvelous time.

POTATO MUSEUM

The Potato Museum is dedicated to researching, preserving and explaining to the public the history of the potato – the world's most important vegetable.

The Potato Museum was founded in 1975 in Brussels, Belgium. The founder of the museum was Tom Hughes. For many years he closely studied

57

the history of the potato, collecting potato memorabilia. Later his family moved to the USA, where his collection continued to grow and was opened to the public. The museum is a non-profit organization. Nowadays potato scientists from research centers from different countries of the world are involved in the process of collecting for the museum.

The potato, sometimes called «ground apple», is a very valuable vegetable as it contains significant amounts of protein, carbohydrate (starch), and essential vitamins and minerals. It domesticated in South America from where it spread to Spain and then, to the rest of the world. There are many different varieties of the potato (over five thousand!): they can be of different shape and color. In many countries the potato's an important crop, together with wheat, rice, and corn. At the Potato Museum twelve different exhibits are held. Interactive films are shown regularly. They are about social influence of the potato, its history, and many other interesting facts: how the potato grows, how planting techniques changed and how farmers invented new devices, how to fight serious crop pests – the potato beetles.

Also the Potato Museum shows the ways the potato is eaten around the world, as well as the results of the studies of how geography determines what people eat. There are also exhibits that show the best potato cookery. In many traditional cuisines the potato is a primary ingredient in many dishes. And there exist a variety of preparation methods. The potato can be boiled, fried, baked, and steamed. It can be cooked skin-on or peeled. And of course, the mashed potato with gravy is one of the most often cooked dishes.

Part VI

Museums of the other English speaking countries CANADA

Galleries and museums

Along with developments in the visual arts came the establishment of art collections and art galleries. The National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa, dating from 1880, includes not only the most extensive and important collection of Canadian art in existence but also collections built up along international lines to give an indication of the origins from which Canadian tradition is developing. It also circulates exhibitions to several hundred centers in the country each year. In addition, major cities have public art galleries, and many arts councils and university galleries house important collections.

58

Many museums in Canada keep Canadian historic artifacts on public display. There are several national museums on specific themes located in Ottawa, and almost every city and town has a local museum. The Royal Ontario Museum, Canada's largest museum, is visited by more than one million people annually. There are also many historic parks and monuments in Canada, the most ambitious being the 13,000-acre site around the reconstructed Fortress of Louisburg in Nova Scotia.

NOLAN, SIR SIDNEY

Artist known for his paintings based on Australian folklore. With little formal art training, Nolan turned to painting at 21 after varied experiences as a racing cyclist, cook, and gold miner. His early works show the influences of Paul Klee and Laszlo Moholy-Nagy and include the controversial abstract work «Boy and the Moon» (1940)–a splash of yellow against a raw blue background. He developed a more representational style over the years, however. Apart from his landscapes, most of his works deal with Australian historical or legendary characters and events–notably, the bushranger Ned Kelly. His style is highly individual, as are many of the mediums he employed, such as ripolin and polyvinyl acetate on masonite, glass, paper, or canvas.

Nolan moved to England in 1955. He designed stage sets for Serge Lifar's ballet Icarus in 1941, for Kenneth Macmillan's version of The Rite of Spring at Covent Garden in 1962, and for Camille Saint-Saen's opera Samson et Dalila, also at Covent Garden, in 1981. His work has been exhibited internationally, and permanent exhibitions are at the Tate Gallery in London and the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. He was knighted in 1981 and became a member of the Order of Merit in 1983.

NEW ZEALAND

New Zealand's museums have strong collections that show the country's rich natural and artistic heritage. The Auckland Museum, or Te Papa Whakahiku, was founded in 1852, only 12 years after the first large European migration to New Zealand. Its collections of Maori and Pacific Islands art and treasures are among the finest in the world. The museum building also serves as a war memorial honoring fallen New Zealand soldiers. Auckland's other museums include the Auckland City Art

59

Gallery, with a collection of contemporary art; the Museum of Transport, Technology, and Social History; and the National Maritime Museum. In Wellington, the national museum of New Zealand, Te Papa Tongarewa, explores the nation's cultural identity and natural environment. The Waikato Museum of Art and History, Te Whare Taonga o Waikato, on the Waikato River near Hamilton, focuses on New Zealand and Waikato region art, the cultural history of the Tainui Maori group, and Australasian art, sculpture, and ceramics. In Christchurch, the Canterbury Museum is a major regional museum with diverse archaeological and ethnological collections. The Robert MacDougall Art Gallery in Christchurch has a comprehensive collection of 19thand 20th-century New Zealand art.

Part VII

World famous museums LOUVRE MUSEUM

Paris, France

The Louvre Museum is located in the center of Paris, capital of France. The museum is in the center of attention of numerous tourists. In fact, it is considered as the most famous museum in the world with over seven million visitors per year.

The museum is located in the royal castle of the Louvre which has its own history. The castle was built in the 11th century as a fortress. In the 14th century King Charles V turned it into an art palace. Now the foundations of the original palace can be seen under the Room of Caryatids. In the 16th century the old palace was reconstructed. In particular, a new wing was added, which became a perfect example of Renaissance style1. During the reigns of King Henry IV and Louis XIII the Richelieu Wing and the Denon Wing were added, and a tradition for artists to come and work at the palace was settled. The history of the museum and its building is indeed fantastic. And always there stood distinguished architects and talented people behind all the reconstructions and renovations.

For the first time the museum was opened to the public on November 8, 1793. That is the date when the museum was officially established. In the 20th century a new entrance was designed: the Louvre Pyramid, which is made of glass and reaches the height of 20.6 meters.

60