As promised this is "Part B" from our days in Chicago. Before we jump in, it seems some explanation is due.
What's up with the medical museums, asylums, old prisons and related venues of strangeness? Well, as you know, Oddasee is about seeking out the extraordinary and unusual. These places fit that ideal in every way. We are fascinated by the human experience and that includes people in very different life circumstances than our own. The medical museums like The Mutter and National Museum of Health & Sciences and now the International Museum of Surgical Science (IMSS) in Chicago were truly amazing. We learned a lot and saw what cannot been the normal course of our lives. These places are filled with history, science and humanity. Each different museum has it's own unique "bent" and areas of focus. Then there are the aesthetics; these places are incredibly beautiful. Rodney, the artist, is inspired by not only what can been but the emotions that reside within the displays and old hallways. Susan is blown away by the history, architecture and tales of the people that lived or worked in these places as well as those that are on now on display.
The International Museum of Surgical Science is, as the name indicates, focused on the art of medical surgery as it has developed over time around the world. The museum itself is a former private home. That alone made it worth the visit. The building is glorious and hard to imagine as one's home. It is vast and the displays are spread over four floors. Some areas present the contributions of a particular country or region. There are a few rooms devoted to the nurses. There are two large rooms that house contemporary art shows -- artists propose exhibits related to the medical and healing arts. In addition to the scientific display of tools, technological developments and history, this museum is enhanced by an unbelievable art collection; every wall is filled with art of impressive variety and age. The art adds a very different ambiance to the museum and it's displays.
This was one of our favorite museums/collections/repositories so far. Once again, it was instantly noticeable how few people came through the hallowed doors..... everyone must have been at the Zoo, Art Museums or Museum of Science and Industry.... all the better for us less traditional wackos. It was great!
Love, scalpels, marble, stainless steel and oil paint,
Rodney and Susan
From Susan -- Being the history nut that I am, I was as taken by the former home in which the Surgical Science museum is housed as well as the statues, paintings, and displays. It is a replica of the Trianon at Versailles -- the "cottage" that Marie Antoinette built for herself to get away from the palace. Although built in 1915, the exterior and interior seem timeless and without any ravages of time even though it is across Lake Shore drive from Lake Michigan. I could so live there -- well, on one floor anyway -- lots of space, light, and quiet.
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