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Behind the Scenes at the Museum: Discover the World's Greatest Secrets and Treasures
Take an exclusive tour of the world's most exciting museums and discover their hidden treasures.
This behind-the-scenes guide showcases a huge range of incredible artefacts from history and reveals the hard work, care, and effort that goes into collecting, preserving, and storing them.
Ever wondered what happens to an astronaut's space suit after it's been worn on the Moon? Or how the world's most valuable diamond is looked after? Find out all about how museums work and the people that make it happen - from how historians care for Anne Frank's diary to what it takes to excavate and exhibit a wooly mammoth skeleton.
Behind the Scenes at the Museum gives you exclusive access to hidden objects that aren't normally on public display. It lets you into a world of animal specimens pickled in jars, priceless jewellery too valuable to be on display, and fragile papers that must be kept in carefully controlled conditions. Filled with incredible images, step-by-step explanations of exciting techniques, and job profiles of the people that make it happen, Behind the Scenes at the Museum offers unique, behind-the-curtain access to the secret delights of the world's most interesting museums.
This behind-the-scenes guide showcases a huge range of incredible artefacts from history and reveals the hard work, care, and effort that goes into collecting, preserving, and storing them.
Ever wondered what happens to an astronaut's space suit after it's been worn on the Moon? Or how the world's most valuable diamond is looked after? Find out all about how museums work and the people that make it happen - from how historians care for Anne Frank's diary to what it takes to excavate and exhibit a wooly mammoth skeleton.
Behind the Scenes at the Museum gives you exclusive access to hidden objects that aren't normally on public display. It lets you into a world of animal specimens pickled in jars, priceless jewellery too valuable to be on display, and fragile papers that must be kept in carefully controlled conditions. Filled with incredible images, step-by-step explanations of exciting techniques, and job profiles of the people that make it happen, Behind the Scenes at the Museum offers unique, behind-the-curtain access to the secret delights of the world's most interesting museums.
160 pages, Hardcover
Published July 16, 2020
About the author
D.K. Publishing
10.1k books2,189 followersDorling Kindersley (DK) is a British multinational publishing company specializing in illustrated reference books for adults and children in 62 languages. It is part of Penguin Random House, a consumer publishing company jointly owned by Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA and Pearson PLC. Bertelsmann owns 53% of the company and Pearson owns 47%.
Established in 1974, DK publishes a range of titles in genres including travel (including Eyewitness Travel Guides), arts and crafts, business, history, cooking, gaming, gardening, health and fitness, natural history, parenting, science and reference. They also publish books for children, toddlers and babies, covering such topics as history, the human body, animals and activities, as well as licensed properties such as LEGO, Disney and DeLiSo, licensor of the toy Sophie la Girafe. DK has offices in New York, London, Munich, New Delhi, Toronto and Melbourne.
Source: Wikipedia.
Established in 1974, DK publishes a range of titles in genres including travel (including Eyewitness Travel Guides), arts and crafts, business, history, cooking, gaming, gardening, health and fitness, natural history, parenting, science and reference. They also publish books for children, toddlers and babies, covering such topics as history, the human body, animals and activities, as well as licensed properties such as LEGO, Disney and DeLiSo, licensor of the toy Sophie la Girafe. DK has offices in New York, London, Munich, New Delhi, Toronto and Melbourne.
Source: Wikipedia.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
October 30, 2024
UPDATE: Been on a bit of a museum kick lately, so picked this up and reread; not exactly sure why. Still fascinating and immensely enjoyable, and actually included better lists of small, offbeat and unique museums than did Footnotes from the Most Fascinating Museums: Stories and Memorable Moments from People Who Love Museums, which was supposed to be giving me that, so sticking with below comments but upping to the full 5 stars.
ORIGINAL REVIEW: Another beautiful, informational book from DK. Takes you behind the scenes to show how museums assemble and maintain their collections from archeologists through registrars, researchers conservators, curators, etc. Focusing more on artifacts (i.e., man-made items) than specimens (natural), the book highlights different museums in the natural history, history, S&T and military/transportation areas, while not even mentioning art museums. But DK well knows its target (young) audience, so the heck with those painter losers - bring on the dinosaurs!
ORIGINAL REVIEW: Another beautiful, informational book from DK. Takes you behind the scenes to show how museums assemble and maintain their collections from archeologists through registrars, researchers conservators, curators, etc. Focusing more on artifacts (i.e., man-made items) than specimens (natural), the book highlights different museums in the natural history, history, S&T and military/transportation areas, while not even mentioning art museums. But DK well knows its target (young) audience, so the heck with those painter losers - bring on the dinosaurs!
August 25, 2020
Great book. Lots of pictures and interesting facts about museums.
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December 23, 2020This may be cataloged as a children's book, but it includes fun facts for all ages, as readers are invited behind the scenes in the Smithsonian Museum. Get a sneak peek at how items are selected, preserved, and organized at some of the largest museums in the world.
There are fun photographs and tidbits in this fast read that will be fun to share with the whole family.
December 21, 2020
Loved this book! Such awesome photos and great information
July 22, 2021
This book was an in-depth and absorbing look at not only what goes on behind the scenes at museums, but also how artifacts become part of museums as well as various museums in their own right.
Each chapter was one large topic, such as Finding History, or Sorting the Past. Within that large subjects were smaller ones, for example items found on archaeological digs or how to catalog and preserve fragile objects like the Hope Diamond or taxidermied animals. The book went into a lot of detail, without it being over technical making this a great book for upper elementary school age and above.
There was a wide variety of other subjects talked about as well. For example, jobs that museum staff had such as curator, those who work to display and catalog items, or conservator, people who preserve items and keep them in the best condition possible so they can be available for years or decades.
Several museums themselves were also briefly discussed. The Cat Museum in Malaysia, which has a cat mummy from Egypt, the Warley museum which is a red phone box in the village of Warley in England and the Mary Rose museum, which was constructed around the conserved ship were some of my favorites.
Another interesting subject was preservation. Several examples were given of artifacts that were preserved, and then replicas were created of those artifacts. The replicas were usually what was displayed, to help safeguard the original relic.
The illustrations were incredible. From photographs, to paintings to artistic renderings, so many items were brought spectacularly to life. This was a really enjoyable, and educational book.
Each chapter was one large topic, such as Finding History, or Sorting the Past. Within that large subjects were smaller ones, for example items found on archaeological digs or how to catalog and preserve fragile objects like the Hope Diamond or taxidermied animals. The book went into a lot of detail, without it being over technical making this a great book for upper elementary school age and above.
There was a wide variety of other subjects talked about as well. For example, jobs that museum staff had such as curator, those who work to display and catalog items, or conservator, people who preserve items and keep them in the best condition possible so they can be available for years or decades.
Several museums themselves were also briefly discussed. The Cat Museum in Malaysia, which has a cat mummy from Egypt, the Warley museum which is a red phone box in the village of Warley in England and the Mary Rose museum, which was constructed around the conserved ship were some of my favorites.
Another interesting subject was preservation. Several examples were given of artifacts that were preserved, and then replicas were created of those artifacts. The replicas were usually what was displayed, to help safeguard the original relic.
The illustrations were incredible. From photographs, to paintings to artistic renderings, so many items were brought spectacularly to life. This was a really enjoyable, and educational book.
August 19, 2021
This non-fiction book is incredible and perfect for middle grades! I read it cover to cover and appreciated visually-appealing page layouts, photographs, and behind-the-scenes tidbits about the operations of museums. I learned so much! Can’t wait to hand this one to kids!
December 8, 2021
'Behind the Scenes at the Museum: Your All-Access Guide to the World's Amazing Museums' by D.K Publishing is a great book.
Museums are very interesting places to go for fun ways to learn about History, Science and much more...I recommend this book to anyone who likes visiting Museums.
Museums are very interesting places to go for fun ways to learn about History, Science and much more...I recommend this book to anyone who likes visiting Museums.
August 3, 2020
While this did not have as much information packed into it as the DK Publishing Eyrwitness series does, it is as the name suggests a look at the goings on behind the exhibits of a museum.
January 26, 2024
concise & informative
December 8, 2025
Taught me a lot, but left me wanting even more!!!
December 30, 2020
beautifully done, engaging, well written.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews