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France/Spain 2011
Day 4 - 20th March - Paris: Musée des Arts et Métiers (Part 4)
After the Musée Rodin I headed to the Musée des Arts et Métiers for something completely different.
On the train I saw a lady reading a Japanese guidebook. What was interesting was that she was alone - Japanese usually travel either in tours or alone. I assuaged my curiosity and confirmed my suspicions. She also agreed that it was rare, and that she was just there for a vacation.
"5 pièces inédites"
("5 new pieces")
I found it interesting how the men on ladders were striking the typically female pose of one leg kicking inthe air
"Festival des Arts Martiaux"
("Martial Arts Festival")
Orientalism!
They also have Burmese and Cambodian martial arts.
Musée des Arts et Métiers (Museum of the Arts and Professions)
Funky sunglasses (notice that she's in the shade, and that it was March)
Lady Liberty and a kissing couple
This wasn't on purpose - it's because it's France
Lady Liberty and no kissing couple
"History of Nintendo"
Everlasting calendar
Sphere from Foucault's Pendulum, which demonstrated the Earth's rotation
Spanish Kids looking at Foucault's Pendulum (replica)
The original 28kg sphere (in the glass) was damaged on 6 April 2010 when its cable snapped, and was replaced by a copy
On Léon Foucault
Hall of Transportation (not the real name)
An alternative name would be: "When France was at the cutting edge of transportation technology"
The middle one should be the Blériot plane, used for the first Channel crossing in 1909
Diesel Engine, 1892
Vulcain Motor (used on European rockets)
I was surprised to find something less than 60 years old here (i.e. post war). They also had a car with "Europcar", "Renault Elf", "Prost" and "Michelin" on it, but there was no information panel.
Statue of Liberty, 1875
Monoplane
Biplane
Hélica Propeller Car, 1921
Benz Car, 1898
The Franco-German motor - moving Europe forward!
Gallery from the top
On the planes
The rest of the museum wasn't quite as interesting. For example:
A gallery only an engineer could love
Strangely there were a lot of kids and they seemed quite engaged. Or at least not less so than in a normal museum. Perhaps it's all the same to them?
The Batwing - Clément Ader, 1893-1897
Engines. At least they are somewhat sexy. Plaques are left to right.
I was amused that "Injection Directe Haute Pression" got abbreviated "HDI" (the English acronym)
I don't know what the hell these are. Well, they are "pneumatic rodless cylinders", but that doesn't really answer the question (the panel refers to the 2 in the foreground in silver).
???
Hollow spheres, interlocking spheres etc
There were also fluorescent lamps, a model of an oil refinery and a model of a nuclear plant.
There were also some old batteries and things like that - chemistry is more interesting than physics, after all. Or perhaps it was because, after a room with gears, everything else was interesting.
Delafon cell, 1889
Unfortunately they didn't have any of Galvani's frogs.
Silver Chloride cell (Warren de la Rue and Müller), c. 1860
2 more cells
Electrolysis device, 1828
Electrolysis device, 1828