National Museum of Scotland
When we were going around museums and galleries in Edinburgh, our main stop was The National Museum of Scotland. This was definitely the highlight of my day since there was a large part of the museum dedicated to Product Design and its history.
These are very iconic designs in the history of telephones. There was a large wall covered in the evolution of the phone, but I thought it was important to focus on the most recognisable ones. This version of the Candlestick Telephone was made in the 1920s, with the other Telephone type following closely in the 1930s. The Candlestick Telephone worked by being connected to the operator since there was no dial. I personally really love these designs because it is amazing to think this was once revolutionary technology, but now they are seen as vintage and retro. I think these designs will forever be loved because of the matte black outer casing used and the sleek designs will always be a popular design.
I saw this sewing machine and thought that it was just so beautiful. The varnished wood base against the painted black wooden form created a really interesting contrast which I think works really well. The intricate details that are on the sewing machine are what makes it look so good. The gold that is used stands out from the black well and also ties it in with the base. The pops of blue and white help to add more interest and depth to the details as well. This sewing machine was designed in 1881 so it was interesting to see how it was controlled without modern day technology. The crank at the end had to be turned which I can imagine would be quite a difficult job to do compared to modern sewing machines.
This piano really caught my eye because of how amazing it looked being covered in paintings and I had never seen anything like it before. The production of this piano was quite a big collaboration with the actual piano being made by Stainway, the outer case by Robert Lorimer, any carving in the wood by Scott Morton & Co, and finally the paintings by Phoebe Anna Traquair. Starting from the core, I love the elegance that a grand piano naturally has. All the curves and just the general form are so beautiful to me. Next, the wood carving is just so detailed and intricate, the elegant swirls and boarders is really what brings this whole piece of artwork together. Without the carving it wouldn’t of been as breath taking in my opinion. Finally, the painting is really what makes this piano stand out to others. It was based on the themes of love and music combined: the Willowwood Sonnets by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Song of Solomon from the Old Testament, and Pan the Greek God. I think this is a very interesting selection of things to base the painting on a piano on, but the more time spent looking at it the more it makes sense and you can see where all the inspiration is from.
There was a large area that had medical technology on show. I found this hip replacement quite interesting because it was a lot smaller than I expected. I wanted to do some research on what the materials that were used were and found that the plastic was most likely Polyethylene, this is because it is a very strong and high density thermoplastic. I also found that there were different type of hip replacements like metal on metal, metal on plastic like this one, and a variety of ceramic ones. They all have different advantages and disadvantages so theres not really one that is the top option.
In 2000 this was marked as one of the first computers to have a wireless connection. It is so interesting to see what laptops were like in the past and compare it to the Macbook that I’m writing this blog on right now. There is a big difference in the styles from then to now. The iBook was very rounded and had a plastic outer shell, while modern Macbooks however are thinner, sleeker and more rectangular with filleted corners. They also have a metallic finish with the outer case being made from aluminium. I definitely rather the design now but I appreciate the history that the other one has and how that was once the style that people preferred.
These utensils were made out of sterling silver and wood, and despite the old look of them they were actually made in 2007. The aim of these were to explore materials, function, and self expression. This is looking at what a scoop and spoon would be made like years ago without all the modern technology. I think McCaig was trying to look at the preservation of materials and how basic these could be made, but ensuring that they still function well. He also seemed to explore the different type of handles that could be made out of the wood which could be determined by comfort or how well it is connected to the metal.
Overall the National Museum of Scotland had been my favourite place to visit in this whole module because it is the only place where there is a large showcase of Product Design. I felt like I was really in my element while looking all around.
