NETFLIX AND CHILL: MOVIES AND MUSEUMS

THROWBACK THURSDAY

BY: LEORE ZECHARIA

The semester is almost over, and summer is almost here. It is now time to relax and catch up on all the movies and television you didn't have time for while you were writing all those papers and assignments. But, if you feel like you’re missing school, here are some movies and television shows you can binge. Therefore, for the last time this school year, I’d like to throw it back to the different movies and television that take place in museums.

1. Night at the Museum Trilogy (2006, 2009, 2014) 

The Night at the Museum trilogy follows Larry, the night time security guard at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. He is a divorced dad who applies for the job as it seems easy enough. However, an ancient curse has caused the museum to come to life. The subsequent movies follow as many of the exhibitions are sent to the Smithsonian and then to the British Museum (don’t worry, these movies also involve new curses and ancient tablets). This movie is essentially my dream come true. Our jobs would be much easier (and cooler) if we could actually speak to the artifacts in museums and get first hand insight into their lives.

Ben Stiller and Robin Williams in Night at the Museum. Source.

2. The Thomas Crown Affair (1999)

This movie follows the robbery of a precious painting from the Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met) in New York. Pierce Brosnan plays Thomas Crown, a billionaire, who bestows large donations to The Met, while planning a large heist to steal a priceless painting. Things get steamy and complicated when Crown gets involved with an insurance detective played by Rene Russo. This is a remake of McQueen’s 1968 movie of the same name, but instead of a bank robbery, it is set in a museum.

Pierce Brosnan as Thomas Crown (1999). Source.

3. House of Wax (1953)

Directed by Andre de Toth, House of Wax belongs to the first wave of 3D movies. This is a horror film which follows Professor Henry Jarrod, an expert wax sculptor. His craft puts the aesthetics and art of wax sculpting first, and refuses to commercialize his work with gore and guts. However, when his partner burns down the museum for the insurance money, Jarrod sets out his revenge.

Movie poster for House of Wax (1953). Source.

4. The Monuments Men (2014) 

This movie doesn’t take place in a museum, but it does represent a very important issue still permeated in museums today: the repatriation of Nazi looted art. The Monuments Men follows art scholars, historians, architects and other experts in the field who form a retrieval unit for masterpieces stolen by the Nazis. This mission becomes even more important when the team learns that Hitler plans to destroy all of these artworks. As students of museums, not only is this something I believe we all can understand in terms of appreciating art, but it still affects museums today. We are still finding Nazi looted art and creating policies on how to deal with it. 

Source.

5. Museum Hours (2012) 

Museum Hours looks at the friendship formed between a Vienna museum guard and a visitor at the Kunsthistoriches Museum. During the course of the movie, the pair explore their lives, the city and the way the artwork of the museum reflects the world around them. This movie represents how we, as students of museums, hope to run museums: not as a cold, top-down institution, but as a place in which artwork and artifacts can spark discussion that transcends time and themes.

Honourable mentions: 

When in Rome (2010), Bones (2005-2017), Russian Ark (2002), La Ville Louvre (1990), One of Our Dinosaurs is Missing (1975), Topkapi (1964), Bringing Up Baby (1938), Blackmail (1929), National Treasure (2004, 2007), Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986), The International (2009), The Da Vinci Code (2006), Mysteries at the Museum (2010-), Grand Budapest Hotel (2014), Woman in Gold (2015)

Source.

Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Source.

A lot of people do not understand what we study in the MMSt program, even though it says so right in the name. So, when there are movies or television shows that highlight something so important in my life that I have dedicated the time to study it, it allows me to share that part of my life in a more accessible way. We love movies because they have the ability to transport us back into time, into another dimension, and stretch the possibilities of imagination.

When museums are prominently featured in movies or television, it makes me happy that something considered boring to most can become exciting for a moment. It sparks a conversation, an interest and even a coveted visit to a museum, and into to my world. 

GOING FOR GOLD: OLYMPIC STADIUMS OF THE PAST

THROWBACK THURSDAY

BY: LEORE ZECHARIA

With the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics having come to a close, have you ever wondered what happens to Olympic stadiums and venues once the closing ceremonies happen?

Countries around the world invest billions of dollars into preparing stadiums and other various venues when they host a coveted Olympic Games. But what happens once the games are finished? In recent years, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) have endorsed the idea of “legacy” to justify the value of this expenditure. But what legacies do they leave? Repurposing or relocating buildings are the ideal for finished Olympic venues; however, more often than not, these venues become physical and financial burdens on their countries. Therefore, this week, I'd like to throw it back to some of the world's past Olympic stadiums and venues.

1936 Berlin, Germany – Olympic Village

In 1936, the Nazis used the Olympic Games as a propaganda tool to promote Germany and the German “master race”. Some venues remained active post-Olympics; however, most were abandoned and fell into disrepair. Today, most of the venues from the 1936 Olympic Games still exist, although they are in poor condition. In the last ten years, the German government has begun to save these sites as historic buildings. Most famously, the room Jesse Owens – the African American track and field athlete who won four golds and defied Nazi race laws – stayed in has been fully restored and is a living museum with pictures and other artifacts honouring his legacy.

Abandoned olympic village used at Nazi barracks during WWII. Source. 

Renovated dorm of Jesse Owens as a museum. Source.

Inside of Jesse Owens dorm, Olympic Village, Berlin, 1936. Source.

1976 Montreal, Canada – Olympic Stadium

In 1976, Montreal hosted the Summer Olympic Games. The stadium has not been used since the Expos played their last game in 2004, and is not only a symbol of financial debt, but a reminder of controversy that was the 1976 Summer Olympic Games. Twenty-two African nations refused to participate after New Zealand was not banned for sending the All Blacks rugby team to tour Apartheid South Africa.

Due to the terrorist attacks in Munich four years earlier, security cost more than 80% of what the entire event was supposed to cost. Multiple athletes were accused of doping (some not even aware they had been doped), and Canada was the first nation to fail to win a gold medal on home soil. The entire costs of the Games were close to two billion dollars, majority coming from the rushed completion of the Olympic stadium. It has taken Montreal over forty years to complete its debt, and today the stadium still exists. The stadium cannot be used if there is over 3cm of snow, and the only thing more expensive than a permanent steel roof would be to completely tear it down. 

Olympic Stadium, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Source.

1984 Sarajevo, Yugoslavia (now Bosnia) – Bobsled Course and Medal Podium

In 1984, Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia, was home to the Winter Olympic Games as the capital of Yugoslavia. This was the first time the Olympics were being hosted by a Communist state, and less than ten years later, civil war broke out. These sites that once feted athletic excellence, was now are sites of brutal conflict. The sites were immediately abandoned as instability grew. The bobsled course became a military station through the Bosnian war, and the medal podium was used as a site of execution. Today, these sites are riddled with bullet holes, and the only legacy they hold are relics of war and conflict.

Abandoned and overgrown bobsled course in Sarajevo. Source.

Medals Podium in Sarajevo, Bosnia (then Yugoslavia). Source. 

2004 Athens, Greece – the Olympia

In 2004, in the birthplace of the Olympics, Athens hosted the Summer Olympic Games. Greece spent over fifteen billion dollars for world-class sporting venues that over a decade later are no longer used and decaying. At the height of the 2004 Olympics, this sports complex was the most complex in all of Europe, but today it represents misplaced indulgence and a ruined economy. Many Greeks blame the 2004 Olympics as a main contributor to the nation’s economic collapse and current instability.

The Panathinaikon in Athens, Greece. Source.

A monument is defined as "a building, structure, or site that is of historical importance or interest". In my mind, and I'm sure in the minds of some of you, monuments are erected to represent significant points in history. However, these Olympic sites do carry a legacy and hold significance for certain points in our world's history.

But can these sites be considered monuments when more often than not these places are left abandoned and decaying? What value and kinds of reminders do these sites really hold for the nations who house them? What legacy do the Olympic Games hold for each country that host?  How can we, museum professionals, assist in this legacy? I don't have answers to these questions, but in light of the Olympic Games, I believe these are important questions to ask ourselves as we emerge into the world of museums, heritage, and legacy.

MAKING CONNECTIONS: CONSPIRACY THEORIES IN THE ART WORLD

THROWBACK THURSDAY

BY: LEORE ZECHARIA

If you’re like me, then movies like The Da Vinci Code and National Treasure hold a special place in your heart. It was movies like these that made me realize how cool museums and history could be, even though it’s not exactly like how it is in the movies. However, these movies have a lasting effect; they popularized the idea that codes and secret messages could be hidden in master works of art. Therefore, for this week’s Throwback Thursday, I’d like to throw it back to some of the world’s most famous works of art and discuss some major conspiracy theories surrounding them.


1. The Mona Lisa contains hidden code in her eyes

As da Vinci’s most famous painting, the Mona Lisa has many unsolved mysteries surrounding it, including the identity of its subject. However, one of the major questions surrounding it is if there are hidden messages in her eyes. Members of Italy’s National Committee for Cultural Heritage revealed that by looking at magnified high resolution images of the Mona Lisa, there are letters and numbers in the eyes. The letters “LV” appear to be in the right eye, while the left eye is more difficult to make out. Conspiracy theorists mention that da Vinci took this painting everywhere with him; therefore, was he protecting some secret message?

The Mona Lisa. Source.

2. The true identity of Jack the Ripper is painter Walter Sickert (and he painted the scenes of his murders) 

The identity of Jack the Ripper is still unknown over 100 years later. In 2001, author Patricia Cornwell identified Jack the Ripper as painter Walter Sickert. Cornwall spent over two million Euros obtaining thirty-two of Sickert’s paintings and letters in order to prove her theories. Sickert’s paintings contain nudes and scenes of nightlife in London, which provide the evidence for her claims. More specifically, in Sickert’s 1908 series paintings, The Camden Town Murders, Cornwall believes the paintings are too similar to the autopsy photos of Jack the Ripper’s victims. While the rest of the art world disagrees with her theories, Cornwall continues to believe this. So, what do you think? 

The Camden Town Murders. Source.

3. Francisco Goya did not paint his infamous Black Paintings 

The Black paintings are fourteen murals allegedly painted by Goya on the walls of his house later in his life. As a Spanish romantic artist of the eighteenth century, this artwork is comparatively different from his early life to the Black Paintings later in his life. It is believed that Goya isolated himself in his final years and that these murals reflect his mental state during his isolation. It was only after his death that his family discovered the murals. However, art historian Juan Jose Junquera believes that these paintings are fakes. The clear divide in styles, as well as inventory of these paintings, use words not invented at the time it is meant to be written. Junquera believes Goya’s son, Javier, painted the murals and that Javier’s son said they were Goya’s in order to sell his house at a higher price. 

Satan Devouring his Son. Source.

4. The Last Supper

There are many conspiracy theories surrounding da Vinci’s, The Last Supper. One theory states that seated to the right of Jesus is not John, but Mary Magdalene (as suggested in The Da Vinci Code). To add to this theory, Jesus and Mary Magdalene form the letter “V” representing the womb or the divine feminine. It is also believed that if you superimpose the painting on itself that it reveals a woman holding a baby and a Knight Templar at the end of the table. Recently there is believed to be evidence supporting this theory in a manuscript found in the British Library suggesting Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene and that they had children together. 

The Last Supper. Source.

5. The artwork at Denver International Airport 

While this theory isn’t about a specific piece of artwork, the artwork in the Denver International Airport is the subject of many conspiracy theories. The Denver International Airport was built when there was already an airport in Denver, as well it was over three billion dollars over budget. The airport is twice the size of Manhattan and is filled with strange statues, artwork and murals. People believe that the airport was built in order to hide something. Here are a few of the theories surrounding this airport: it was built by New World Order (a Nazi group), it is the Illuminati’s headquarters which is located beneath the airport (the reason it was so over budget), or that it’s hiding fallout shelters for a world disaster.

Bizarre mural in the Denver International Airport. Source.

So, which theories do you believe?

A DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH: THE SIGNIFICANCE OF DIAMONDS THROUGH HISTORY

THROWBACK THURSDAY

BY: LEORE ZECHARIA

This week the Royal family announced the engagement of Prince Harry to actress Meghan Markle. A lot of discussion has been focused on her engagement ring, and not for reasons one may think. It is because the ring the Prince commissioned uses diamonds from the personal collection of his late mother, Princess Diana. Using diamonds belonging to the late Princess Diana is not a new phenomenon; in Prince William’s engagement to Kate Middleton, he proposed using the late Princess Diana’s sapphire and diamond engagement ring.

So, what is it about diamonds?

Diamonds were first mined in India, with earliest descriptions dating back to the fourth century BC. Resources for mining allowed for limited quantities of diamonds distributed among an equally limited market – India’s elite and wealthy classes. By the thirteenth century, diamonds started to appear in European regalia and jewelry, set as accent pieces among pearls and gold. At this point, King Louis IX declared that diamonds were only for the king, showing the rarity and value of diamonds throughout the world.

Over the centuries, diamonds began spreading through the aristocracy of European elite; however, with political upheavals, especially the French Revolution, the distribution of wealth changed. More and more people were able to afford the luxury of diamonds. During this time, the distributors of diamonds shifted from India to Brazil, and then South Africa in the 1800s as the demand for diamonds expanded to North America. In the last 150 years, diamond distributors also expanded into Botswana, Canada, and Australia.

Therefore, this week, I would like to throw it back to some of the world’s most extravagant  diamonds housed in museums.

1. The Hope Diamond – Smithsonian Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C., USA

This 45.52 carat diamond was found in India in 1642, cut from an original diamond worth 132.00 carats. The Hope Diamond was originally set in the royal crown of King Louis XIV in 1688, and stolen during the French Revolution. In 1839, a blue diamond was described in the collection of Henry Phillip Hope (which is where the name comes from). His grandson was forced to put it up for sale, eventually ending up in New York City and traveling between many hands, including the House of Cartier and Harry Winston. In 1958, Harry Winston donated the Hope Diamond to the Smithsonian. Rumour has it that this diamond is cursed, bringing misfortune to anyone who owns it.

The Hope Diamond. Source.

Source.

2. Crown Jewels – Tower of London in London, England

The Crown Jewels are part of the Royal Collection, and are the most powerful symbols of the British monarchy, containing over 23,000 gems. The Crown Jewels are under armed guard in the Jewel House at the Tower of London, due to the destruction of the Crown Jewels at the Tower after the Civil War. They were remade for Charles II for his coronation in 1661. Included in the collection is the Coronation Regalia, St. Edward’s crown, the Sovereign’s Orb and Jewelled Sword of Offering, the Sovereign’s Scepter and Rod, and the Imperial State Crown.

The Cullinan I is the world’s largest and top quality white cut diamond, with the Cullinan II as the second largest. These diamonds are now set in the band of the Imperial State Crown. The Mountain of Light diamond, which has a reputation for bringing bad luck to men, was presented to Queen Victoria in 1849, and now adorns the Queen Mother’s Crown belonging to Queen Elizabeth. The Crown Jewels hold significant importance because they symbolize the passing of authority from one monarch to the next.

The Mountain of Light (Koh-i-Nûr) Diamond on the Queen Mother's Crown. Source.

The Imperial State Crown with the Cullinan I Diamond. Source.

3. The Orloff Diamond – The Diamond Fund, The Armoury Museum in Moscow, Russia

The Orloff Diamond weighs approximately 200 carats, and is part of the Crown Jewels collection in the Diamond Fund located inside the Armoury Museum in Moscow, Russia. Its shape is described as half a chicken egg, and is most famously mounted in the Imperial Scepter during the reign of Catherine the Great (1762-1796). Originally, the diamond was one half of eyes of Sri Ranga, a Hindu Temple God. Stolen by a French soldier stationed in India, the diamond eventually ended up in the hands of Khojeh, a Persian jeweller and friend of Prince Gregory Orloff, the lover of Catherine the Great, who then presented the diamond as a gift. Catherine the Great was a lover of diamonds and constantly adorned herself in them; however, she never wore the Orloff Diamond. Instead, she mounted it in the Imperial Scepter, showing she never accepted Prince Orloff’s love and rather chose to rule alone. The Diamond Fund’s Crown Jewels collection also contains the Great Imperial Crown, which was also created for Catherine the Great and contains 4,936 diamonds (2,858 carats).

Orloff (Orlov) Diamond set in the Imperial Sceptre of Catherine the Great. Source.

Great Imperial Crown of Catherine the Great. Source. 

Diamonds and other precious stones are an important tool for understanding the diverse aspects of any cultural history and society. By looking at the history of diamonds, we can reveal the conditions and processes in which ordinary pieces develop value, both monetarily and culturally. From these examples, we can see that diamonds hold meaning for individuals and families, and, therefore, can be woven into the cultural patterns of society.

PIVOTAL MOMENTS: HOW DO WE UNDERSTAND THE HOLOCAUST TODAY?

THROWBACK THURSDAY

BY: LEORE ZECHARIA

Today marks the beginning of Holocaust Education Week presented by the Sarah and Chaim Neuberger Holocaust Education Centre here in Toronto. This week consists of hundreds of programs across Toronto and the GTA that follow this year’s theme of ‘Pivotal Moments’. ‘Pivotal Moments’ examines those specific events post-Holocaust that have helped shape our understanding of the Holocaust. So, for this week, I would like to throw it back to the formation and proliferation of Holocaust museums, monuments and memorials.

1. Yad Vashem (Jerusalem, Israel, 1953)

Yad Vashem was established in 1953 and is one of the first institutions dedicated to the research and commemoration of the Holocaust. It was established by the Knesset, the Federal Government of Israel, and is made of up several buildings situated on its Mount Herzl compound, known as “The Mount of Remembrance”. Yad Vashem has multiple resources, such as databases, resources for educators, students, a history museum, art galleries, courses, exhibitions and libraries. Its main mission is to continue the relevance of the Holocaust to the future generations of the world, and to educate visitors about the Holocaust as a uniquely Jewish experience while encouraging empathy.

Yad Vashem Holocaust History Museum (Top). Source. Aerial view of the Mount Herzl compound (Bottom). Source.

2. Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum (Oświęcim, Poland, 1947)

Probably the most notorious of the Nazi camps, Auschwitz-Birkenau was established by the Nazis in 1940. It was made up of three main camps: Auschwitz I, Auschwitz II, and Auschwitz III. All three used its prisoners for forced labour, however its killing centre was housed in Auschwitz II, Auschwitz Birkenau. Between 1940 and 1945, approximately 1.1 million people were murdered there, including Jews, Poles, Roma, Soviet prisoners of war, and other nationalities. On July 2, 1947, the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum was created by order of the Polish parliament, which covered 191 hectares of Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II. The museum grounds include many of the camp’s buildings, ruins of the gas chambers, crematoria, and camp roads, with the museum itself holdings thousands of artifacts. In 1979, the site was entered on UNESCO’s international list of world heritage sites.

Entrance gate to Auschwitz, which reads "Arbeit Macht Frei" (Work Will Set You Free). Photo by Leore Zecharia.

3. Banks of the Danube River (Budapest, Hungary, 2005)

In front of the Hungarian Parliament Building, lining the banks of the Danube River, stands sixty pairs of iron shoes facing the river. This memorial commemorates the hundreds of Jews who were murdered by the Arrow Cross Party who took control of Hungary, in cooperation with the Nazis, in the final years of WWII. Jews were rounded up and taken to the banks of the Danube, where they were forced to take off their shoes and valuables before being shot into the river. This memorial was created by film director, Can Togay, and sculptor, Gyula Pauer in 2005.

Iron shoes lining the Danube River. Source.

4. Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe (Berlin, Germany, 2005)

In 1999, the German government decided to officially create a central memorial site, designed by New York architect, Peter Eisenman. The memorial covers 19,000 square meters and consists of 2711 concrete slabs at different heights. The area is meant to be engaged with and is accessible from all four sides. The unevenness of the ground, the openness of the structure, and the abstractness of the project is meant to allow the visitor to confront the topic in their own way. Due to the abstractness, the memorial is supplemented with an underground information centre with information on victims and locations.

Top view of the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, Berlin, Germany (Top). Source. Inside view of the memorial (Bottom). Source.

5. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (Washington, D.C., 1993)

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM) was established on the national mall in Washington, D.C. in 1993 by the United States Federal Government. It was established as part of a federal mandate to educate Americans about the Holocaust, but has evolved to include other genocides, promoting the lessons and consequences of the Holocaust as a model for today. The USHMM is more than just a museum, but a leading world institution in the dissemination of knowledge, research and commemoration of the Holocaust.

Outside shot of USHMM. Source.

6. Anne Frank's House (Amsterdam, Holland, 1960)

Anne Frank was a Jewish girl from Amsterdam who had to go into hiding during the Holocaust in order to escape the Nazis. She and seven others hid in a secret annex in one of her father’s buildings. During her time in hiding, she kept a diary where she documented her time and feelings; she wrote short stories and collected quotes by other writers. After two years in hiding, the eight of them were discovered and deported to concentration camps. Anne and her sister died in Bergen-Belson camp from disease and deprivation. Her father and the only one to survive, Otto Frank, published Anne’s diary in 1947, allowing her to complete her dreams of being an author. Anne Frank’s diary has been translated into many different languages and adapted into a play, and is studied by millions of people around the world. In 1960, the Anne Frank House was established as a museum, and it is situated inside the secret annex of the Frank family.

People lining up to visit Anne Frank's House. Source.

Part of how we have come to understand the Holocaust is through the proliferation of Holocaust museums, memorials, and monuments. In Europe, people can learn about these events through significant sites of the Holocaust, but elsewhere in the world, that is done through museums. With the Holocaust becoming more distant in the past, and the number of survivors declining more and more every year, I urge you to listen to someone's story, because soon, museums, memorials and monuments are going to be the only way to engage in this history.

For more information:

Sarah and Chaim Neuberger Holocaust Education Centre 

See 'New Dimensions in Testimony'
Shoah Foundation - Visual History Archive

Exhibition - Built to Remember: The Holocaust Museums of Today and Tomorrow
November 2-29, 2018 at the J Gallery at the Miles Nadal JCC (Bloor and Spadina)

Holocaust Education Week Programs
Holocaust Education Week Program Guide

NATURE CALLS: THE NATURAL WONDERS WE'LL NEVER GET TO SEE AGAIN

THROWBACK THURSDAY

BY: LEORE ZECHARIA

As fellow students of museums or just museum enthusiasts, I would hope we all share a common goal of appreciating the world’s history and wonders. We want to protect and preserve the art and history of what makes the world itself. But what happens when what we want to preserve is too big to fit within the confines of museum walls? What happens when the history we want to protect is part of nature?

We have institutions like the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) that help to protect these sites, but the earth is constantly changing. Natural forces such as volcanoes, wind, water, and even humans have been transforming our sense of place since the beginning of time. However, in the last fifty years alone, hundreds of our natural wonders and landmarks around the world have been altered to the point where they will never return to their former states. In light of the recent natural disasters in the United States, Caribbean, and South America, I would like to throw it back to some natural wonders that we have recently lost or are losing at alarming rates.

1. The Great Barrier Reef, Australia

The Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Source.

The Great Barrier Reef is the largest coral reef in the world, covering more than 344,400 square kilometers. As a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Great Barrier Reef is suffering from coral bleaching. Up to 50% of the reef has suffered from coral bleaching and is likely due to rising temperatures in the ocean. Bleaching occurs when the warm waters stress the coral and they excrete tiny algae that should be living inside coral tissue. These algae are what feeds the coral and gives it colour. What is happening to the Great Barrier Reef in Australia is part of a global trend and will inevitably cause irreversible damage.

2. The Dead Sea, Bordered by Israel, West Bank and Jordan

The Dead Sea. Source.

The Dead Sea has the lowest elevation on Earth. It is known as the Dead Sea due to its high concentration of salt and the inability to sustain large living organisms, such as fish and frogs; only minuscule microbial organisms can sustain life. Because the Dead Sea is a basin, the fresh water brought in by rivers and streams evaporates, leaving salty deposits. Thus, over the last forty years, the Dead Sea has shrunk by over a third and sunk over eighty feet. Though the Dead Sea is shrinking due to climate factors, human forces also are credited. The Dead Sea is increasingly tapped for its waters, and cosmetic companies drain it for its minerals.

3. Bamiyan Valley, Afghanistan

Bamiyan Valley, Afghanistan. Source.

The Bamiyan Valley is located in the central highlands of Afghanistan and opens into a large basin. The Valley is included in UNESCO’s List of World Heritage Sites in Danger and represents a cultural landscape of artistic and religious developments of the ancient Bakhtria, which integrates influences of Gandhara school of Buddhist art. However, due to the continued war in the country, the Bamiyan Valley continues to suffer the brunt of war.

4. Elephant Rock, Canada

Elephant Rock, Hopewell Rocks Park, New Brunswick. Source.

Elephant Rock is located off the shores of the Bay of Fundy in Hopewell Rocks Park, New Brunswick, Canada. The site consisted of seventeen massive formations formed by time, wind, and the high tides of the Bay of Fundy. Last spring, the Elephant Rock Flowerpot Formation fell to the ground – roughly 100 to 200 tonnes of rock – closing a passageway where people used to walk.

5. Ténéré Tree, Niger

Metal representation of the Ténéré Tree in Niger. Source.

The Air and Ténéré Natural Reserves in Niger is a site inscribes on UNESCO’s List of World Heritage Sites in Danger. The Ténéré Tree, once known as the most isolated tree on Earth, was the only acacia to survive in the Sahara desert. A local landmark in the 1930s, it was allegedly run down by a drunk driver in 1973. Today, a simple metal sculpture sits in its place representing this natural wonder.

6. The Everglades National Park, Florida

The Everglades, South Florida. Source.

Located at the southern tip of Florida, the Everglades National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Danger. The Everglades are known for their water habitats, and are home to large numbers of birds and reptiles, including endangered species. Due to urban development, reduced water flow, and pollution, more than half of the Everglades have been destroyed and is in further decline.

So, what can we do to help?

While some things are beyond our control, like war and wind, a lot are direct effects of our actions. There are little things we are able to do to hopefully help preserve our Earth and some of its natural wonders. Little things like conserving water, recycling, and educating ourselves on the effects of our day-to-day actions, as well as consciously shopping and proactively using non-toxic chemicals can help alleviate some of the stresses on the environment, prolonging the wonders it provides us with. As museum studies students, we aim to preserve the history of the world, but we are unable to do that with a deteriorating Earth.