[Leica] No photography in Museum

[abridge at gmail.com (Adam Bridge)]

In my experience at SF-MOMA it depends on the exhibit. Photography is
not forbidden in Avedon exhibit but it was prohibited in the
Adams/O'Keefe gallery. I don't know why.

Over the holidays I spoke with a relative who is a curator at the
Smithsonian and she is VERY sensitive to the effects of
high-light-levels on materials they are trying to conserve. If
something is a one-of-a-kind, and it's highly valuable (unlike some of
my prints), then I would assume you'd do everything you could to make
sure it isn't destroyed by the very people attempting to enjoy it.

If there is a non-linear relationship between light intensity and the
destruction caused on a particular kind of work of art, then it would
make sense to limit flash photography.

I recall the Hopper exhibit at the National Gallery of Art was quite
dimly lit except for the lights directly on the work and those weren't
all that bright either. Clearly they were concerned about something.
And maybe they are know-nothing knee jerk idiots who don't know diddly
. . .  but I sorta doubt that. I imagine there is real science
involved although I might be unpleasantly surprised.

Adam