Lousy wall paper

Wim van Egmond · Post by **Wim van Egmond** » Sat Aug 20, 2011 6:53 am

This spring I had an exhibition in a museum for children. It was all rather low budget but the children liked it. At least the ones that were not too scared. I made an insect family room. I thought it would be fun to post some images in the forum. For the exhibition I designed a truely lousy wall paper.

The images of fleas and lice on the wall paper were stitches so very detailed. It looked a bit like an antique wall paper.

The exhibition also contained a 3d projection of insects and spiders, and a space with some microscopes.

Wim

Cactusdave · Post by **Cactusdave** » Sat Aug 20, 2011 8:17 am

Absolutely fabulous. Deeply impressed. How did you manage to get the wallpaper printed? Surely it was very expensive?

Tom Jones · Post by **Tom Jones** » Sat Aug 20, 2011 9:22 am

Wim,

!! That's a great idea, and very, very well done!

Did you have the microscopes pre-configured so all the kids could do was look, or was someone there to assist them and make sure everything worked correctly?

And can I steal and idea or two from your exhibition?

I ask because last October, I had a booth at the 11th Science and Technology, Education Partnership Conference in Riverside, Calif. I had 5 Olympus BH-2 microscopes set up for the kids to look through at mostly clinical specimens (breast and lung cancer cells, normal blood, blood cells in leukemia, bacteria and yeast, and a nice 2" liver fluke that really shocked them). It took three of us to run herd on the ~3500 grade school kids who came through in a day and a half.

It was great fun and the kids and teachers loved it. I'll be going back again this year, but what a circus trying to handle the huge crowd.

http://myscienceeducation.com/PDF/STEP1 ... _AM_PM.pdf
http://myscienceeducation.com/

Tom

Franz Neidl · Post by **Franz Neidl** » Sat Aug 20, 2011 9:53 am

Hello Wim!

Congratulations. When I saw your wallpaper with the lice and fleas I immediately started to scratch me. Your pictures are very efficient.

Franz

RogelioMoreno · Post by **RogelioMoreno** » Sat Aug 20, 2011 10:21 am

Wim,

Congratulations! Excellent ideas.

Rogelio

Charles Krebs · Post by **Charles Krebs** » Sat Aug 20, 2011 10:31 am

Wim,

That is great!

Executed very creatively with great photography... (just as I would expect from you!)

canonian · Post by **canonian** » Sat Aug 20, 2011 11:31 am

Absolutely fabulous Wim, see some familiar pictures on the wall.
I really like your sense of creativity.

Wim van Egmond · Post by **Wim van Egmond** » Sat Aug 20, 2011 12:11 pm

Thank you all for your kind reactions. It is much appreciated.

Tom, I used simple stereomicroscopes and with a bit of assistance the children could look at insects or pond water. There were not that many visitors.

The wall paper was really affordable. I think it is not much mor expensive than normal wall paper. You can order photo wall paper on line but the problem with that is that they only print one big picture and the cut that in banners. I had a design or a real wall paper. I finally found a company in belgium who could make it. It is realy fun to make your own wall paper.

The most expensive was the butterfly wing scale curtain. It had to be fire proof so was made by a company for theater stuff.

I also made a sound track with insect buzzing and there was the comfy chair full of plastic insects. Most children did not dare to sit in it.

Wim

canonian · Post by **canonian** » Sat Aug 20, 2011 1:28 pm

Unfortunately missed that one, would have loved to see all that.
Or showed it to my 8-year old son, who's taking a healthy interest in microscopy and bugs. (wonder who he gets that from

)
Where was it held ? Is it a travelling show like "Kopstukken"?

Simon W · Post by **Simon W** » Sat Aug 20, 2011 4:41 pm

That's great Wim! I was looking at my son's headlice thru brightfield the other day too! Their structures and patterns come up very well. Love the curtains. I'm convinced you could eBay them!

Wim van Egmond · Post by **Wim van Egmond** » Sun Aug 21, 2011 12:49 am

Fred, the exhibit was in Utrecht. It will not be travelling. Kopstukken will probably not be travelling since it is expensive to place and musea prefer to have something new.

Not a bad idea to ebay some of teh items. The lousy wall paper will probably not sell that well. I was thinking of a series of lousy blouses, perhaps, a lousy tie?

Wim

abpho · Post by **abpho** » Tue Nov 29, 2011 7:43 pm

Good for you. i think you did a great job. You went all out.

Rollin · Post by **Rollin** » Wed Nov 30, 2011 8:49 am

Dear Wim,

You are not only creative in photography! I wish I had seen it in situ. Nice work.

Rollin

Cyclops · Post by **Cyclops** » Wed Nov 30, 2011 9:48 am

This is so cool! Never mind children, I'd like that in MY room