GettyGuide

A good example of a museum that has at least attempted to remain cutting edge by integrating new technology into exhibits is the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles. In the mid-1980s they developed a videodisc system to augment their exhibits but by the mid-1990s had realized the limitations of this technology. The content could not be edited to reflect changes within the exhibit and was limited in its mode of presentation. In 1995 they developed GettyGuide, a kiosk-accessible, database-driven access system which included a database of art and artists, along with related images and videos, and ways to search for art by subject and type.


Robin Lilien, Manager of Information and Media Systems at the time, said their primary goal was to enhance the visitor's experience with the art objects themselves: “The technology needs to support what we want visitors to experience, not to interfere with it or distract from it. It should not become the main event” (Marshak 5). The following image represents a timeline of the Gettys' technological evolution since the 80s.

(click image to enlarge)