On 10th Street in
Oakland, CA, near
Lake Merritt, this
museum is devoted to
California and anything remotely related. It has some obvious sections, such as a large room with collections of
memorabilia from the
Beat generation, the
sixties, etc., and collections of
Victorian stuff, and
natural history exhibits on the various
ecosystems of the state. But there are things that will surprise you. In that Victorian section there's a completely restored
fire engine, an
exuberant piece of
bronze and
red-painted
steel that reminded me why
steampunk exists. Among the areas evoking various eras are the obvious
general store and
sitting room, of course, but there's also a
yuppie's
den (someone has a
sense of humor!) and three
Japanese mannequins in gorgeous
kimono, looking like life-size
Japanese dolls.
Additionally, there's an
art wing that has presented everything from
Jacob Lawrence to
Charles Schulz, and is currently carrying work by a
photorealism painter. We have the largest collection of
Dorothea Lange's negatives anywhere. There is also an amazing
jade pagoda permanently on display, currently across from an exhibit of mostly
Chinese decorated bottles. (Don't laugh. These tiny tiny
works of art will completely
blow your mind.)
The
collectors' store sells original works of
fine art, and the
museum store is stuffed with neat things and wonderful
books, so they're worth a visit as well. And they have a way-cool
koi pond. The museum is open 10-5 Wednesday-Saturday, and 12-5 Sunday, with some changes for special exhibits. Like most California museums, it has periodic
free days. Prices are reasonable, though. (Note: prices will be up during the
Forbidden City exhibit.) Check their website for more information: www.oaklandmuseum.org
As of
October 10, 2000, I work there. I was specially hired for the Forbidden City exhibit. Come say "hi!"