Twofold Tourism at NatGeo Museum
Photo credit: http://www.wildlifeconservationfilms.com/profile.html
Last month, we had the opportunity to go to the National Geographic Museum in Washington, DC. The museum is small but informative, and it’s a nice way to break away from the masses on the National Mall or at larger, more well-known museums.
But the best part about going now is that you’ll get to see two interesting (and free!) tourism-related exhibits. The first exhibit is Lions & Leopards, The Work of Dereck and Beverly Joubert, a compilation of videos and photographs from Botswana.
The couple that took these photos and created the videos have lived in Botswana for 30 years among the lions and leopards. The videos are good but the photos are simply stunning. The way the Jouberts capture the beauty in these big cats’ eyes and movements through still photography is a marvel. This exhibit is related to tourism in that the Jouberts are now promoting eco-tourism activities as a way to prevent the possible extinction of these beautiful animals.
The other exhibit at the National Geographic Museum is Kodachrome Culture: The American Tourist in Europe. While not necessarily eco-tourism or socially conscious tourism per se, we found ourselves quite captivated by the photos shown. They are simple and sometimes typical scenes from the 1950s and 1960s Europe as seen by American tourists. These idyllic representations will make you yearn for yesteryear when men wore fedoras; when children rode bikes with baguette-filled baskets through narrow, cobble-stoned streets; and when Volkswagen beetles were the ultimate in modernity. It certainly made us want to travel first, to Europe, and second, back in time to experience all that was depicted in the photos.
Photo from NatGeo exhibit
When you go to the National Geographic Museum, make sure to stop by the gift shop on the way out. Not to promote too much consumerism but some of their stuff is quirky, unique, and fun. We particularly liked the women’s jewelry made from paper and the wallets made from recycled magazines.
Have fun!
