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reynardoI'm in Sydney for various nefarious purposes, so I thought I'd go see the Harry Potter Exhibition at the Powerhouse Museum. After all, we'd been to the Lord of the Rings one many years ago, and it was totally mind-blowingly amazing (to the point where I was almost crying over the dead Boromir in the boat because it looked so REAL, even close up).
And herein are some brief notes I took whilst there:
You line up at the time on your ticket, and after the photographer has taken your picture, you get ushered in groups of about 20 into a hall where a lady has you all come up to the front, then asks for volunteers. I swear I waitedat least 5 nanoseconds a reasonable time before I shot my arm up in the best Hermione tradition. Yup, it was "What house will you get sorted into?" They do ask you what your favourite house is, and I noticed a little patch on the back of the Sorting Hat that the lady kept her thumb on...
I got Slytherin. BWA-HA-HA-HA-HA!
And the other two (kids this time) got the houses they chose too.
Comics in the style of Beano for "Martin Muggs the Mad Muggle" - I counted at least three different editions.
I managed not to drool all over a certain Potions Master's robes. It was difficult...
The Gilderoy Lockhart table has ALL his books! I bet they're all autographed on the inside.
Over Harry's bed is G. X X V. On Ron's bedside table, the mirror has a stack of Chudley Cannons stickers on it. There's also Ron's trunk, which has a Chudley Cannon's shirt signed to Ron by a whole heap of people.
The records that Lupin plays on his gramophone are "Spell-o-fonix" brand, and look like old "His Master's Voice" shellac ones.
Students with overdue library books (as per the noticeboard in the Gryffindor common room) include Winky Crocket, Toad Toazer, Lisa Charles, Dinerz Zac, Nick Alas and Jo King. As Jo and Winky were the Slytherin Quidditch Captains for 1952 and 1940 respectively, I somehow doubt that the books will ever get returned.
I want Professor Hooch's robes. Dark purple-blue fine wool with darker violet-blue-black velvet trim in flame shapes. Want.
Why does Hagrid's hut have large sized chair, bed and snowshoes, but a normal-sized bath?
I. Stood. Three. Feet. From. Lucius's. Cane. (And I was very good as it's still there.)
The various School Edicts are up on the walls, and obviously a base template was printed and then the rules put on as necessary. At the bottom of each decree is written:
As referred to in Decree 157 of 1924,
formerly known to be the
Ministerial Management of Magical Mayhem Act 792/B
and subject to Approval by the Very Important Members of Section UM. I. Trx.
Blah blabbiahbla H/Blahbi ah Bishis Hbl Abbiah Bia. Abblah Blahblah Bia Blah blahblah B.
(I'm not kidding. I checked and that's on the bottom of every single one, exactly like that.)
Ron's Dress Robes from "Goblet" look like the wardrobe guys hit the nearest Salvo thrift shop for the old tablecloths.
Fake Chocolate Sculpted Bunnies that look like they're made of real chocolate!
Bill's papers from the Muggle-born Registration Act. He's listed as Pure Blood but Very Dangerous due to pro-Muggle sympathies.
My god but there's a lot of burned velvet.
And that's cheating! In the Headmaster's Portraits is a head-and-shoulders copy of the Albanian Dress portrait of Lord Byron. Of course, maybe there's something about Lord Byron that we Muggles are not privy to.
Yes, that's the *short* version. Which probably explains why, by the time I came out, the picture taken of me at the beginning had been taken down from the long line of "Do you want to buy your picture", and they had up the ones from an hour later :-)
Was it worth the $32 I paid to go through? Yes, definitely. The quality of the props, the care they took in evolving things as time progressed, all worth it.
Biggest criticism, though? It was, as might be expected, a "no photography inside" exhibition. I was good (got one shot of the Anglia on the way in that was in open space, and that's it). I was expecting to buy a ton of pretty postcards for a bunch of weirdos I know (surely not anyone reading this!) and a nice t-shirt and perhaps a poster or a book...
The gift shop had run out of Gryffindor and Slytherin t-shirts. (This is the third day of a three-month exhibition). Otherwise, there were Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw tshirts, the guide (as overpriced and under-content as any similar publication), simple black mugs, lollies, keyrings, wands (incredibly overpriced, and only four choices, none with Dragon Heartstring), and brooms (non-vibrating).
No generic "Hogwarts" Tshirts. No postcards, pics, posters, books, wizard hats, inflatable Jason Isaacs dolls, school robes, potion bottles or imitation jewellry (time turners, lockets, etc). It was the most pitiful, dusty, understocked gift shop I have ever seen! Ok, maybe I ask too much. Maybe it's not reasonable for a gift shop to sell potion bottles. But I know a ton of that stuff is out there - and considering the age of most of the visitors (hint: NOT kids), the museum has missed a MAJOR chance for money.
I also didn't take the audio tour - it wasn't really something I tend to do. But stopping to write down the names of all the Gryffindor Quidditch Captains from 1688 to 1724 probably shows that SOMEONE is a tragic fangirl.
Who is still squeeeeeeeeee-ing.
And herein are some brief notes I took whilst there:
You line up at the time on your ticket, and after the photographer has taken your picture, you get ushered in groups of about 20 into a hall where a lady has you all come up to the front, then asks for volunteers. I swear I waited
I got Slytherin. BWA-HA-HA-HA-HA!
And the other two (kids this time) got the houses they chose too.
Comics in the style of Beano for "Martin Muggs the Mad Muggle" - I counted at least three different editions.
I managed not to drool all over a certain Potions Master's robes. It was difficult...
The Gilderoy Lockhart table has ALL his books! I bet they're all autographed on the inside.
Over Harry's bed is G. X X V. On Ron's bedside table, the mirror has a stack of Chudley Cannons stickers on it. There's also Ron's trunk, which has a Chudley Cannon's shirt signed to Ron by a whole heap of people.
The records that Lupin plays on his gramophone are "Spell-o-fonix" brand, and look like old "His Master's Voice" shellac ones.
Students with overdue library books (as per the noticeboard in the Gryffindor common room) include Winky Crocket, Toad Toazer, Lisa Charles, Dinerz Zac, Nick Alas and Jo King. As Jo and Winky were the Slytherin Quidditch Captains for 1952 and 1940 respectively, I somehow doubt that the books will ever get returned.
I want Professor Hooch's robes. Dark purple-blue fine wool with darker violet-blue-black velvet trim in flame shapes. Want.
Why does Hagrid's hut have large sized chair, bed and snowshoes, but a normal-sized bath?
I. Stood. Three. Feet. From. Lucius's. Cane. (And I was very good as it's still there.)
The various School Edicts are up on the walls, and obviously a base template was printed and then the rules put on as necessary. At the bottom of each decree is written:
As referred to in Decree 157 of 1924,
formerly known to be the
Ministerial Management of Magical Mayhem Act 792/B
and subject to Approval by the Very Important Members of Section UM. I. Trx.
Blah blabbiahbla H/Blahbi ah Bishis Hbl Abbiah Bia. Abblah Blahblah Bia Blah blahblah B.
(I'm not kidding. I checked and that's on the bottom of every single one, exactly like that.)
Ron's Dress Robes from "Goblet" look like the wardrobe guys hit the nearest Salvo thrift shop for the old tablecloths.
Fake Chocolate Sculpted Bunnies that look like they're made of real chocolate!
Bill's papers from the Muggle-born Registration Act. He's listed as Pure Blood but Very Dangerous due to pro-Muggle sympathies.
My god but there's a lot of burned velvet.
And that's cheating! In the Headmaster's Portraits is a head-and-shoulders copy of the Albanian Dress portrait of Lord Byron. Of course, maybe there's something about Lord Byron that we Muggles are not privy to.
Yes, that's the *short* version. Which probably explains why, by the time I came out, the picture taken of me at the beginning had been taken down from the long line of "Do you want to buy your picture", and they had up the ones from an hour later :-)
Was it worth the $32 I paid to go through? Yes, definitely. The quality of the props, the care they took in evolving things as time progressed, all worth it.
Biggest criticism, though? It was, as might be expected, a "no photography inside" exhibition. I was good (got one shot of the Anglia on the way in that was in open space, and that's it). I was expecting to buy a ton of pretty postcards for a bunch of weirdos I know (surely not anyone reading this!) and a nice t-shirt and perhaps a poster or a book...
The gift shop had run out of Gryffindor and Slytherin t-shirts. (This is the third day of a three-month exhibition). Otherwise, there were Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw tshirts, the guide (as overpriced and under-content as any similar publication), simple black mugs, lollies, keyrings, wands (incredibly overpriced, and only four choices, none with Dragon Heartstring), and brooms (non-vibrating).
No generic "Hogwarts" Tshirts. No postcards, pics, posters, books, wizard hats, inflatable Jason Isaacs dolls, school robes, potion bottles or imitation jewellry (time turners, lockets, etc). It was the most pitiful, dusty, understocked gift shop I have ever seen! Ok, maybe I ask too much. Maybe it's not reasonable for a gift shop to sell potion bottles. But I know a ton of that stuff is out there - and considering the age of most of the visitors (hint: NOT kids), the museum has missed a MAJOR chance for money.
I also didn't take the audio tour - it wasn't really something I tend to do. But stopping to write down the names of all the Gryffindor Quidditch Captains from 1688 to 1724 probably shows that SOMEONE is a tragic fangirl.
Who is still squeeeeeeeeee-ing.
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no subject
Date: 2011-11-24 04:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-11-24 04:46 pm (UTC)You're right about the shop, though - a huge missed opportunity.
no subject
Date: 2011-11-24 08:21 pm (UTC)*snort*
You were even better... since you didn't touch it either.
Why does Hagrid's hut have large sized chair, bed and snowshoes, but a normal-sized bath?
It's a foot-bath. (smirk)
no subject
Date: 2011-11-24 08:36 pm (UTC)You're not the first person I have heard say that the gift shop was a missed opportunity - particularly with jewellery and stuffed toys...
no subject
Date: 2011-11-24 09:32 pm (UTC)How could you run out of Both Gryyfindor and slytherin and no Jewelry .. I want to cry now.
Market research would have been quick and cheap and easy for pitys sake.
I am So glad you went and saw and Wrote. :)
no subject
Date: 2011-11-28 08:07 pm (UTC)So they only had Lucius' cane and not his full outfit from CoS?
Either way, I'm looking forward to seeing the exhibition during the Chrissie hols.
Hooroo,
Carole
no subject
Date: 2011-11-29 12:48 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-12-06 12:29 am (UTC)Hooroo,
Carole
no subject
Date: 2011-12-11 07:08 am (UTC)