FOX Station

Posted on by Thor

Pam Schwartz was asked to go into the FOX News Station for an interview about an exhibit at the Orange County Regional History Center. The exhibit was Things come apart which featured photos by Todd McLellan that showed everyday objects like smart phones and lawnmowers blown apart to show all the parts.

Things Come Apart has ended and has been replace by Genome: Unlocking Life’s Code. This is another Smithsonian traveling exhibition but the History Center staff has created a section that uses the Genome to tell something about Central Florida history. Five Central Florida celebrities were asked to give DNA samples and Pam used that information and online resources to research their family trees. Mayor Buddy Dyer found out that is family has ties back to the Revolutionary War making him and his sons eligible for admission into the Sons of the American Revolution. Former Senator Geraldine Thompson found a relative she never knew about. A man had been trying to find his father for many years. When Geraldine’s DNA went online it became clear that he and she were related. Her brother was this man’s father. Unfortunately her brother has died so this man can never meet his father in person, but he has an aunt he has never met, and they have stories to share.

The TV cameras had just one operator. For the most part the cameras were fully automated wandering from mark to mark like Roombas. The cameraman didn’t seem to have much to do. An hour of waiting, and a quick recording session resulted in just moments on the final cut shown on TV.

Things Come Apart at the History Center.

Posted on by Thor

What makes a watch tick? How does a sewing machine stitch? Where does an iPod get its shuffle? For those who have ever asked questions like these, Things Come Apart is a revelation. The Orange County Regional History Center (65 E Central Blvd, Orlando, FL 32801) is home for this Traveling Smithsonian Exhibit until May 6, 2018.

Through extraordinary photographs, disassembled objects and fascinating videos, Things Come Apart reveals the inner workings of common, everyday possessions. Images of dozens of objects explore how things are designed and made and how technology has evolved over time. For example, the individual components of a record player, a Walkman, and an iPod illustrate the technical changes in sound reproduction over the years, and images of the parts of a mechanical and digital watch demonstrate different approaches to timepiece engineering.

After photographer Todd McLellan disassembles each object, he spends hours arranging its components in the order in which they were taken apart to achieve a cohesive photograph. With the eye of an artist and the precision of a scientist, he then captures a moment in time of the components falling to the ground. Things Come Apart includes four disassembled objects permanently mounted in acrylic for display in cases to be provided by exhibitor, in addition to short videos documenting Todd’s artistic process.

The History Center added it’s own Central Florida items to the exhibit such as a Disney World Singing Cockatoo animatronic from the Tiki Room. A vintage video from Walt Disney himself introduces the inner working of the mechanical bird. The staff also disassembled a Beefy King sandwich to highlight the inner workings of the local flavor sensation. The youngest person at the VIP opening was particularly absorbed in the Tiki Bird and a slow motion video of a piano being dropped to the pavement.

Things Come Apart strikingly reveals the design and engineering behind some of our most common, useful, and prized possessions.