Museums and libraries are places that inspire curiosity, knowledge and wonder. But there are often obstacles to visiting one in person, such as location and time. Now, with MAU M&L Natural History, you can visit a museum without leaving your home.
The app hosts the rare books, paintings and other materials owned by Japan’s Musashino Art University Museum and Library. They can be accessed straight from your device, and articles and images can be organised by title, author or chronological order.
This not only makes finding something specific easier, it gives you new perspectives on something you think you know. For example, if you sort paintings from the 18th to 20th century in chronological order, you might notice how artistic techniques and perspectives changed throughout the ages.
Tap the View Voyages from Map menu to see famous voyages, including Jules Dumon D’Urville’s “Voyage de la corvette l’Astrolabe” and James Cook’s “A Voyage to the Pacific Ocean”, charted on a world map.
Tap on a number on the map to open the corresponding page in the book. Seeing these amazing voyages of discovery on a map will help you visualise history.
Swipe right from the main screen to watch the “Guidance of Natural History” videos presented by Hiroshi Aramata, a natural historian and visiting professor at Musashino Art University. The series explores both Oriental and Western points of view when looking at natural history, taking into consideration the respective historical and cultural backgrounds.
Discover the beauty of natural history paintings and the evolution of science and discovery through different eras with MAU M&L Natural History – it’s almost as good as visiting a museum in person.