For the most part, museums don’t like it when patrons touch the artwork, and a recent incident at Columbia’s National Watch & Clock Museum illustrates one reason why.
For the most part, museums don’t like it when patrons manhandle the art, and a recent incident in Pennsylvania illustrates one reason why.
Last week, a man at Columbia’s National Watch & Clock Museum became particularly intrigued by a work on view.
The one-of-a-kind, wall-mounted timepiece wasn’t running, and it appears the individual really wanted to see it in action.
Surveillance video shows he grabbed onto one of the weights and pulled it, perhaps attempting to activate the mechanism.
Instead, the clock fell off the wall and crashed to the ground.
Luckily, the creator, James Borden, is still alive and has agreed to make repairs, if possible.
The museum is using the mishap for educational purposes.
It recently posted the surveillance footage on social media, along with the message, “"This is why we beg visitors not to touch museum object.”
