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The
International Spy Museum - Ribbon Cutting by Alan Simpson
The illusion that his was a museum finally
evaporated, a fact hinted in several news stories. One reporter
commented that you have to exploit loopholes in the rules, wherever you find
them. How else would they have got taxpayers money? Not withstanding the fact that the museum
is only a small portion of a typical Big Business Real Estate Development
does not detract from the contribution the museum makes to the understanding
of the craft and technology of espionage. The aerial ballet of dancers claiming to
be Mayor Williams amused the overheated crowd in the sweltering heat,
interesting but superfluous to the opening of the attraction itself. The
crowds were here to see the artifacts, and exhibits not celebrate the
developers, and their political friends on the committees. But this is
election year and the hacks must grab every minute of TV time.
Finally one and a half hours after starting
the event the museum was declared open, and the crowds lined up. The huge
line of visitors snaked around the adjacent Portrait Gallery, and if their
numbers are a barometer, the museum could do well.
Walking round the empty museum on Tuesday,
and Thursday the exhibits were interesting and pleasing to the eye. The
exhibit staff have put a lot of thought into the displays. Filled with
patrons they create problems not seen on earlier visits. To groups of
children they are dark passages ideal for running around. For adults they can
be an irritation, as one group wants to move on, another blocks the passages
digesting the wealth of information. The first comment I made on Tuesday, as
the exhibits were first unveiled was that few knobs, switches or earphones
would remain after a month. The number of hyperactive schoolkids trying to
dismantle exhibits was amazing! I wonder how long it will be before some kid
kicks through the windshield climbing over the car in the Berlin exhibit. Listening to generations spoilt by
exposure to Disney, and Universal theme parks comment on what they get for
$11 could be a problem for the attraction. Comments on what they can see for
free in the Smithsonian, or NSA Cryptological museum could be a problem for
the museum. Deciding whether it is a museum, or attraction could be a problem
for us all! But critics seem to forget that Disney,
Universal, and the Smithsonian all started from dreams, and this is the first
step in creating an experience based on the theme of espionage. It
should be kept in mind that a Disney attraction such as Splash Mountain costs
over $125 million and the marketing budget to launch a new ride is bigger
than the budget for the entire museum. The economies of scale, which make
theme park attractions so cost effective, do not work in high rent areas of
Washington, yards from the White House. Some critics argue that the museum is
a throw-in to provide restaurants next to the Convention Center. That would
be a great disappointment. The museum does have some very well
equipped areas suitable for presentations, and briefings. A continuous
program of media presentations will have to be incorporated, the sooner the
better, to satisfy the appetite of the attention-depleted younger generation.
To further amplify the claim that the museum is a whitewash, and PR project
of the CIA, there are several retired CIA people to answer questions, and
deflect question on CIA screw-ups and direct attention towards the success of
the OSS against Hitler, and in the Cold War against the Evil Empire. Forget
questions on the Bay of Pigs, Phoenix, or messing about in elections, or
arranging coups. More exhibits should have been dedicated
to NSA, and NRO. In fact the NSA are all but missing, as in No Such Agency.
The CIA guides politely smile, and can't talk about the "other"
intelligence agencies. The huge resources gathering dust in Fort Mead are
sadly missing from the exhibits. The same for intelligence artifacts, and
displays from the rest of the world. This is not the EPCOT of
Intelligence. You will not visit the Chinese pavilion. But these are
artifacts, and displays within a building. They can be changed as feedback is
analyzed and more cash is forthcoming into the actual museum, as opposed to
the developers coffers. On the first hours of the first day, the
young staff are taking their jobs seriously and are smarter than found in the
average theme park. Good team. The weakest part of the museum was the store.
I would question if the designers ever had experience in retail stores in
attractions, especially those having streams of visitors passing through them
on their way to the exits. I would like to know the amount of shrinkage on
the opening, and subsequent days. I have confidence in Peter Earnest the
Director of the museum. Unlike many around him he listens, and will change to
meet the demands of the visitors, as the museum evolves. As none of the
advisory board has a minutes experience in the management, or planning of a
for profit tourist attraction, he will now need to reinvent the wheel, and
sustain the interest after the parade has left town. As Malrite has backed
the Bond issue the taxpayer will not suffer, and Milton Maltz has deep pockets.
This is not the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, with positive material surrounded
by glitz and glamour, or the Holocaust Museum. The genre is difficult to
create sufficient "Wow" without utilizing a large quantity of James
Bond, even Austin Powers, and Spy Kids. That means royalty payments. and
suffering upturned noses from CIA advisers! I tried to remember when
"Get Smart" was on TV, but eventually gave up. For older visitors, with time to walk
quietly around the designated route it is well worth visiting. There is a lot
of information, mostly accurate, and the exhibits cover a broad range of
subjects. For school trips it is a tour through the
world of intelligence, with snapshots of many aspects suitable for further
exploration. The audio visual presentations are interesting, but only
if there is low ambient noise. Noisy children detract from the experience,
especially when trying to hear the audio commentary. It does cover historical
aspects of espionage not normally found in military museums. As a first step in building a genuine
"experience" for those interested in intelligence it is a bold
venture, and welcomed. It has a very good location, and a great team. Now the
old men formerly of the intelligence, and counterintelligence world, have
congratulated each other and left, it is time to build it into a vibrant
museum attraction, that is both sustainable and profitable. |
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