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what's your attitude toward guided museum tours?

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what's your attitude toward guided museum tours?

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Old Jun 26th, 2004, 10:40 AM
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what's your attitude toward guided museum tours?

i'm asking this as i'm planning on retiring to either paris or florence and am thinking of supplimenting my income by giving an english speaking tour of the museums of either/both cities.

thirty years ago i offered a uffizi tour which actually more than paid for my food and the 2 litres of wine i swilled per day (my lodging was secured by luring young americans to the pensione that i kept full for nine months).

now i'm more "stately" and, frankly, better educated. my pitch would be same as before: a casual walk thru with specific in depth stops at particular works. i realise that this is standard but i fancy myself potentially better at it.

does anyone use guides anymore? how would one advertise (i used to hawk in the piazza signoria)? should i contact tour providers?

i dunno, i dunno. give me some advice...
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Old Jun 26th, 2004, 11:55 AM
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ira
 
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Hi sub,

You will need a permanent visa and a work permit, I think.

You might want to call the local conulate.
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Old Jun 26th, 2004, 12:18 PM
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Frankly I can;t imagne why anyone would want a "guide" in a museum. Have experienced this twice on guided tours and the information given was so perfunctory - and someimtes incorrect - that it was worse than useless. Usually aimed at the absolute least common denominator, (This is not to say that gallery talks cannnot be fascinating - and I often do them here at home - but with museum-trained docents or assistant curators - not "guides".)

However, that said - I know some people do like guides - either because they want everything predigestged for them - or because they doubt their abilities to sort out the info themselves. (I have found guidebooks and audiotours usually quite interesting - and much more informative than the "city tour" guides.)

So perhaps there is a market - if you can bear to do the same talks and listen to the same questions every day. Why not offer your services through the most expensive hotels? It seems their guests would be the only ones willing to pay for this type of service.
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Old Jun 26th, 2004, 12:38 PM
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nytraveler--alas, you were a victim of your own ignorance. There are many superb independent guides all around the world. Unfortunately, there are many, many more who are mediocre or worse. It takes a lot of research, asking around, networking to find a good independent museum guide. That's where most people slip up--they are either too lazy or too unaware to conduct the research necessary to separate the wheat from the chaff.
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Old Jun 26th, 2004, 12:48 PM
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But if you can do the same with a good guidebook and a little research beforehand - and after all why go if you're not going to learn anything new - why bother with a "guide".
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Old Jun 26th, 2004, 12:59 PM
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Guidebooks don't have everything. And a good guide will have studied for years, even decades. Unless you have the time to do the same before your trip, a good guide will be able to provide information that would take you years of research to find out.
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Old Jun 26th, 2004, 01:19 PM
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I can't stand "guided museum tours". Most recently I was at the museum of modern art in Brussels, the tour group stand for at least 10 minutes by each piece of art and discuss it. I know what I want out of a painting, I know a fair deal about art, it's enough for me.

I can't spend hours walking around a museum, fascinating as it might be, the little labels tell one enough.
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Old Jun 26th, 2004, 01:32 PM
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Back to the original question. I suspect that museum guides are not used so much today as they may have been 30 years ago. Reason: Availability of and technical advances in self-guided tours using recorded guide devices. I would be very much surprised, Subcom, if you are able to get as much business today as you did 30 years ago. I would think that getting hooked up with some tour organizers would be the most viable way to go; but I would have no idea how to do that.
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Old Jun 26th, 2004, 01:37 PM
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I ALWAYS opt for a guided tour to a museum whenever the option is available. It is NOT the only visit I give the museum, as I always go back on my own. I had the most amazing guide at El Prado Museum. This young lady blew me away with her discussion of some of Rubens' works at the museum and we spent about 20 minutes in front of Velazquez' "Las Meninas" that were absolutely fascinating. She mentioned El Prado Museum only accepts applicants for guides with a Master or higher degree in Arts. DEfinitely worth every penny.
 
Old Jun 26th, 2004, 04:20 PM
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It never fails that we are around a guided tour in some museum~ We were trailing behind a good one at the D'Orsay once, the guide was quite informative and lively. Those being guided were older and some Asian, the guide was speaking English, they all seemed fascinated.
I have no knowledge on this subject but I think it would be great to spend your days walking through museums and talking about the art. And to be able to live in another country! Icing on the cake!
Good luck, subcon~
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Old Jun 26th, 2004, 04:40 PM
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it wouldn't be fair to answeras I never had one but have used the audio guides you can rent at some museums.
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Old Jun 26th, 2004, 04:45 PM
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My guess is that you'll have a lot more competition than you did 30 years ago, not just in the 'live guide' area but also from the Internet, on which tons of very good material is now available gratis. You might also run into the problem of institutions preferring to restrict access to their own 'official' guides (live or audioguide) as they want the revenue, too.

My guess is that you would enjoy success now mainly if you are already a known expert in the field - Malcolm Miller is now virtually synonymous with Chartres cathedral, for example.

Look at it this way, would you hire me for a guide, knowing nothing about my abilities (or lack of them, as the case may be)?
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Old Jun 26th, 2004, 06:16 PM
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I don't use them myself because I know quite a bit about art history or prefer to read about it on my own, but I know many others do like guides. I do often use the audioguides, however.

Just wanted to say that in Paris, you may be able to get a group outside the museum and then take them in, but I don't think you will be able to be a guide in the museum as they have their own English-speaking tour guides. Also, in Paris, I think you have to be registered with the government to do such things at all. There are some other English speakers who do it, however, so I'm sure it can be done (I have only used French-speaking guides in Paris who are all registered with the city and licensed) if you are really good. Your audience will obviously be limited if you aren't multilingual, and you will have some well-known companies as competitors (Paris Walks, etc.).

There are various publications and "clubs" in Paris that expats would know. If you are seriously considering retiring to Paris I would think you'd know about these already, frankly.
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Old Jun 26th, 2004, 06:42 PM
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I know you said "suppliment my income"...but I know an American lady who goes to Paris each year and is a docent at the American Museum in Giverny during the "season". This is as a VOLUNTEER,(I think?) but might be interesting if you are so inclined...and they also might have "paid" employees doing similar things.
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Old Jun 27th, 2004, 03:44 AM
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ira
 
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>...I can't spend hours walking around a museum, fascinating as it might be, the little labels tell one enough.<

M_K you have reached a new height of fatuity.
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Old Jun 27th, 2004, 04:03 AM
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Ira, my dear, I'm being honest. I'd never take a guided tour, nor even those handheld things that seem to be in vogue at the moment. If I see art, and know the artist, their background, style etc. then all the better, but if I don't I get what I can out of the piece. I couldn't stand being told what I'm meant to be getting out of it.

Anyway, as for supplementing income... Most of the guides I see are in their latter years, and as someone else pointed out, work for free as they enjoy their work. Maybe you'd still be interested in giving such tours for free to occupy your time?
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Old Jun 27th, 2004, 06:27 AM
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Ah well, different strokes for different folks. We are all individuals with varying backgrounds and abilities. We don't usually hire museum guides either, but I can understand how they could be very helpful to many people. And in certain instances, we have found them to be a real asset.

Of course, I am a people person and an anthropologist, so I am always interested in the background to works of art, architecture, etc.--the "inside dope" and the story behind the story.
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Old Jun 27th, 2004, 08:10 AM
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I'm more inclined to rent the MP3 audio guide - mainly because i can go at my own pace - a guide is on their time schedule more than the customers time schedule.

However - in Istanbul last year - my friends and I hired a guide at St. Chora - who walked up to us and offered his services. The church didn't have audio guides and his price was reasonable. I'm glad we hired him - he gave us details we would have never known. But the hiring was a spur of the moment decision.

As for guides for a city - a friend and I hired one for Genoa just this past month and it was wonderful. She was able to give a good introduction (historical, etc.) and help "separate the wheat from the chafe". She took us to some places that were off the radar screen mixed in with some of the standards.
I really don't think we would have left Genoa with the same experience if we had done a guide book or group tour.
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Old Jun 27th, 2004, 08:54 AM
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When I'm with my mom, I require the human led tour. Mom will spend hours at each piece staring and reading and staring and reading. I appreciate art and willing to spend some time on each piece, but this woman will not move. By taking the docent led tour, I know we'll get out before the end of the trip. You can also ask questions to the docents -- an option not available with a machine.

Also, I don't mind the audio guides with headphones, but I despise the ones you hold up to your ear like a phone. I have to hold enough stuff already, the last thing I need is the audiowand.

End of rant.

subcon, I wish you well with this.
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