New York City's Metropolitan
Museum of Art (The Met) is one of the world's premier destinations for
artistic and historical exhibitions. But this epicenter of worldly
culture is not above admitting the occasional mistake. Even when the
correction comes from one curious 13-year-old boy.
The Hartford Courant reports that 13-year-old Benjamin Lerman Coady found an error in the Met's Byzantine Gallery during a recent visit. The seventh-grader is a fledgling history buff who recently studied the Byzantine Empire in school.
While checking some of the dates on the map, Coady noticed that sections featuring Spain and Africa were missing.
Before leaving the museum, Coady attempted to inform the museum that the map was inaccurate. "The front desk didn't believe me," he told the paper. "I'm only a kid."
However, Coady received an email
from the museum's senior vice president for external affairs, notifying
him that his request was being forwarded to the museum's medieval
affairs department for further review.
A few months later, Helen Evans, the Met's curator for Byzantine art, sent Coady an email: "You are, of course, correct about the boundaries of the Byzantine Empire under Justinian," she wrote.
Evans even invited Coady back to
the museum to meet with her in person. She says the Met is working on
updating the map but isn't sure when a new, more accurate rendition can
be put on display.
So, what lesson did Coady take
from his experience? "If you have a question, always ask it," he told
the paper. "Always take chances."