Museum (institution)
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| Museum (institution) | |
|---|---|
.png) | |
| Name | Museum |
| Established | Varies |
| Location | Worldwide |
| Type | Art, history, science, specialized |
Museum (institution) A museum is an institution that acquires, conserves, researches, exhibits, and interprets collections of objects of historical, artistic, scientific, or cultural significance. Museums range from encyclopedic national institutions to local Smithsonian Institution affiliates and specialized sites such as the Louvre, the British Museum, and the Hermitage Museum, serving publics through display, scholarship, and outreach. Museums interact with stakeholders including governments like the United Kingdom, international bodies like UNESCO, private foundations such as the Guggenheim Foundation, and professional associations like the International Council of Museums.
History
Museums trace antecedents to antiquity with precursors in the Library of Alexandria, the treasuries of the Acropolis and the collections of Hammurabi-era rulers, while Renaissance cabinets of curiosity such as those of Ulisse Aldrovandi, Ole Worm, and John Tradescant led to institutional forms exemplified by the Ashmolean Museum and the British Museum. The 18th and 19th centuries saw the rise of national museums—Louvre, Musée d'Orsay, Prado Museum—often tied to nation-building projects like those after the French Revolution and the formation of the German Empire. Colonial-era collecting by entities such as the East India Company and museums like the Victoria and Albert Museum expanded holdings through imperial networks, prompting later debates resolved in part by agreements like the UNESCO 1970 Convention. Twentieth-century developments—professionalization through bodies like the American Alliance of Museums, wartime evacuations during World War II, and postwar restitution cases involving the Nazi-looted art commissions—shaped modern museum ethics and practice.
Definitions and Types
Scholars and organizations offer definitions: the International Council of Museums defines museums as permanent institutions serving society and its development. Types include encyclopedic museums such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the State Hermitage Museum; art museums like the Museum of Modern Art and the Tate Modern; natural history museums exemplified by the American Museum of Natural History and the Natural History Museum, London; science centers such as the Science Museum, London and the Exploratorium; and specialized museums including the Anne Frank House, the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, and house museums like Casa Milà. Other forms include ecomuseums inspired by Pierre-Marie Boudet, community museums such as the Museum of African American History initiatives, and corporate museums like the PepsiCo or Coca-Cola archives.
Collections and Curation
Collections stewardship involves acquisition, documentation, cataloguing, and provenance research, practices reinforced by standards from the International Council on Archives and protocols influenced by cases such as the Elgin Marbles controversy and repatriation claims involving the NAGPRA framework in the United States. Curators—professionals associated with institutions like the Victoria and Albert Museum, the National Gallery, London, and the Rijksmuseum—develop exhibitions through research, loans negotiated with collections like the Hermitage Museum and the Louvre, and conservation interventions guided by conservation bodies such as the International Institute for Conservation. Provenance research often intersects with legal institutions like the United States District Court and restitution adjudications exemplified by claims involving the Quedlinburg treasures.
Architecture and Exhibition Design
Museum architecture ranges from classical edifices like the British Museum to contemporary landmarks such as the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao by Frank Gehry, the extension of the Tate Modern by Herzog & de Meuron, and the renovations of the National Gallery of Art by architects like I. M. Pei. Exhibition design integrates museology theories from practitioners associated with the Victoria and Albert Museum and designers who worked on projects for the Smithsonian Institution, using modular display systems, lighting standards from organizations like the International Commission on Illumination, and visitor flow strategies informed by studies conducted at institutions such as the Museum of Science and Industry (Chicago). Landmark exhibition practices include blockbuster shows at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, immersive installations at the Museum of Old and New Art, and reinterpretations of colonial displays at the Museum of Anthropology, University of British Columbia.
Education and Public Programs
Museums provide formal and informal learning through programs modeled by institutions like the American Museum of Natural History, the Victoria and Albert Museum learning department, and the Science Museum, London outreach. Educational collaborations link museums with schools, universities such as Harvard University and University of Oxford, and community organizations including the National Trust and local cultural centers. Public programs include guided tours, interpretive labels influenced by museological scholarship, digital learning platforms such as those of the Smithsonian Institution and partnerships with broadcasters like the BBC for televised exhibits and online resources.
Governance, Funding, and Ethics
Governance structures vary: national institutions like the Louvre and the British Museum operate under state oversight, while private foundations such as the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation and university museums like the Ashmolean Museum follow trustee models. Funding sources include endowments (e.g., Andrew W. Mellon Foundation grants), ticket revenue at sites like the Uffizi Gallery, philanthropy from patrons such as the Rockefeller Foundation and corporate sponsors, and public appropriations debated in parliaments like the United Kingdom Parliament or legislative bodies in the United States Congress. Ethical frameworks address restitution, deaccessioning policies adopted after controversies involving institutions like the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and legal frameworks such as the 1970 UNESCO Convention and national statutes exemplified by NAGPRA.
Accessibility, Technology, and Conservation
Accessibility initiatives follow standards advocated by organizations like the World Health Organization and the International Council on Monuments and Sites, with museums adapting physical access at sites such as the Tate Modern and programmatic access at the National Museum of Australia. Technology transforms practice through collections digitization projects at the Smithsonian Institution, 3D scanning partnerships with entities like MIT, augmented reality installations at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and virtual exhibitions pioneered by the Google Arts & Culture platform. Conservation science relies on research centers such as the Getty Conservation Institute, collaboration with university laboratories at institutions like University College London, and techniques developed in response to risks shown by events like the Notre-Dame de Paris fire.
Category:Museums