Fragments of the World: Uses of Museum Collections

Author: Suzanne Keene
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1136402349
Category : Antiques & Collectibles
Languages : en
Pages : 214

Book Description
During the past decade a number of individual museums have found imaginative ways of using their collections and of making them accessible. However, museum collections as a whole are enormous in size and quantity and the question of how can they can be put to best use is ever present. When conventional exhibitions can only ever utilise a tiny proportion of them, what other uses of the collections are possible? Will their exploitation and use now destroy their value for future generations? Should they simply be kept safely and as economically as possible as a resource for the future? Fragments of the World examines these questions, first reviewing the history of collecting and of collections, then discussing the ways in which the collections themselves are being used today. Case studies of leading examples from around the world illustrate the discussion. Bringing together the thinking about museum collections with case studies of the ways in which different types of collection are used, the book provides a roadmap for museums to make better use of this wonderful resource.

Dead Sea Scrolls Fragments in the Museum Collection

Author: Emanuel Tov
Publisher: BRILL
ISBN: 9004322868
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 258

Book Description
Under the auspices of the Museum of the Bible Scholars Initiative, teams of scholar-mentors and students working collaboratively present the thirteen fragments of Dead Sea Scrolls in this volume. The fragments are part of the Museum of the Bible Collection in Oklahoma City.

The Commonwealth Block, Melbourne

Author: Tim Murray, Kristal Buckley, Sarah Hayes, Geoff Hewitt, Justin McCarthy, Richard Mackay, Barbara Minchinton, Charlotte Smith, Jeremy Smith and Bronwyn Woff
Publisher: Sydney University Press
ISBN: 1743323697
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 162

Book Description
For much of the 19th and 20th centuries, Melbourne’s Little Lonsdale Street – locally known as ‘Little Lon’ – was notorious as a foul slum and brothel district, occupied by the itinerant and the criminal. The stereotype of ‘slumdom’ defined ‘Little Lon’ in the minds of Melbournians, and became entrenched in Australian literature and popular culture. The Commonwealth Block, Melbourne tells a different story. This ground-breaking book reports on almost three decades of excavations conducted on the Commonwealth Block – the area of central Melbourne bordered by Little Lonsdale, Lonsdale, Exhibition and Spring streets. Since the 1980s, archaeologists and historians have pieced together the rich and complex history of this area, revealing a working-class and immigrant community that was much more than just a slum. The Commonwealth Block, Melbourne delves into the complex social, cultural and economic history of this forgotten community. Each chapter is authored by researchers who were responsible for the management and execution of the excavations and analysis of the Block. The authors outline the history and methodology of each stage of the project, and consider changes in theory and method (and inspiration and aspiration) in response to other studies, and to the changing disciplinary context of urban archaeology. This book makes an important contribution to the archaeology of the modern city.

Museum Storage and Meaning

Author: Mirjam Brusius
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1351659421
Category : Art
Languages : en
Pages : 291

Book Description
Beyond their often beautiful exhibition halls, many museums contain vast, hidden spaces in which objects may be stored, conserved, or processed. Museums can also include unseen archives, study rooms, and libraries which are inaccessible to the public. This collection of essays focuses on this domain, an area that has hitherto received little attention. Divided into four sections, the book critically examines the physical space of museum storage areas, the fluctuating historical fortunes of exhibits, the growing phenomenon of publicly visible storage, and the politics of objects deemed worthy of collection but unsuitable for display. In doing so, it explores issues including the relationship between storage and canonization, the politics of collecting, the use of museum storage as a form of censorship, the architectural character of storage space, and the economic and epistemic value of museum objects. Essay contributions come from a broad combination of museum directors, curators, archaeologists, historians, and other academics.

Museums in Motion

Author: Edward P. Alexander
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1442278811
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 391

Book Description
Here is a complete introduction to the history of museums, types of museums, and the key roles that museums play in the twenty-first century. Following an introductory chapter looking at what a museum is today, Part I looks at the history and types of museums: art and design museums natural history and anthropology museums science museums history museums, historic houses, interpretation centers, and heritage sites botanical gardens and zoos children’s museums The second part of the book explores the primary functions of museums and museum professionals: to collect to conserve to exhibit to interpret and to engage to serve and to act The final chapter looks at the museum profession and professional practices. Throughout, emphasis is on museums in the United States, although attention is paid to the historical framing of museums within the European context. The new edition includes discussions of technology, access, and inclusivity woven into each chapter, a list of challenges and opportunities in each chapter, and “Museums in Motion Today,” vignettes spread throughout the volume in which museum professionals provide their perspectives on where museums are now and where they are going. More than 140 images illustrate the volume.

Financial Management in Museums

Author: Yuha Jung
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 1040105432
Category : Art
Languages : en
Pages : 272

Book Description
Financial Management in Museums considers sustainable and innovative solutions to current museum financial challenges by analyzing the many changes and pressures affecting the museum field. Presenting diverse perspectives from a range of authors around the world, the book shares and compares different funding models and methods of museum financial management. Arguing that museums need to be more effective in obtaining and managing financial resources, the volume also demonstrates how innovative and sustainable financial management strategies and structures can allow museums to respond to societal pressures and issues in a more effective way. It also demonstrates that museums must allocate resources responsibly to fulfill their goals of justice, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. The theoretical and practical contributions within the volume cover a comprehensive range of topics, including foundational concepts, revenue, expenses, budgeting, financial leadership, strategic planning, mission-based investment strategies and alternative revenue strategies. Financial Management in Museums focuses on the unique financial needs and structures of museums, while also considering important lessons from adjacent sectors. It will be essential reading for students and academics engaged in the study of museums, arts and cultural management and business. The book will also be useful to museum professionals working around the world.

Museum Practice

Author: Conal McCarthy
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1119796628
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 620

Book Description
MUSEUM PR ACTICE Edited by CONAL MCCARTHY Museum Practice covers the professional work carried out in museums and art galleries of all types, including the core functions of management, collections, exhibitions, and programs. Some forms of museum practice are familiar to visitors, yet within these diverse and complex institutions many practices are hidden from view, such as creating marketing campaigns, curating and designing exhibitions, developing fundraising and sponsorship plans, crafting mission statements, handling repatriation claims, dealing with digital media, and more. Focused on what actually occurs in everyday museum work, this volume offers contributions from experienced professionals and academics that cover a wide range of subjects including policy frameworks, ethical guidelines, approaches to conservation, collection care and management, exhibition development and public programs. From internal processes such as leadership, governance and strategic planning, to public facing roles in interpretation, visitor research and community engagement and learning, each essential component of contemporary museum practice is thoroughly discussed.

Museums in Motion

Author: Edward Porter Alexander
Publisher: Rowman Altamira
ISBN: 9780759105096
Category : Art
Languages : en
Pages : 370

Book Description
In 1979, Edward P. Alexander's Museums in Motion was hailed as a much-needed addition to the museum literature. In combining the history of museums since the eighteenth century with a detailed examination of the function of museums and museum workers in modern society, it served as an essential resource for those seeking to enter to the museum profession and for established professionals looking for an expanded understanding of their own discipline. Now, Mary Alexander has produced a newly revised edition of the classic text, bringing it the twenty-first century with coverage of emerging trends, resources, and challenges. New material also includes a discussion of the children's museum as a distinct type of institution and an exploration of the role computers play in both outreach and traditional in-person visits.

Caravans of Gold, Fragments in Time

Author: Kathleen Bickford Berzock
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 069118268X
Category : Art
Languages : en
Pages : 313

Book Description
Issued in conjunction with the exhibition Caravans of Gold, Fragments in Time, held January 26, 2019-July 21, 2019, Mary and Leigh Block Museum of Art, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois.

Inside the Lost Museum

Author: Steven D. Lubar
Publisher: Harvard University Press
ISBN: 0674971043
Category : Art
Languages : en
Pages : 417

Book Description
Museum lovers know that energy and mystery run through every exhibition. Steven Lubar explains work behind the scenes—collecting, preserving, displaying, and using art and artifacts in teaching, research, and community-building—through historical and contemporary examples, especially the lost but reimagined Jenks Museum at Brown University.