I'm afraid I have to respectfully disagree.  Natural history museums
generally are heavily reliant on collections both for research and
display.  Much of present day research in systematics, biogeography,
paleontology, ecological adaptation, human impact, and even some
molecular approaches depends on preserved specimens, past and
contemporary.  Likewise, exhibits usually draw heavily on collections.

As somewhat of an aside, I might also point out that natural history
museums are science museums--science is not limited to Science Centers.

Cheers

Art Harris

Nesdon Booth wrote:
>
> All of David's comments seem to apply primarily to history museums. There is
> a disturbing parochialism in these remarks. I really don't see the harm in a
> more inclusive essence. In all of the definitions of museums and in most
> large museum complexes, history is only one wing. Natural history, science
> and art are equally valid
> subjects for a museum's enterprise.
>
> The study of history, by its nature, must treat the past and its
> representations as paramount. The study of
> science and natural history, on the other hand, are barely linked to the
> provenance of artifacts. The science curator must focus primarily on the
> development of theory in the context of on going thinking and
> research. Scientific exhibits never rely heavily on artifacts, as all
> history exhibits must.

...
--
Laboratory for Environmental Biology, Centennial Museum
University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX  79968-0915
phone (915)747-6985; fax (915)747-5808; [log in to unmask]
http://www.utep.edu/leb    http://nasa.utep.edu/chih/chihdes.htm
http://www.utep.edu/museum  http://spark.nasa.utep.edu/~gardens/

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