Hmmm...this brings up some interesting issues about how multiple museums may
call themselves the first!

I used to work at the Albany Institute of History & Art in Albany, NY, which
was founded in 1791.  In the education department we used to claim that we
were the second oldest museum in the country.

A colleague of mine did some searching to see what the oldest museum in the
country was, and discovered that the Charleston Museum in Charleston, South
Carolina bills itself as "America's First Museum."  It was founded in 1773.

Very interesting....

---
Suzi Fonda
Education Coordinator
Plimoth Plantation
P.O. Box 1620
Plymouth, MA 02362-1620
508-746-1622 x8356
Fax: 508-830-6022
[log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>





-----Original Message-----
From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On
Behalf Of ljames, Lauren
Sent: Wednesday, May 04, 2005 6:51 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Questions


The Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts is the oldest continually
operating museum in America.  The museum traces its founding to 1799 with
the
formation of the East India Marine Society.  It is now a museum of art,
architecture, and culture and would classify itself as an art museum, but
has
history museum roots.  See www.pem.org

>-----Original Message-----
>From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
Behalf
>Of Hugh Genoways
>Sent: Wednesday, May 04, 2005 1:44 PM
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Questions
>
>Dear Colleagues
>
>Questions about History of Museums
>
>We all have heard of Peale's museum in Philadelphia, the Charleston
>Museum, Silliman's mineralogy collection at Yale, Academy of Natural
>Sciences of Philadelphia, and a little later P. T Barnum's and Moses
>Kimball's proprietary museums in New York and Boston, but I have some
>questions about the early history of other museums and types of museums
>in the United States.
>
>What was the first art museum in the U. S.?
>
>What is the longest operating art museum in the U. S. that is still
>open?
>
>What was the first history museum in the U. S.?
>
>What is the longest operating history museum in the U. S. that is still
>open?
>
>What was the first state historical society in the U. S.?
>
>What was the first historic house museum in the U. S.?  (Not the oldest
>house that is now a museum, but the first to be operated as a museum)
>
>What is the longest operating historic house museum in the U. S. that
>is still open?
>
>What was the first specialty museum in the U. S.?  What was its
>specialty?
>
>What is the longest operating specialty museum in the U. S. that is
>still open?  What was its specialty?
>
>What was the first sports museum in the U. S.?
>
>What is the longest operating sport museum in the U. S. that is still
>open?
>
>What was the first living history museum in the U. S.?
>
>What is the longest operating living history museum in the U. S. that
>is still open?
>
>What was the first botanical garden in the U. S.?
>
>What is the longest operating botanical garden in the U. S. that is
>still open?
>
>What was the first arboretum in the U. S.?
>
>What is the longest operating arboretum in the U. S. that is still open?
>
>What was the first zoological garden in the U. S.?
>
>What is the longest operating zoological garden in the U. S. that is
>still open?
>
>What was the first anthropology/archaeology museum in the U. S.?
>
>What is the longest operating anthropology/archaeology museum in the U.
>S. that is still open?
>
>What was the first military museum in the U. S.?
>
>What is the longest operating military museum in the U. S. that is
>still open?
>
>What was the first "hall of fame" museum in the U. S.?
>
>What is the longest operating "hall of fame" museum in the U. S. that
>is still open?
>
>What was the first college/university museum in the U. S.?
>
>What is the longest operating college/university museum in the U. S.
>that is still open?
>
>What was the first mineralogy museum in the U. S.?
>
>What is the longest operating mineralogy museum in the U. S. that is
>still open?
>
>What was the first natural history museum in the U. S.?
>
>What is the longest operating natural history museum in the U. S. that
>is still open?
>
>What was the first transportation museum in the U. S.?
>
>What is the longest operating transportation museum in the U. S. that
>is still open?
>
>What was the first medical museum in the U. S.?
>
>What is the longest operating medical museum in the U. S. that is still
>open?
>
>I am not certain what the person with the most correct answers will
>receive, but it definitely will be something special!
>
>Actually, I ask these questions because I don't know the answers to
>most of them.  It seems surprising to me that a profession that is so
>much involved with history doesn't know much about its own history.  Or
>maybe I am the one that doesn't know these things.
>
>Sincerely,
>Hugh
>
>
>Hugh H. Genoways
>Professor
>W436 Nebraska Hall
>University of Nebraska-Lincoln
>Lincoln, NE 68588-0514
>
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