OOOOoooohhhhhh! I can't resist this one! Time for one of my favorite
quotations, which I used on the first page of my MA thesis, several eons
ago:
"Anyone who sets out to talk about museums is instantly faced with the task
of trying to figure out just what creature this is. It is a nearly unique
peculiarity. A hospital is a hospital. A library is a library. A rose is a
rose. But a museum is Colonial Williamsburg, Mrs. Wilkerson's Figure Bottle
Museum, the Museum of Modern Art, the Sea Lion Caves, the American Museum of
Natural History, the Barton Museum of Whiskey History, the Cloisters, and
Noell's Art Chimpanzee Farm and Gorilla Show."
- Richard Grove, in "Museums and Education", Eric Larrabee (Ed.),
Washington:
Smithsonian Institution, 1967.p.1
It doesn't do much to respond directly to the query but what a great
quotation, no?
Harry
"It is impossible to enjoy idling thoroughly
unless one has plenty of work to do."
- Jerome K. Jerome (1859-1927)
Harry Needham, M.A., CFE, etc.
President
Harry Needham Consulting Services Inc.
Training & consulting services for heritage institutions - and others!
74 Abbeyhill Drive
Kanata, Ontario K2L 1H1
Canada
email: [log in to unmask]
(Voice) +1.613.831-1068
(Fax) +1.613.831-9412
----- Original Message -----
From: Hunter, Tom <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, December 05, 2000 11:57 AM
Subject: Definition of a MUSEUM
> Hello Lister's,
>
> I have recently been asked if I wanted to take on the task of
coming
> up with a definition for "Museum".
> I seem to remember this topic being discussed earlier but thought I would
> throw it out again. In general I am looking for what you think makes a
> museum a museum. I hope this makes sense.
>
> Tom Hunter
> Collections Assistant
> Museums and Collections Services
> Ring House # 1
> University of Alberta
> Edmonton, Alberta
> Canada, T6G 2E1
> Tel. Office (780) 492-0653
> Cell (780) 405-0167
> Fax (780) 492-6185
>
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=========================================================
Important Subscriber Information:
The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes).
If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).
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