Dear Suzi:

Is this the name that the Albany Institute has used throughout its 
history?  Did they consider themselves to be a history museum with some 
art or an art museum with some historical objects?  It could be the 
oldest in either category.

Sincerely,
Hugh


On May 5, 2005, at 7:43 AM, Suzi Fonda wrote:

> 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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> =========================================================
> Important Subscriber Information:
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> The Museum-L FAQ file is located at
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> information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail 
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> =========================================================
> Important Subscriber Information:
>
> The Museum-L FAQ file is located at 
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Hugh H. Genoways
Professor
W436 Nebraska Hall
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Lincoln, NE 68588-0514

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