Dear Friends and Collegues:
I am glad that Lois Irvine called our attention to Duncan Cameron and his
extremely important impact on museums.
He was, as Lois says, one of the 80´s most influential museum thinkers. He
brought about changes in museum´s attitudes toward their communities and the
way museums functioned.
He was a true scholar, also interested in museum conservation.
I do hope that his work may be better known and would appreciate the
necessary information on his last publications.
Yani Herreman
ENCRyM, INAH
Mexico
From: "Lois Irvine" <[log in to unmask]>
To: "International Council of Museums Discussion List"
<[log in to unmask]>; <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, April 30, 2006 12:43 PM
Subject: [AFRICOM-L] Duncan Cameron
Dear Friends and Colleagues:
Duncan Ferguson Cameron, one of the most influential museum leaders of the
20th century, passed away on April 29, 2006. He began his museum career in
1956 at the Royal Ontario Museum where he worked several years under the
close mentorship of Theodore Heinrich. He subsequently formed Janus Museum
Consultants whose first major contract was the Ontario Museum of Science and
Technology, now the Ontario Science Centre. After restructuring the Canadian
Conference of the Arts and working on cultural policy, he returned to the
museum as Director of the Brooklyn Museum. In 1977, Duncan became Director
of the Glenbow Museum in Calgary and was appointed Director Emeritus on his
retirement.
He is especially well-known for his article "the Museum: The Temple or the
Forum" which is still published and cited years later. Throughout his
career, he was always concerned with the meaning of museums, 'the why,' and
has continued to write, research and present papers to the museum community,
most recently to the ICOFOM meeting in Calgary in 2005. He has travelled
widely and been active internationally through ICOM and CAM. He was regarded
as one of the founders of 'the new museology' along with Georges Henri
Rivière, Hugues de Varine. John Kinard and Mario Vasquez. He has spoken and
written widely and in 1995 spent a year in New Zealand as a Visiting
Teaching Fellow at Massey University where he worked with eight graduate
students. He regards this time as one of the most rewarding years of his
professional life. It also enormously enriched his personal life as he
became very close to the Maori culture and people during that period.
Duncan Cameron was the President of the Commonwealth Association of Museums
(CAM) from 1983 to 1989. Under his direction CAM took on new vitality and he
remained active in CAM in various positions until his death.
In 1985 he was awarded the CMA Award of Merit and in 1992 he was made a
fellow of the CMA. He was a Fellow of the Museums Association (UK) and
presented with the Cowrie Circle pin as a member of the Commonwealth
Association of Museums Cowrie Circle, CAM's highest honour (2000). In 2005
he received the Lieutenant-Governor's Award from the Alberta Museums
Association.
Duncan Cameron was often controversial and always challenging and
provocative. He was for many us the best museum director in Canada, a
focused visionary with very high standards, a very wide and expert knowledge
of all aspects of museum work and most of all a great mentor and friend who
never forgot the people behind the scenes. He will be missed by so many of
us around the world whether we were fortunate enough to work closely with
him, forged a brief but firm connection during his travels, or appreciated
him through his writings.
We send heartfelt condolences to his family. May he rest in peace.
Lois Irvine
Secretary General
Commonwealth Association of Museums
Lois Irvine
Secretary General
Commonwealth Association of Museums
P.O. Box 30192
Chinook Postal Outlet
Calgary, Alberta
T2H 2V9
Canada
Tel / Fax: 1-403-938-3190
home:
Lois Irvine
R.R. #1
DeWinton, Alberta
T0L 0X0
Canada
Tel / Fax: 1-403-938-3190
email: [log in to unmask]
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