Re: Museum Charges

[N.Monks@xxxxxxxxx (Neale Monks)]

Folks,

Is charging really defeating the object of museums in the late 20th century?

As I understand it, the mid-Victorian world didn't have National Geographic
magazine, or Time Life video, or the BBC, or any of the other cheap, mass
communication devices capable of displaying art and science to the people.
Museums were one of the ways of showcasing scholarly works in an age where
the average level of education was very low, and advancement was seen as
being inextricably bound up with "self betterment".

But 150 years on, most people are relatively well educated; and the
opportunity to learn at school, college or from books and media has never
been so good. Can a stuffed tiger in a glass case really compete with film
of the tiger in India?

The raison d'etre of a museum is different: it must supplement the
education people already have. I would personaly like to see more planning
of exhibits to tie in with the UK's national curriculum (the government
designed agenda of topics for schools); and why not with local universities
as well. And maybe - heresy! - tie ins with television shows, cinema films
and so on. Why not a "Truth about Jurassic Park" or "Is Dr Moreau really
possible?".

All the best,

Neale.


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>From  Neale Monks' Macintosh PowerBook, at...

Department of Palaeontology, Natural History Museum, London, SW7 5BD
Internet: N.Monks@nhm.ac.uk, Telephone: 0171-938-9007

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