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What is a museum?

Discussion in 'Everything Else Heritage' started by Tim Light, Feb 19, 2020.

  1. Tim Light

    Tim Light Well-Known Member

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    Museum


    A museum (/mjuːˈziːəm/ mew-ZEE-əm; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is an institution that cares for (conserves) a collection of gift shops, food outlets and interpretive materials of cultural or commercial importance. Many public museums also display historical artefacts, to give context or setting to the interpretive materials and outlets, whilst taking care that the historic artefacts do not obscure or detract from the interpretive materials.

    :));):Happy::Cat::Woot::Nailbiting:)
     
    Last edited: Feb 20, 2020
  2. ghost

    ghost Part of the furniture

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    OK. Thanks for that. Maybe some context would be useful?

    Keith
     
  3. mdewell

    mdewell Well-Known Member Friend

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    And your point is?

    (PS. While most museums do include 'a collection of gift shops, food outlets' I don't think I would include those as part of the definition of 'museum'. :confused: )
     
  4. 35B

    35B Nat Pres stalwart

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    I think @Tim Light is expressing his support for the late 1980s "ace caff with a nice museum attached" campaign by the V&A;)
     
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  5. jsm8b

    jsm8b Part of the furniture

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  6. Tim Light

    Tim Light Well-Known Member

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    It's just me, tongue in cheek, having a go at modern museums, not excluding railway museums. There's a thread about Locomotion where contributors are complaining (quite rightly) about exhibits being obscured by sales stands and interpretive panels.
     
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  7. Tim Light

    Tim Light Well-Known Member

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    I suppose my point is the complete opposite. It's a spoof definition intended to have a go at museums that obscure their exhibits behind interpretive panels, sales stands and cafes.
     
  8. D1039

    D1039 Guest

    "A museum is a non-profit, permanent institution in the service of society and its development, open to the public, which acquires, conserves, researches, communicates and exhibits the tangible and intangible heritage of humanity and its environment for the purposes of education, study and enjoyment.”

    (Be thankful they didn't adopt the suggested alternative!)

    https://icom.museum/en/activities/standards-guidelines/museum-definition/

    Patrick
     
  9. Tim Light

    Tim Light Well-Known Member

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    That's hilarious! Worse than my spoof definition!

    ;)
     
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  10. AndyY

    AndyY Member

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    I think some people are suffering a sense of humour failure.......................
     
  11. 35B

    35B Nat Pres stalwart

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    ICOM, to start with;)
     
  12. mdewell

    mdewell Well-Known Member Friend

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    :p It always helps to include a smilie or 2 when making posts that are not intended to be taken seriously. :D
     
  13. mdewell

    mdewell Well-Known Member Friend

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    :Wtf: What a load of *****:Muted: Surely it's the content that determines museum status, not whether there is a charge or not. Was the NRM not considered a museum in the days when they charged. :rolleyes:
     
  14. 35B

    35B Nat Pres stalwart

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    That definition is very, erm, political, but it doesn't rule out charging - just being there for profit.
     
  15. Tim Light

    Tim Light Well-Known Member

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    Smileys now added to original post! :Updated:
     
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