Curators and Culture
The Museum Movement in America, 1740-1870
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 11675419 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Robert E Bieder (corresponding author), Joel J Orosz |
| Year | 1991 |
| Volume | 11 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 256-256 |
| Publication date | 1991-01-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of the Early Republic (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0275-1275 • E-ISSN: 1553-0620 |
| Publisher | JSTOR (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.2307/3123245 |
| OpenAlex | W2032486707 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 7 |
examines the histories of eleven American museums and places them in the context of the communities they served.He describes a century-and-a-half-long effort by museum directors and curators to establish institutions devoted to science, art, and history that could also prosper in an environment that was often indifferent to their goals.He argues that from 1740 to 1870 American museums passed through six distinct ages, in each of which a different facet of the museum was dominant.From 1820 to 1840, for example, American museums were directed primarily toward popular education, while from 1840 to 1850, the public interest suffered at the expense of the demands of professional scientists.Finally, by 1870 the conflicting goals of popular education and professional research had been balanced in a uniquely American fashion that Orosz calls the American Compromise.That compromise, he says, has shaped the course of American museums ever since.Museum history is a small but growing specialty of great potential, and this book makes a genuine contribution to the field.Orosz demonstrates that there was a dynamic museum culture in America earlier than we have usually recognized.He concentrates on museums in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, and New York, and more briefly looks at museums in other cities, including Cincinnati and Charleston, South Carolina.Most of these institutions were dedicated to natural science, while a smaller number focused on art and history.Orosz is at his best when he explains what he has discovered about the changing fortunes of the museums from his careful examination of their archives.He shows how their owners and directors struggled to define the character of each museum, and how their plans often failed to develop as expected.In doing so, he raises questions that have confronted and continue to confront all museum professionals.Why should this museum exist?Who is the intended audi
Aesthetics · Art · Media studies · Movement (music · Political science · Sociology · Museums and Cultural Heritage · Photography and Visual Culture · Religious Tourism and Spaces
| Unique citing works | 7 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,25 |
| Citation span | 1998 - 2022 (25) |
| Citation velocity | historical |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 6 |