Codes of museum ethics and the financial pressures on museums
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 5905798 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Florian Schmidt (0009-0000-7441-2399, City, University of London, corresponding author) |
| Year | 1992 |
| Volume | 11 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 257-268 |
| Publication date | 1992-09-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Museum Management and Curatorship (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0964-7775 • E-ISSN: 1872-9185 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1016/0964-7775(92)90037-6 |
| OpenAlex | W2055282762 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 5 |
| References cited | 6 |
Modern warfare and increasing international trade raise ethical questions concerning the protection of works of art and archaeological objects. With the end of the First World War, there developed a growing concern about the loss of national art and treasures. The Second World War confronted museums with fundamental problems like the repatriation of looted, or otherwise misappropriated, museum collections and cultural property. In reaction to these emerging problems, conventions like ‘The Hague Convention’ of 1954, for the protection of cultural centres in case of an armed conflict, and the ‘UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Cultural Property’ were adopted. In addition, ethical codes were developed and adopted, as happened first in the United States of America in 1925. In 1960 the United States adopted the ‘Standards of Practice and Professional Relationships for Conservators’ which were mainly concerned with ethical problems in conservation and in the care of museums and gallery collections. These standards were revised in 1980. As in other countries, the United Kingdom, through the Museums Association, developed ethical codes. The ‘Code of Conduct for Museum Curators’ with its system of Rules and Guidelines for Professional Conduct (adopted 1974), as well as the ‘Code of Practice for Museum Authorities’ (adopted 1977), are central elements in museum ethics in the United Kingdom today. Two separate papers were developed for governing bodies in museums and galleries and for their curatorial staff because their functions differ fundamentally from each other. Ethical codes gained an increasing recognition and today in the United Kingdom the ethical standards are realized through the ‘Museums and Galleries Registration Scheme’ and the activities of the Museums Training Institute. However, codes were established because it was felt that there was an urgent need to codify ethical principles in museum affairs. When it was realized that the ‘UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property’ of 1970 and the ‘European Convention on the Protection of the Archaeological Heritage’ were not being satisfactorily adopted, ICOM issued a Statement in 1970 (see Boylan, 1977, p. 106; concerning the aspects of the illicit international trade in Art see Merryman and Elsen, 1987, pp. 46-76). The development of the ‘ICOM Code of Professional
Archaeology · Art · Business · Visual arts · Archaeological Research and Protection · Art History and Market Analysis · Conservation Techniques and Studies · Cultural Industries and Urban Development · History · Museology · Museums and Cultural Heritage · Finance
| Unique citing works | 4 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,33 |
| Citation span | 2011 - 2019 (9) |
| Citation velocity | historical |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |