The New Museology

by Peter Vergo, Paul Greenhalgh (Contributor), Colin Sorensen (Contributor)

Traditionally, museums have concerned themselves with foremost with conservation and classification. But what is conserved, and why? How is it classified? And who does this benefit? Are exhibitions really designed with the visitor in mind? And what qualities of experience are being offered? These are just some of the pressing questions which the authors - museum professionals, historians and critics - raise in this volume. Art collections, museums of childhood, science and photography, theme parks and 'time machines', and the Great Exhibitions are among the diverse subjects discussed. As a collection of critical views of museum history, theory and practice, "The New Museology" is of interest not only to those in the museum profession, but to all those concerned with society's attitude to its own history and culture.

Genres: Museums, Museology, Nonfiction, Grad School

238 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1989

Reviews

[Casey Browne · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great introduction to museology made up of essays!
This is a collection of "new museum" theory essays, primarily written from a British perspective. In keeping with the new museum theory, the essays critically focus on museums' function and purposes rather than museum methodology. The book considers museums as places of study and display, how objects function differently within museum contexts, and the inner relations between museological purposes: education, entertainment, and socio-political authority. Individual chapters focus on visitor experience and museums as cultural property.

[Robert Davies · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since this book was published in 1989 it inevitably feels very dated in parts as obviously museums and the world in which they operate have changed radically since then. That said I would still recommend most of these essays as thought-provoking and accessible interventions in the field. It's particularly interesting to read some of the recommendations for practice suggested here and reflect on the extent to which these have or have not out adopted by contemporary museums.

[Ang · Rating 3 out of 5]

Summary: The New Museology appears at a time of unprecedented growth and interest in museums and exhibitions, but also at a time when the museum world is facing an apparent crisis - a crisis reflected not simply in a shortage of funding, but in an underlying lack of direction. These specially commissioned essays tackle the issues head-on and have provoked widespread debate.

[Kristi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a collection of “new museum” theory essays, primarily written from a British perspective. In keeping with new museum theory, the essays critically focus on the function and purposes of museums, rather than museum methodology. The book as a whole considers museums as places of study and display, how objects function differently within museum contexts, and the inner-relations between museological purposes: mainly, education, entertainment, and socio-political authority. Individual chapters focus on visitor experience and museums as cultural property.

[Rachel Coleman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great introduction to museology made up of essays.