What is a museum?

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.

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

Keith

 

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'. )

 

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

 

In response might I recommend the fine collection of railwayana at Codsall station -- with attached pub. What more could a man want ?

https://www.holdenscodsallstation.co.uk/index

 

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.

 

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.

 

"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

 

That's hilarious! Worse than my spoof definition!

 

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

 

ICOM, to start with

 

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

 

What a load of ***** 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.

 

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

 

Smileys now added to original post!