DEFINITION: a museum is an institution dedicated to the collection,

preservation, study, interpretation and display of objects of historical,

artistic, cultural religious and educational significance.
UNESCO: “A museum is a permanent institution, administered in the
general interest, whose purpose is to preserve, study, enhance, and
especially to exhibit to the public— for education and enjoyment—
collections of objects and specimens of cultural, artistic, historical,
scientific, and technological value, including botanical and zoological
gardens and aquariums.”
The word museum has classical origin and it has been taken from the
Greek word “mouseion”, means “seat of the Muses”—the nine Geek Gods
and designated a philosophical institution or a place of contemplation. Use
of the Latin derivation of ‘mouseion’ is museum and it had been restricted
in Roman times mainly to places of philosophical discussion. Thus, the
Museum of Alexandria founded by Ptolemy I Soter was more like a proto
type university than an institute to preserve or display heritage.
The word museum was revived in 15th-century Europe to describe the
collection of Lorenzo de’ Medici in Florence, but the term conveyed the
concept of comprehensiveness rather than denoting a building.
By the 17th century museum was being used in Europe to describe
collections of curiosities. Ole Worm’s collection in Copenhagen, and John
Tradescant’s collection called a museum; the catalogue of this collection,
published in 1656, was titled ‘Musaeum Tradescantianum’. In 1675 the
collection, having become the property of Elias Ashmole, was transferred
to the University of Oxford. A building was constructed to receive it, and
this, soon after being opened to the public in 1683, became known as the
Ashmolean Museum.
After the foundation of the British Museum in 1753 the idea of museum
became clear to common people as an institution to preserve and display
a collection. Indeed, Denis Diderot outlined a detailed scheme for a
national museum for France in the ninth volume of his Encyclopédie,
published in 1765.
In India, the concept museum came during late 18th Century after the
formation of the Asiatic Society in 1784. The society took initiative to
establish a museum with the available objects of different disciplines for
the oriental studies. In view of that in 1814 the first museum in India and
south Asia was established and now well known as Indian Museum.
After the formation of ICOM (International Council of Museums) in 1946,
On August 24th 2007, in the framework of the 26th ICOM General
Conference held in Prague, the ICOM Extraordinary General Assembly
approved a new museum definition. “A museum is a not-for-profit,
permanent institution in the service of society that researches,
collects, conserves, interprets and exhibits tangible and
intangible heritage. Open to the public, accessible and inclusive,
museums foster diversity and sustainability. They operate and
communicate ethically, professionally and with the participation
of communities, offering varied experiences for education,
enjoyment, reflection and knowledge sharing.”
HISTORY OF MUSEUMS: There are many museums in the world
that differ in sizes, in specializations, in collections.
Earliest museums were private collections that were not of open nature
and were only accessible to narrow circle of people. They displayed rare
and curious natural objects and artifacts. Some of them worked as
“wonder rooms” or “cabinets of curiosities”.
Oldest known museum was Ennigaldi-Nanna's museum, collected by
Princess Ennigaldi and dated from 530 BC. It was located in the state of Ur
and it held Mesopotamian antiquities.
Oldest public collection of art is Capitoline Museum and it started in 1471
with donation of sculptures by Pope Sixtus IV to people of Rome.
St. Petersburg’s first museum was opened in 1717 and named
Kunstkamera.
The first "public" museums were often accessible only by the middle and
upper classes. When the British Museum opened to the public in 1759, it
was a concern that large crowds could damage the artifacts.
In France, the first public museum was the Louvre Museum in Paris,
opened in 1793 during the French Revolution.
Chinese and Japanese visitors to Europe were fascinated by the museums
they saw there, but had cultural difficulties in grasping their purpose and
finding an equivalent Chinese or Japanese term for them.
American museums eventually joined European museums as the world's
leading centres for the production of new knowledge in their fields of
interest. Universities became the primary centres for innovative research
in the United States well before the start of World War II.

FUNCTIONS OF A MUSEUM: a public service organisation dealing

with exhibition of objects and visitors, thus has some responsibilities
towards the objects and the society.
1. Collection: most important, methods of collection, written document
of collection policy.
2. Storage: scientifically and secured storage, two-third collection is
stored, humidity, light, pests, bio chemical and natural hazards.
3. Preservation and conservation: in display and storage, preventive
and curative conservation.
4. Documentation: record of collection by formal entry in the Entry
Register, accessioning, cataloguing and indexing with images, main
administrative function, authentic information after necessary
research.
 5. Research: for dissemination and acquisition of information. preserve
and publish the information, serve research scholars, keep ready
reference.
6. Exhibition: forming permanent or temporary galleries, travelling or
mobile exhibits.
7. Security: strong security system against vandalism, fire, theft,
burglary and natural disaster using equipment, alarms, cctv,
security and disaster management teams.
8. Education and knowledge dissemination.
9. Publication: leaflets, folders, posters, guide books. catalogues on
collections, journals, art albums, monographs etc. bulletins,
newsletters, annual reports etc for activities and administrative
details.
10. Public services or organising activities: videos and
documentaries e.g Kolkata Police Museum – documentary on history
of Kolkata Police. workshops, cultural programmes, games, quiz,
competitions.
11. Outreach activities: museo-bus to remote locations, mobile
exhibitions, promotion of folk art and craft. e.g Bharat Lok Kala
Mandal, Udaipur, Rajasthan.
12. Lecture and seminars: experts on specialised fields, scholarly
activities to enhance work potential etc.
HISTORY OF MUSEUMS IN INDIA: “chitrashala” meaning picture
galleries in ancient Indian literature. Bodhgaya, Amravati with labelled
sculpture, Brihadisvara temple at Thanjavur. therefore, oldest form of
museums in India in the form of picture galleries and “museum-cum-
galleries”.
Sir William Jones and Nathanial Wallich associated with Asiatic Society of
Bengal may indeed, be considered as the founding fathers of India’s
museum movement.
1. museum movement under East India Company (1784-1857):
Asiatic society of Bengal (1784) established a museum in 1814.
1867-foundation of present building of INDIAN MUSEUM at
Chowringhee. 1875- completion of current building designed by WL
Greenville, with two sections- archaeology and ethnology; geology
and zoology. now consists of 6 sections: art; archaeology;
anthropology; zoology; geology and botany.
for collection of miscellaneous art and archaeo material- people not
interested- non profit making thus low priority by govt- new
museums by 1857:
 Central museum at ST. George
 Victoria Museum at Karachi
 College Museum at Calcutta.

2. Victorian Era (1857-1898):

interest of princely states- Maharaja museums:
 Trivandrum by maharaja of Travancore
  Bangalore by Maharaja of Mysore
birth of ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA (1861)- efforts of
Alexander Cunningham discovery of Sunga Stupa at Barhut. 1874-
Government Museum at Mathura efforts of FS Growse. museums
founded in the name of queen Victoria like the Victoria technical
institute at Madras.
3. British Officials (1898-1928):
lord Curzon’s interest in preservation of Indian monuments,
appointed sir John Marshall at DG of ASI in 1902- set up site
museums. Markham and Greaves- “It has been the policy of
Government of India to keep the small and movable antiquities
recovered from the ancient sites, in close connection with the
remains to which they belong, so that they may be studied amid
their natural surroundings”. In 1906- founding of Victoria Memorial
Hall at Calcutta- formally opened in 1921. museums opened at
Sarnath, Agra, Gwalior, Delhi fort, Lahore etc.

4. Popular Participation (1928-47): participation of Indian states, civic

bodies, private individuals. Markham- secretary of the british
museums association and Hargreaves- DG of ASI reported- “lack of
proper record maintenance, training of curators and funds.
museums established-
 Taxila museum, Punjab
 Rajwada Samshodhan Mandal
 Raja Raja Chola Museum, Tanjore
site museums by RM Wheeler as DG of ASI in 1944.
 post-independence India- modern society- rural and urban
museums. quantitative to qualitative growth of museums- trained
personnel. Museology introduced in universities as a subject:
BITS Pilani, Calcutta uni, Baroda uni, Aligarh Muslim uni.
Sarkar H. rightly says that, “It is an indisputable lesson of history that a
cultural and social resurgence has to be spearheaded by the people and
not by Government and not by Government alone”.

museology study of museums- theory, history and methodology.

ICOM- study of museums, their history, their impact on society. theories,
methodologies and practices for managing collections and engaging the
public.
Scope- theoretical, practical and digital.
Areas- management, curation, conservation, education and public
engagement, research, ethics and cultural repatriation
NEW MUSEOLOGY: critical movement that emerged in the 1980s,
challenging traditional museum practices and advocating socially engaged
and inclusive approach. active participants in addressing social issues,
fostering dialogue, serving needs of diverse communities. as part of
broader intellectual shifts like civil rights movement, post-colonial
critiques and new theories like post-modernism, semiotics- question
established power structures.
“The New Museology” 1989 by Peter Vergo- traditional museology too
focused on techniques neglecting underlying purpose and societal roles.

Key ideas:
1. museums as social agents- socio-cultural actors with responsibility
to address contemporary issues like social justice, inclusion,
sustainability, human rights.
2. audience centred approach- instead of curator driven, visitor-
centred approach including co-curation, accessibility, participation
and interaction
3. critical reflection and inclusivity- reexamine their collections
checking for items obtained thru colonial exploitation, inclusivity of
marginalised communities
4. decolonization- repatriation of cultural artefacts
5. challenging authority and expertise- communities with experience
over curators and experts. multiple viewpoints> authoritative
narrative
6. ethics and social responsibility- ethical acquisition policies in ways
respectful to communities, addressing global changes like climate
change, human rights, inequality.
7. a process, not a place- process of engagement, knowledge
production and social interaction. “living” institution evolving and
responding to changing surrounding.
Practical implications:
 Museo Comunitario (community museums) (Anacostia,
Washington DC): managed by local communities, cultural
heritage and contemporary issues relevant to that community.
 Museum of broken relationships (Zagreb, Croatia): personal
objects donated by people. emotionally resonant approach.
 Canada’s indigenous museum programs: authentic
representation of indigenous communities like repatriation of
sacred objects.
 Museum of London’s “Collecting COVID”- objects, experiences
and stories from pandemic focusing on engaging with current
events.
  Museum of Tomorrow (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), Smithsonian
National Museum of African American History and Culture
(Washington, D.C.) etc.
Critiques:
emphasis on participation dilutes authority as educational institutions
leading to loss of scholarly rigor; shift towards social activism risks
becoming politicized; significant financial and human resources.