107-418 The History and Philosophy of Museums

Admission to the postgraduate diploma or fourth year honours in art history.

This subject examines the growth of the museum from its origins in the wunderkammer and antiquarian collections of the 16th century to the dynamic and constantly shifting field of possibilities available to museums today. The subject charts the progression of the museum from the private collections of the Renaissance and Baroque to the vast public institutional spaces of the late 18th-19th centuries, and beyond. Special attention will be given to the ways in which the changing objectives of the museum (e.g. moral elevation, public instruction, mass entertainment, propaganda) are reflected in the architecture, design and the display techniques developed in different countries at different times. Students should develop an understanding of the relationship between museums and concepts of national and cultural identity, focusing on their development within Australia. This will include visits to appropriate sites and institutions.

Written work comprising a class paper of 2000 words and an essay of 3000 words.

• E Hooper-Greenhill, Museums and the Shaping of Knowledge. Routledge, 1982.
• P T Vergo, The New Museology. Reaktion Books, 1989.
• R Lumley, The Museum Time Machine. Routledge, 1988.