Hi all,
Question:
What’s the use for major musea to have a large storage area?
It depends on what your defintion of the function of a museum is. Most museum professionals consider them to be the following in order of importance:
to acquire
to conserve
to research
to exhibit
for purposes of study, education and enjoyment.
Whilst allowing the public to gawp at “stuff” is considered the number one function of a museum by most people (and I enjoy a good gawp as much as the next person), notice that it is the last on the list.
By the very nature of museums adding to collections all the time they quickly outgrow the available space to display everything. However in theory items in museums are safe AND accesable, ok I know that might mean making speacial arrangements to see things, and I am aware of instances when items have been de-accessioned when perhaps they should not.
However items in private hands can be considered neither safe nor accesable, again I know this is simplistic in that many owners are happy to give access to collections but how many collections have been split up or destroyed by unknowing/uncaring family members when the collector dies?
I am a collector and I work in a (non-avaition) museum so I feel that both play an important part in preserving our heritage. However museums are always going to have more in store than on display, it is the nature of the beast.
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