Guided Tour: Museum of Museums

Introduction

• Welcome to the Museum of Museums.
• Museums have over 2000 years of history.
• Evolution of museums from ancient times to modern day.

Greek Origins

• The word 'museum' comes from Greek 'mouseion'.
• Mouseion were temples for the Muses, goddesses of arts and sciences.
• Temples contained offerings like sculptures, mosaics, scientific apparatuses, poetry, and literary works.

Mesopotamian Museum

• First museum: 530 B.C. in Iraq.
• First curator: Princess Ennigaldi-Nanna.
• Collection of Mesopotamian antiquities with clay labels in three languages.

Roman Empire

• Collection trend adopted by politicians and generals.
• Treasure houses filled with spoils of war.
• Royal menageries showcased exotic animals.

Renaissance and Curiosity Cabinets

• Revival of natural world study during the Renaissance.
• Curiosity cabinets (Wunderkammers) acted as physical encyclopedias.
• Notable cabinet: Ole Worm’s collection included natural specimens, human skeletons, runic texts, and New World artifacts.
• Curiosity cabinets were private collections of aristocrats, merchants, and scientists.

19th Century Developments

• Phineas T. Barnum's American Museum in NYC: zoo, lecture hall, wax museum, theater, and freak show.
• First public museums were exclusive to upper and middle classes.
• The Louvre allowed public access but only on specific days.

Modern Museums

• 19th century: onset of the modern museum era.
• Institutions like the Smithsonian emphasized public access for study and research.
• Museums became centers for scholarship, artistic and scientific discovery.

Current Challenges

• Museums are more accessible but ticket prices can limit access.

Conclusion

• Museums continue to evolve as centers of learning and research.
• Visitors encouraged to visit the gift shop.