Page:The museum, (Jackson, Marget Talbot, 1917).djvu/47

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THE ARCHITECTURAL PLAN
27

torically, and which the public should be induced to appreciate, and material which has no value except to the special student, particularly as it is usually the special student who is put in charge of the material. If one is to make a distinction, perhaps the easiest way to do it is by choosing for the public collections only material which has some artistic importance and leaving in the study series the replicas or less perfect specimens. With certain types of objects, as for instance, textiles, a changing exhibition is much to be preferred to the customary showing of all the pieces. This can easily be arranged and will take less space than if all pieces are exhibited. (See Chapter V.)

Starting then with this hypothesis, what are the rules in regard to proportion of rooms that must be considered? This is perhaps the most difficult point of all. No architect has yet succeeded in laying down rules which would always apply in regard to proportion, and much depends upon the material to be displayed in the rooms. Thus, for instance, rooms in which objects of various classes are displayed together according to period must partake somewhat of the general character of the century they represent. Should a museum be fortunate enough to possess actual interiors, special arrangement must, of course, be made for showing them. (cf. Zürich, Landes-