The Museum (Jackson)

by Margaret Talbot Jackson

THE MUSEUM

A Manual of the Housing and Care of
Art Collections

BY
MARGARET TALBOT JACKSON

 

LONGMANS, GREEN AND CO
FOURTH AVENUE & 30^TH STREET, NEW YORK
39 PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON
BOMBAY, CALCUTTA, AND MADRAS
1917

 

curtaining of windows and chairs for public, opera del duomo, florence italy

Curtaining of windows and chairs for public, Opera del Duomo, Florence Italy

 

Copyright, 1917, by
LONGMANS, GREEN AND CO.

 

PREFACE

THE object of this little book is to put before those interested in the administration of collections the result of several years of study of the museums of Europe and America. It cannot claim the distinction of bringing new ideas to a field where so many men of genius have long been working; it can only hope to call attention to the results of the constant experiments being made by those already in the field.

The author is under deep obligations to the many museum directors who have generously given their counsel and the results of their experience. Especial thanks are due to Professor Adolfo Venturi, Dr. J. B. Carter and the American Academy in Rome, His Excellency Dr. Bode, Dr. Karl Koetschau, Dr. Camille Enlart and Dr. Edward Robinson.

Cambridge, January, 1917.

 

 

CONTENTS

CHAPTER		PAGE
I.	The Situation of the Museum Building	3
II.	The Architectural Plan	13
	Entrances	15
	Staircases	20
	Corridors	23
	Galleries	26
	Light	29
	Ceilings and Skylights	37
	Offices of the Staff, Library and Lecture Rooms	41
	Workshops and Store Rooms	47
	Fire Risk, Restaurant	51
	Details Often Overlooked	55
	Heat and Ventilation	61
	How May Defects in Existing Buildings be Remedied?	68
III.	Preparation for the Collections Interior Decoration	73
	Textiles	75
	Color	80
	Other Backgrounds	88
	Floors	89
	Trim	95
	Gallery Furniture	96
	Glass	99
	Velaria	101
IV.	The Formation of Collections	103
V.	The Preparation of Objects for Exhibition
	Paintings	111
	Framing	118
	Hanging	121
	Labelling	126
	Minor Arts	129
	Textiles	131
	Wooden Objects	140
	Ironwork	143
	Bronzes	145
	Tin	146
	Silver	146
	Museum Cases	146
	Labelling	154
	Sculpture	156
	Casts	160
	Patinating	166
	Mounting	169
	Labelling	171
	Prints	173
	Exhibiting	178
	Storing	180
	Archæology	183
	Safety Devices	186
VI.	Official Questions Hours of Opening	189
	Admission Fees	192
	Museum Staff	195
	Cleaning and Avoidance of Dust	215
	Rules for Copyists and Photographers	217
	Museum Publications	220
	Records	224
	Advertising	236
	Appendix
	Blanks for Loans, Gifts, Purchases	243
	By-laws	253
	List of Museums Visited	271

 

 

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Curtaining of Windows and Chairs for Public. Opera Del Duomo, Florence, Italy	Frontispiece
A Museum all on One Floor, the Glyptothek, Munich, Germany	Facing page 20
Bavarian National Museum, Munich, Germany	54
Note the Excessive Glare and the Reflections in the Marble, Glyptothek, Copenhagen, Denmark	90
A Successful "Period" Room in America. Colonial Kitchen, Oakland Public Museum, Oakland, California	108
Heavy and Unsuccessful Cases Designed in a "Period," Bavarian National Museum, Munich, Germany	150
Rarely Successful Case Designed for a Richly Decorated Room, Bavarian National Museum, Munich, Germany	152