The Museum in America Innovators and Pioneers

by Alexander, Edward P.

• ISBN13: 9780761989462
• ISBN10: 0761989463
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1997-09-30
• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

Summary

The Museum in America captures the life stories of thirteen visionary museum leaders who helped transform the 19th century's collection of curios into today's institution of public service and education. In the lively style of Museum Masters, Alexander recounts the stories of pioneers in American history, science, art, and general museums. For anyone interested in the history of the museum, this volume is the place to start.

Table of Contents

Foreword	9	(4)
William Seale
Introduction: Toward a Definition of the American Museum	13	(6)
1. Henry Fairfield Osborn Develops a Model Natural History Museum	19	(14)
2. Carl Ethan Akeley Perfects the Habitat Group Exhibition	33	(18)
3. Henry Watson Kent Standardizes Functions of the Art Museum	51	(16)
4. Alfred Hamilton Barr Jr. Brings Modern Art to the Museum	67	(18)
5. Reuben Gold Thwaites Makes a Historical Society Reach the People of a State	85	(16)
6. William Sumner Appleton Preserves Important Sites Throughout New England	101	(16)
7. Frank Friedman Oppenheimer Uses Visitors as Part of Museum Experiments	117	(16)
8. Anna Billings Gallup Popularizes the First Children's Museum	133	(14)
9. John Robert Kinard Expands the Neighborhood Museum	147	(14)
10. Katherine Coffey Attracts the Community into a General Museum	161	(12)
11. Charles Sprague Sargent Plants an Outstanding Botanical Garden	173	(16)
12. William Temple Hornaday Founds a Varied and Popular Zoo	189	(16)
13. Paul Joseph Sachs Teaches a Pioneering Course in Museum Studies	205	(14)
Epilogue: The American Museum Progresses	219	(2)
Index	221