Museum Collection Ethics
Acquisition, Stewardship, and Interpretation
1st Edition
Published on 19. March 2020
222 pages
979-8-7651-7582-8 (ISBN)
Description
Collection ethics - the third rail of the museum profession.
What are the encompassing issues museum face regarding how they acquire, keep and work with their collections? Museum Collection Ethics discusses the complexities inherent in preserving and interpreting the extraordinary range of culturally significant objects entrusted to museums. The book presents an encompassing look at every aspect of the intellectual and stewardship duties museums by definition assume. The differences between ethics, laws, customs, and expectations are discussed. They are not synonymous. Ethics vary widely and are fluid.
Essential factors include:
Defining a museum as an ethical pursuitThe role of museum governing authorities regarding ethicsThe ethics of collection authority: who is responsible for collection truthsHow museums collect and how ethics influences that activityThe ethics of assuring collection authenticityThe ethical access to collections, be it physical or digitalEthics and conservationExhibition ethicsThe ethics of collection removals be they voluntary or involuntary
This is the first book devoted solely to the ethical concerns museums face regarding their collections.
What are the encompassing issues museum face regarding how they acquire, keep and work with their collections? Museum Collection Ethics discusses the complexities inherent in preserving and interpreting the extraordinary range of culturally significant objects entrusted to museums. The book presents an encompassing look at every aspect of the intellectual and stewardship duties museums by definition assume. The differences between ethics, laws, customs, and expectations are discussed. They are not synonymous. Ethics vary widely and are fluid.
Essential factors include:
Defining a museum as an ethical pursuitThe role of museum governing authorities regarding ethicsThe ethics of collection authority: who is responsible for collection truthsHow museums collect and how ethics influences that activityThe ethics of assuring collection authenticityThe ethical access to collections, be it physical or digitalEthics and conservationExhibition ethicsThe ethics of collection removals be they voluntary or involuntary
This is the first book devoted solely to the ethical concerns museums face regarding their collections.
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Book
03/2020
Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
€80.90
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Person
Steven Miller has been in the museum field for nearly fifty years. During that time he has been a curator, administrator, director, trustee, writer, consultant, and museum studies educator. He has served with six major museums in the northeastern United States. He holds a BA in sculpture (with honors) from Bard College and an international graduate certificate in the Principles of Conservation Science from the International Centre for the Study of the Conservation and Preservation of Cultural Property, Rome, Italy.
Content
Dedication
List of Illustrations
Preface
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1. Defining a Museum
Chapter 2. Museum Governance
Chapter 3. Ethics and Museums
Chapter 4. Collection Authority
Chapter 5. Museum Collecting Methods
Chapter 6. Acquisition Ethics
Chapter 7. Ethics and Collection Authenticity
Chapter 8. Collection Stewardship and Access
Chapter 9. Ethics and Conservation
Chapter 10. Exhibition Ethics
Chapter 11. Ethics and Collection Loss
Chapter 12. Museum Collection Ethics Standards
Appendix I. Museum Positions with Direct Collection Connectivity
Appendix II. The Declaration on the Importance and Value of Universal Museums, 2002
Appendix III. A Code of Ethics for Curators, American Association of Museums, Curators Committee, 2009
Appendix IV. Penn Museum Statement on Human Remains
Appendix V. The Cleveland Museum of Art News Release on Open Access
Appendix VI. American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works. Core Documents: Code of Ethics and Guidelines for Practice
Appendix VII. "The Ethics of Deaccessioning," by Steven Miller
Appendix VIII. Corcoran Board of Trustees Announces One of the Largest Free Art Distributions in U.S. History. More than 10,750 Works of Art Going to 22 Institutions in Washington
Bibliography
Index
About the Author
List of Illustrations
Preface
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1. Defining a Museum
Chapter 2. Museum Governance
Chapter 3. Ethics and Museums
Chapter 4. Collection Authority
Chapter 5. Museum Collecting Methods
Chapter 6. Acquisition Ethics
Chapter 7. Ethics and Collection Authenticity
Chapter 8. Collection Stewardship and Access
Chapter 9. Ethics and Conservation
Chapter 10. Exhibition Ethics
Chapter 11. Ethics and Collection Loss
Chapter 12. Museum Collection Ethics Standards
Appendix I. Museum Positions with Direct Collection Connectivity
Appendix II. The Declaration on the Importance and Value of Universal Museums, 2002
Appendix III. A Code of Ethics for Curators, American Association of Museums, Curators Committee, 2009
Appendix IV. Penn Museum Statement on Human Remains
Appendix V. The Cleveland Museum of Art News Release on Open Access
Appendix VI. American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works. Core Documents: Code of Ethics and Guidelines for Practice
Appendix VII. "The Ethics of Deaccessioning," by Steven Miller
Appendix VIII. Corcoran Board of Trustees Announces One of the Largest Free Art Distributions in U.S. History. More than 10,750 Works of Art Going to 22 Institutions in Washington
Bibliography
Index
About the Author
