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The
Educational Value of Museums
By
Louise Connolly
Edited and with an Introduction by
J. C. Dana
Newark, N. J.
The Newark Museum Association
1914
DEC '' '1-6
Contents
Page
Inll-udllcl inn vii
The lMliir:ilioii:il \;iliic of .Musciniis — Siiiinii;n-y
111' < 'iililclll 1
The llcpdrl *'
Old Musciiiiis ;iiiil Xcw ■">
The Olil Siiiillisiiiihiii niid 1lie Old Patciil oilicc. Ti
(iood Miisciiins \\';lil('d oil <! 1 'rciuliiuit . ... <>
Lifiiil Ol)t:iiiicd Iroiii .Muscniii Ilisdn-y S
Liiilil ()lil;iin('(l trdiu .Muscniii l'sycli(d(ii;T . . . . "
Museums I'.iiscd iiii iUc iliiurdiny Iiisfincl.. '.'
MnsiMiiiis liascd (in lOxchisivc Posscssidn . . Id
^InstMiiiis Iiis](ii-inji Wdudci- 11
('hisses of Mnscniiis N'isiled 1'-!
.M\iscuiiis I'^onndi'd liy ( "iillc;;('s V2
ilusi'iHiis l^nddwcd liy lliili\ id\ials l^!
Mnscniiis .Made by llic I'('ii|ilc 14
( '(indiliolls dl' Miisciinis N'isilcd 1~>
Dead Museums l->
Live ^luseums l'>
The Tendency tn 1 »ie !(">
The Education uf a ( 'ily 17
The City's Need ul' ICduiaiion IT
The Pdssihililies of Educatiuii liie Oily l!l
The Agencies toi- lOducaliug tlie Oily l-'(l
The Museum's Part in Edueatins the Oity I'l
l'roj;ress ol' I'Muraliiui liy Museums 2'2
Where Museum Teaching Shall liejiin 2^
The Aim of Museum Teaching; '-M
Learning hy Doino- -<•
The Dcictiine of Interest -27
The Melhdd uf Presentation '^8
The Curator 2S
Teaehin,i;- Tlirout;li the Kar: The Oo.ent '-".i
v
Page
Toacliiiiji 'l"ln(jiii;li I lie l\vc : 'I'lif Arrnnf^e-
nient 29
Devices in .Museum Teaehing 31
Classification >i( Devices 31
List of 1 )evices 31
Co-operations of iOducational Afjencies 38
The Agencies Involved 38
Extent of Co-oi)era1ive Work 39
The Attitude of Libraries 41
The Attitude of Museums 42
The Attitude of Schools 47
Ditticnlties in Securinff Co-oiieraiion 48
A])iilica1ions to Newark Museums 50
Their Obvious Advantages 50
The Inevitable (Trowth of Any Museum. ... 50
Disadvantages of the Newark Museums 52
Suggestions for the Newark Museums 53
("leneral Scope of These Museiims 53
Arl 54
Industry 56
Science 58
S](ecitic Suggesiions foi- Tliese Museums... (51
Children's Iumhii (Jl
Habitat Grouii 01
Educational Work 62
:Minerals 62
S(ul]itui-e 62
Naluie and Science IJooui 03
.\uiiiial Exhibits 03
Industrial lOxhibils 64
ICxhibils uf ilabilaliiins of ^lan 05
IJdtany (JO
Hygiene, Education, etc (it;
^luseum Loans 07
Leadiin; to ()tlier Museums 67
Introduction
We slionld try lo (Icvclo]!, lu'ic in Ncwaik, ii oroiij) of
iiniseuins, in llic liclds nf ;u(. siience ami industry, of
(he modern typi'. Oni- Newark ninseums, thai is, slunihl
he of immediate jiraclical value to Newark citizens, old
and youni;'. They should a|i])eal lo all of us, to the
newer people as well as llie older. They sho\ild reflect
our induslries. he slimulatiuf; and heljiful (o our work-
ers, and proniole an interest here and elsewhere in the
pnidncis of our own shops. Tliey sliouhl he Ihe hand-
maidens of our scho(ds, helpinji' lo discover amonji' our
llious.'inds of youuii ]!eo]de those lasles and talents
which may lead lliem lo sudi accomplishmenls as will
hring ]irolit, credit ami civilily lo oui- city. Our
museums should <lo these Ihinus in all the lields they
touch: in line arl, in the a|i|died arls. in indnslry. in
Ihe mere uud<ini; of honesl j^oods which is itself a line
art, and in ]iure and aitjilied science.
In thus descrihinji' in hroad lerms the kinds of
museums we should try lo creale here, f sjieak with cou-
siderahle assui'auce. l!ul, while we wiio ,-ire daily at
work ujiou our vei-y modest museum liej;innini;s feel
(piile sure (hat we know in a ji'(''i''i'iil "i'.v toward what
end we slionld ]iroceed, we (ind it dillicidt to discovei-
tlie details with which we may most wisely lirst con-
cern ourselves. This difticuKy w.is most keenly felt
when we faced, a year ajjo, the fact thai our collections
and cases were yi-owinii; very ra|iidly. thai we had one
more small room only into which we could exjtand and
that we must there, so far as ]iossihle, sui;-gest to the
public the character of (he work we helieve the associa-
tion should take uji as it <;rows and e.xp.inds iu later
years — the work, (hat is. which lies outsiile and heyoud
\ 1 1
llip obviously |>ro]i('i' fields of sciiljitiirc, ])iiintin};, jiure
and ajijilicd science, already oiillined Inielly l)wt jilainly
l).\ onr \('i-y siiiall |ieriiiaiienl exiiiliils.
.Much study and many discussions liad led us, as I
have said, lo certiiin ^enei'al conclusions as to flie ])ro-
JK'!- treatiiienl of this last availahle space. I'.ul we
lacked assuiance in details, just as we lacked assur-
ance collcerniufi llie details of the whole scheme of
iiiodein. live, |io|)ular, leaching and iiisjiiiini;- museums
which we had lolli;' heCoi'e a.!il'eed should lie the aim of
this associat ion.
At this ci-isis I was foflunately able lo send Miss
Louise Connolly, educational ex|(erl of the h^i-ee I'uhlic
IJIuary, on a lour of iiis]iecl ion of s(urie lifteeil oi'
twenty of the museums of the country, and lo fjet from
hei- a report on the very i|uestions we wi'r(> facinjj.
Miss Coniiidly, while Hot a s]iecialisl in any liraiU'li
of art or science or indusli-y, has kuowledije of schol-
arly (|uality in all three, and of considerable de]illi in
the last two, havinj; taken Iwo dej;'rees in science,
worked as a sludelit in the National .Museums, and
assisted I he lale I »r. I leliiy ( iannel t in the writ in^of his
• 'ommercial (ieonraphy. She has also been for years a
teachei- and suiierinlendeiii in the jinblic schools of New
• lersey. .\nd she was Iraiui'd under the lale \\'. !'•.
rowell, Siijierintendenl of the \\ashini;lon Schools, in
such em|doymei)f of museums and s;-overniiient ajjencics
for Ihe education of the youn^ ns has ])robably never
been diiplicaled in .\merica. h'or the pur|)ose of this
iii(|niiy, the close relations of the museums and the
ruldic [abrary enabled us to obtain Miss Connolly's
services for an imcsl ij;'ation into what modein museums
are preachinii' and piaci isinj;- as to their e(lucational
rmict ions.
VI 11
Miss Connolly iimhI the I»ire(tor.v of Anieiiean
Museums, and iiiaikcd tlic names of Si' museums which
seemed likely lo yield ]irotit alonjj; I lie line of our
in(iuiry. 'i'o these she wi-ole, askiuj;' for intoriualion.
eidiei- ihroujih j)rinled matter or by lettei'. on the
sjieeial features of their educational activities. To
tliese (pieries she received in reply It letters and Kid
printed docuiiienis of more or U'ss re]e\ance. These siie
read, markinj; ]iassa!»cs u( interest, and from the study
(if these and other sources of information \\as made a
Ieniati\'e itineiary. later i-cvised and expamled.
8he visited lii-st, tlie Metrojiolitan .Museum <>( .\rt,
the New Voik Zoojoi^ical Park, tiie Amei-ican .Museum
of Natural llistoiy, the Ai|uariuiii. the Children's
^iuseuni ill i'.edrord I'ark, i'.rooklyn, the Museum of (he
IJiooklyn Academy of Arts and Sciences, Hie Industrial
^luseum of ('oo|)er I'nion, and the museum collected by
the New -lersey Dejiartment id' Ivlucatioii at 'i'renton.
Then she took a short eastern trip including', in I'.os-
ton, the Museum u( I'^ine Arts, the .Museum of Natural
History and the Children's Museum; in Worcester, the
Art Museum, the Jluseum of the Natural History Asso-
ciation, and the Children's Museum id' Clark' Cnivers-
ity; in Providence, the Koiier Williams Park Museums;
in Wasliin<;1on, D. C., the Smithsonian, and its Chil-
dren's Poom, the National Museum, iiicludiiii; the
de]iartiiients of tieoloyy. biolojiv and etiinolojiyi and the
I'.ureau (d' I'Muiation : in Pliilad(d]diia. the Academy id'
Fine Arts .Miiseniii. its .\liimni ('luli, the ( 'omiiiercial
Department of the Philaihdphia Miiseiiiiis. tin- .Museum
of the Academy of Natural Sciences, and the Wajiiier
Free Institute of Sciences. She already knew fair!\
well the Work of the Museum in I'^aii iiinnnt Park and
tiiat of the Dre.xel Histitute.
On this trip, with a nari-ower view of the liekl to be
covered tiiaii was later obtained, agencies otlier than
niuseiiiiis were oniv incidentally included. Hut, even
so, some invest ij;alioii was made of liluaiy and scliool
relations in Aew Voi-k and i'.rooi;lyn ; the Boston
Library, a jjirls' manual training;' school in Woi'cester,
till' I'l-ovidence Libi'ary, and the Carncjiic Library of
\\'ashin}>ton were seen: ext rairmial school activities
in Washinj^ton were investifialcil ; the librarian in Phil-
adelphia, and three of his librarians ;ind the Secretary
of the Alumni <'hdi in I'liiladelphia were inlcTvicwed.
This trip consumed ci^lil days, fi-om Sciiiciidicr L".l to
October G inclusiv(>.
The western trip iniludcd : In Kelroil, the Art
Museum, the nriicc of Ihc Sn|icrinl('nd('iit of Schools,
the Public Library, and a visit to the site of the future
Fine Arts Centre: in Toledo, the Museum of Art, the
Library, and the SupcriMlcudcnt of Schools: in Indian
a])olis, the Ilerron Art luslilulc. the otlices of the Art
Sujiervisor. and (he Supervisor of Nature Study, a semi-
industrial scImkiI. and the Public Library; in Richmond,
ludian:i. I lie lionic ol Mrs. Johnson, who inaufjurated
and conducts the museum movement tliei'c. the Art
.Museum, the Supervisor of Public School Art, and the
Public falirary; in Cincinnati, ilic .\il Museum of the
Cincinnati Museum Association, the .Vrt Sihool. the
liookwood rott(My, the Sujiervisor of Art in the Public
Schools, ami the I'ublic Libi'ary: in Pittsbiirgh, the
Pid)lic Liluary, the Libraiy School, the inuseuuis of Art
and Science, and two lu-unh libraries.
After her retuiii she visited the Museum of Plain-
tield, N. ,1.. ;iTid the new Ait Museum at Montclair.
In all. li.-f \isils were made. :!."i nf llicni In iiniscnnis.
in<luding /.ocdo^ical collect ions.
.\
Miss Beers, Principal of Elinwood School at Buffalo,
had been eugaged for several mouths" woi'k at this
museum, and as she had visited Chicago, just ]>revious
to coining here, she was asked to i'ei"U't upon Ixith
Butfalo and Chicago. St. fjouis ]iuhlishes very full
accounts of its work. l'''rom these sources, thei'efoi'c, a
fairly intelligent inclusion of St. Louis. I'.utl'alo, and
Chicago was made.
If it seems sirange that a pei'son could make ()5
insjiections in i!t) days, in which were included 2~>iW
miles of travel, it must he rcmcmlieied that this was
not a search for details in mounting sp<'cimcns or in
methods of covering walls, dv in the licsl way of dis-
playing jade, or in any other feature of museum admin-
istration. Neither was it an atti'm[it to investigate the
qualitications of future jtossihle emjiloyees. Many
things picke(l u]i li\ the way. had they lieen the oliject
of these frmrs. would have taken longer (o gain in sys-
tematic shape. The trained supervisor of any subject
perceives certain things about his specialty at once.
To fpiote from one of Miss Connolly's letters written
daily to me en route. " I sjient. in s(»veral [ilaces. (|na<l-
ruple the time I needed to discover what 1 wanted,
as a matter of courtesy, or to gain interesting obsei-va-
tional by-iiroducls."
( >n her i-einrn. she i-ead wliat other people have had
to say, during recent years, on museums, 'fhis reading
inchuled many magazine articles, the sev(>n volumes of
the ]iroceedings uf the American Museum Association,
recent years of the English Museum Jouinal and such
other general museum litei'ature as is hcr(> available in
English.
Siie then wrote a short formal I'eport u]ion hei' inves
tigations. addressed to me, which, at my request, she
cxiiandcd iind made more iiifoniial in style, tli.at it
uiijjlit llie more readily ennjage Ilie alteiilioii of those
not already versed in Ihc sulijeot. I asked her. lliat is,
(o rnrnisli ns with a report wiiicli wonld he of interest
and value, first lo ns who are trying to work out a
theory of educational museums, and next to the gen-
eral |)ul)!ii-. and es|)erially to oui- (dientele and s\i]i|iort-
ers, the general |)uhli(' of >>'ewark.
Jfer re|)ort did foi- ns two things. It told us that
I he conclusinns we had drawn from reading, study, and
geneial oliscrval ions, as to the modern trend in museum
develoiimeiit, ilie eomlnsions which had led us to agree
on the general charactei- which should distinguish
Newark's museums — it fold ns that these conclusions
are in haruiouy with the best modern jiracfice and
esjiecially with the wishes, which have in many oases
not yet been realizeil. of the more advanced and
ajijuoved of museum w orkei-s.
It told us also ([uite definitely how we should develoji
the ]>lans we had m.-ide foi' our one availalde room.
These jdans have been thus dpvel()y)ed in accordance
with this ad\ice. and jiarlly worked out, with results
that seem to jirove their cori'ecfness.
We have not fullilled evei-y detail of the suggesticms
given in the i-eiPoit, jiartly for lack of sjiace. ]iai-tly for
lack of time, jiaitly for lack of money, and jiartly
because we have wished lo move slowly and to keep onr
minds open to outside suggestions of need or oppor-
lunily. in accordance wiih the advice on |i. .")!• of ibis
repoi't.
At present we have, in what the Report calls the
Northeast Koom, the nuclei of several museums, whose
method and s<()|](> are tbei-e plainly defined. A cai'd on
the door announces :
XII
Take note that in this i-ikhii llie exliiliiis tell several
iiitei-estiii<;' stories :
]. The evolution of |io(tei-\" and textiles from the
shredded [laliii leaf lo ilie 'J'renton ]iolteries and the
Newark looms.
'_'. The ways in which uncivilized men adapt their
houies lo their circnmslances. and use what they can
get to make their livinjj;s.
:i. How creatures live in the water.
4. liow insects serve or injure men. and how cun-
ningly they are adapted lo Iheir surroundings.
5. How birds live and travel.
(). How artists use insects, birds and lishes.
These stories, and several olliei-s since added, are
t(dd: 1. As far as ]iossible. by things : "J. When things
lannol be (ibtaiued, by ]iictnres; .".. \Miere ncithei-
things nor jiictures can serve, by wor<ls.
Tiie room is already the haunt of ;i nuudiei- df young
[ieo])le who come again and again lo ]iore over iis cases.
And it attracts jiarents, teachers, and woiking men as
none ol' the otiier ci>llections has ever done.
I quote the conclusion of Miss Connolly's tirst report :
"In my journeys 1 have met with mm-li courtesy and
kindness from many sources. The great insliiulions
have taken my mission as seriously as llanigh I i'epi-e-
sented millions of invcstiueiil, and the small museums
have given freel.\' in liuu' and ser\ice. And whenever
I have mentioned interest in the educaiional asjieets of
niusum woik, 1 liave found my sjiecially Irealed as
resjiectfuJly as though it were Kenaissance I'ainlings
or the Agricultural Implements of Ihe Aztecs. l'"'rom
this little experience I am sure llial you are safe in
believing that lliei'e is a great unaninnl\- ^lf seniiment
in favor- of U\r conscious educaiional mission (d' all
XIll
nniscuiiis, and a warm and practical l_v jiroven spirif of
hriillici-lHiod among museum oHicials. IT, in vour snuill
beginniujis. you need licl|>. adxirc. loans, oi- cxciiauges,
you will jii't llu'ui readily and (o the limit of tlie pow-
ers of lliose ri'oui wiiom you solicit by a|ii>lying to any
nuiseuni auywliei-e in the I'nited States.
'"Permit me to thank you lor sending Tiie nu this inter-
esting mission, and Un- giving me fi'eedom to jiursue my
in([uiiies in my own way. I sincei-ely hope thai the
museum may pi-olii halt as miicli ilinnigh this very
incomplete reimrt as I have prdliied lioiii llie experi-
ences on which il is based."
The rei)orts of the proceedings of I he Assucial inn iif
American .Museums lia\-e been especially heljilul id un
in all our in(|uiries and experiments, and Miss Con-
nolly asks me to add in ours her vei-y sjiecial ackiH)wl-
edgmellts (if help I hei-erruiii. Mr. I'aul .M . Ilea, of
Charleston. S. (.".. the secretary (d' the .\ssocial ion, was
kind enough to let us have, long before iis publication,
an advance copy of his IJeport on (he Ivlucational
Work of .\meri(an .Museums. From it Miss Connolly
drew uuirh hel|i iu making her report, and we found it
suggestive and stimulating in our wuT'k.
J. C. D.
Newark, .\. .!.. Ndvcmbei-. 1!)14.
XIV
The Educational Value of Museums
The Educational Value of Museums
Summary of Content
The inlrdihici idii by jiiidllicr li:iiiil dlivinlcs tlic iii-ccs-
sily of ;;i\iiiji (Irhiils as lij I he jduriicys iiiailc: I llicri
loic jii'dcced at oiH-c to ,i;i\(' (In- rusulls oT lln'sc jini,
iitns ill fai'ts (ilp.ser\('(l ami ()|)iiii(iiis gleaiu'il.
'I'lii' wiiik callcMl lor was a i'(']i(irl ii]n)ii llic ('(hica-
lioiial riiiir(i<iii III' Anici-ican .Miiscuiiis ; not willi llic
iolciil <il' i;iviii_n a dctailiMl ai-cnuiil dl' all the eihira-
lidual wdi'k of eacli iimscuin, Imt I'or the piiritose df
liniliiii; wiial is the Ircml df djiiiiioii and |nactice aiiiou.u
IH'ogre.ssive iiisi itiil ioiis and wlial Newark shoiihl do
Id stai-t wisely.
No one, however |iredis|!dse(l, ruidd take snrh a tii|i
as this w ilhdiir liecdinini;' (h'eply iiii]i|-essed liy liie nna-
iiiiiiity and eiieiiiy with whi<-h American museums are
eiigajiiii;; in arlive educatidiial wdi'k. And the same
tliinfi' is line df many museums in l'>iirdpe ami in Asia.
The study df the best df this wdi'k leads inevilalily
to the cdiiclnsidn that Newark siidiihl eslaldish. dii the
f<iundatidns alread\ laid, the f<jlldwin,n' :
1. A museum of ail, inclinlinn'
A. Fine art. ('(insist in;; of
I. Cojiies of ty]!ieal ixvoni statues
■J. Copies dl' tyi)ieal n'l-eat ]iaintiii.t;'s
'■'>. A few specimens df cui-reiit werk in
liainlinj;- and in sculpture
4. Lariic iiumhers of plidtojiraplis and diher
cheaii repiddiicl idiis. for lendini;', hy
which the hislory of art. the work of
artists and the pi-iiiciples of art can
!)(> exem]>lilie(l.
The Newark Museum Association
J>. A])])lii'(l ;n-t, cousistiii;; uf
1. A jicncnil sliidy ol' applied arl
a. Synopses of I lie hisloi-y of ail as
ajiplied to pottery, textiles, &c.,
in oi'ifiiiials and (■o])ies
b. Syii(i](ses of the api)lied arts of the
several nations, einineiii in this
line
c. Synopses of the iiielliods used in
ai)i»lyiii<i art to ililfereiit mate-
rials and classes of olijerts
-. A s|pecial study of tiie applications of
art in Newark, with examples ffom
Newark factories and copies of oii<ii
nals, old and modern, from this an<l
other countries, of work in the same
field as that from the Newark facto-
ries.
II. A museum of science, including
A. (ieiicial science, consisting of
1. A synojitical collection of
a. minei'als
1(. jilants
c. animals
illustrating very concisely the
accejiied classifications in each
kingdom, and simjily labeled. All
am[»lilications of this synojisis to
be kept in drawers or closets for
use of students; but the synoj)sis
itself to be so simple in e.xlent
and in labels as to instruct the
most ignorant layman
2. Collections exeinplifying the dynamics
of each science, as. for examjile, tlu"
steps whereby mud becomes slate,
sand bec(unes sandstone, the seed
The Educational Value of Museums
liciiiiiics M [iljini, and llic fiuiiia tits
itst'lf lo its ciivirdUiiu'iil
3. Collections sliowinj; how man uses his
knowledge of nature's laws lo modify
the products of nature, as iu tiie cul-
tivation of plants, the artificial selec-
tion hy which new varieties of animals
are develojieil, and the physical and
psychic improvement of I lie human
sjiecies, as in the prevent inn and cure
of disease, and in ])hysical and intel-
lectual education.
B. Local science, cunsistinj;' id'
1. Collecliiins showini; ihe |icculiarilics of
the genjicapliic unit to which Newark
heloni;s
2. Colle<-tions Inr Icndini; suited to the
e.\])resscd needs (if the scho(ds of New-
ark, jiuhlic, |iaiuchial. or ])rivate;
elementary, secondary, or collegiate,
as these shall arise
III. A museum of indnsli-y, includint;
A. (ieneral indusiiy. consisting of
1. A synoptical collection showing types of
the simple ojierations underlying the
several industries
2. A synojdical c(dlection showing the
stages of develoimienl hy which pres-
ent processes grew out of these sim-
]ile o]ierations.
r.. Local industry, showing
1. The vaiiety of the industries of Newark
and her industrial suhurlis
2. The ste])s or stages in each manufacture.
in so far as this is consistent witii
jjdod liusiness
The Newark Museum Association
0. Till' sources of iiiaifiinls iiscil ainl llic
dcsl fiiiitio7)s of |ii'o(lm-fs
1. '!"li(' cxlciil of Xcwiiik's Iradc
."j. Tlic I'oiilcs followed liy lici' iiiijiorls and
(•X|>(ills
(5. The luslory of XcwarU's imiusirial di'vcl-
0|l1III'lll.
1 1 will lie a|i|iarclil lliat iIiitc is here no sii^fjestion
thai llicsc iiiiiscMiiis siiall strivi' after the wonderful,
the costly, or the rai-e ill any of these collections. The
fact that there is in Newark an associati(]ii ahle to care
for such things will donhlless iiriiiji tlieni as jiresents
or hecinests; lint, accoidiiij; to (lie plan above outlined,
they will, on acce|itaiice, he so liiteil into (he aliove
scheme that they iii:iy lie used as means of iiisl ruction,
rather than displaced as inatlers of aslonislimeiii.
Throiijilioul the rcpiiri emjiliasis is laid on the advisa-
liilit\- of kee|iinji the aliiliiies ol' the museum stafl' ahead
of ilic anioiinl of inalrrial shown, .\lready the Newark
museum contains more olijecls than the jireseut corps
can liaiKlle to liest advantage foi' the insTiiictioii of the
visit<irs who now ins|iecl them. .\ud each year this
disadvantage will ])ro\-e a more serious hiiidiaiice to
the ohjecl at pi-eseni [;ai-,-imouul in the minds of
ninsenm educators.
The Report
Old Museums and New
The sdiily lit' pn'spiit day imiseiiiiis loads one to rorall
file iiniseiiiiis of tliH past. Tliey coiitaiiicd (he eh'ineuls
of the ty])es of inusiMiiiis met witli to-day.
The Old Smithsonian and the Old Patent Office
A half eeutui'y aiio visitors lo the National <'a]n1al
nsed to he sliowu llie Smithsonian, it sat. far removed
from man's daily life, on •■The Island." as sonthci-n
\A'ashington was then calli'd. and was a|iproaclied
aoros.s a qnas;inire of red Potomac iinid. over wliieh in
coni'se of time an iusci-ni-e ]dank ]iath iirave jierilous
fooiini;'.
Not only was it inaeeessililo : ii was also intensely
gloomy, a dark brown eastle with lorliiddinji- Towers,
and windows that heunnl^ed the lij;lit. ( )n(c entered,
it was re]iellenl within. It contained many and varie<l
ohject.s symmetrically arranged in cases, and a vo\
lection of formidable looking Indian ]i(irlrai(s. Chil-
ilren shrank from its portals, and honeymoon travelei-s
felt in leaving it a sense of esca])e.
• 'nltnre for cnlture's sake was what the Smithsonian
meant to its lay visitois. Yonng ]ieo])le -led throngh it
c(mtractcd. not (he miiscnm lialiit. Iml mnseophobia. a
liori'or of mnscnms.
In the same city, in the Patent Office, visitors gained
an exjierience of another sort. The building is white,
being an example of the (.'.reek ai-chiicciiirc emidoye(j
by onr forefathers for jmblic buildings, with a low of
beautiful I>oi-ic columns on its eastern side. Such
buildings jtroduce a certain aesthetic ]deasure in nearly
all who aj)|iroatli them.
The Newark Museum Association
Tlic •■iniiilcl riKPiii" ill iliis hiiililiiiii' \v;is. lor cliililrcn.
a realm iil' Miss. In liinsc days an invcnhJi- not diily
wrote a specification and made a drawing, as now: lie
also caused to be made a iiiodel of liis iuventiou. And,
in many cases in tlie "P.lne Room," were installed won-
derful wooden models (d' all manner of devices. Tlie
anxiety of the modern miiseiim curator to cajole the
young into attendance foiiiis an amusing contrast to
the struggle of the Patent Ollice watchmen in those
days to keej) children out! There was a continual skir-
mish at the eight entrances of the building between the
children of the city, besieging the [dace to study and
enjoy these models, and ilie coriis of devoted doorkeep-
ei-s, defenders of the jialace of delight. Here weve
pygmy harvesters, ploughs, corn huskers, looms, churns,
clothes wi-ingers, — lilliputian machines of every descrip-
lion that wmild ceiiainly "go" if one might lay hands
on them.
Good Museums Waited on Good Teaching
It setiiiis strange that the hint c(mtained in these two
contrasting exhibits, and in the very different reactions
which they |iiodiiced in their visitors should not, a gen-
ei-alioii ago. have led lo ilie inventing id' the modern
Illllseiim.
I'erhaps I he failure lo do this was but part of the
general condition (d' iliings at a time when tliere was
little kno\\ledge of how any teaching should be done.
Smiilison's object was "the diffusion of knowledge";
but none knew how to diffuse that commodity with
efHciencv.
The Educational Value of Museums 7
Then caiiic ilic iniMli'rn iiiDVcmciit in ]i('(laiio!iy- ^t
took off the shackles of dead tonus that liail tramiueled
the feet of teadiers. and hade I hem walk. Some do not
know to iliis day thai Ihrii- IVct are lice: hut many are
treadini;' wiib lirm siep tlic u|iliill |iatli 1hal leads to
high aeliievciiirnl. jiisi because they know eniiiii;ii lo
study the child as wi'll as Ihe suhjecl.
To-day wiicii a iiiudcrn icaclier says to a child, ■'What
is a lake".'" lie cxjiccis llic child lo search throiifiii his
sliorl e.\]ierience. recall llic iiiciiiiu-y of the thing eorre-
spondiiig to the \\in<l ■lake." and. li,\- the means at his
command, express ihe |iicinre in i-ompreheiisilile terms.
If he says "I kin sliow y<iti one." or "l kin drawr
one," or "It".s a little one liy the iloniimeiit and a big
one in Sojer's Home," or "irs made of water and it lills
a wide h(de," the teacher so (jueslions and laicourages
him that within a few seconds he acliie\-es an answer,
correct in both substance and form.
So we lake our children to see the real thing, what-
ever it may be, ami then in ilie miisenm where hand
specimens (d' it may be found lo reiiiiu<l lis (d' il, and
then we reiluce our knowledge ,,{ ii lo langnag<», anik
linally. \\c lunk iiiio IkkjUs In be reiiiindeil by language
of our experience-gained knowledge.
The whole city administration in any jirogressive city
is a museum. .\ class reciting u]ion the function of
courts has seen a cniiri in session. 1'he city iiself is .1
still larger and fuller museum. .V class desiring to
sketch trees sits in the park or on its si'hool-lionse door-
step for the lesson. A class in United Stales history
gathers about the sialiie id' \\'asliiiigtoii. IJivers ai-e
studied nil a ri\'ei's brink.
8 The Newark Museum Association
So iliioiiuli ilicir iiwii iilis('r\ali<iii (if llic i-('.s]i(iiise
given (<) their cUnrls. iiml ihrduiili the iliilnsiuii nl' idcjis
as 1(1 liow (lie iK'oplc should be taunlil, iimseuiiis have
been slowly led to the revolution which is now going on
in Iheil- eniiilllrl.
Light Obtained from Museum History
lletorc the itinerary I'or this iiiission was made out.
a liook was consulted — a liouk lull ot i-oniantic interest.
Some draiiiaiisi or cjiic jioel slioiild diaw Iroiii it mate-
rial lor his verse. Xeilhei- Iliad nor Odyssey was
drawn Iroiii siicli a roiinlain of human expei'ience as is
her;' contained. It would well reward the researches
of a Kipling, a Shaw or a (ialswortliy. The hook is
called "A Dii-ectory of American ^luseums" and was
published in l!l|ll by the IJulf.ilo Society of Natural
Sciences for the .\iiieriraii .Vssocial ion of .Museums.
Here one may read, in trenchant statement. Imw the
onl.\' son of his pai-euls. as they took him ab(nil the
world in search ol' health, collected in bis travels speci-
mens of this ami that, and on bis return fiom the other-
wise fruitless vo.xage, engage(l his weary lioui-s in label-
ing and placing them: and how. when he left them, the
parents eusbriiied I hese objects of his last interest in a
memorial nniseum. dedicated to the use of other lads
who mi'^ht take up his interests in the years to come.
.\nd lieie is told the stoi'v cd' the business man, set
free by success from a toil I bat bad engaged his lesser
I)owers, who spent the last years of life in an avocation
which his soul knew foi- its I'eal vocation. And his wife
made permanent his achievement by placing a museum
in his nali\(> town.
The Educational Value of Museums
And here is ihe tale (if a financial Idnu. wiio liired a
pliKldinii' sclicdar, nave him lea\-e l<i yrnl) in Held or lah-
(ti'atfirv, and whose name now shines n])on a nuisenm
facade liy virtne of Ihe scientilic colleclion made in his
behalf liy Ihe modest scientist, who will himself ever
lie nnhonoi'ed ami unknown.
This liook shows jilainly I liar most mnsenms liav(>
heen f(innde<l in the sincel'e di'sire to serve the men of
the future li\' jireserving lor their ins];i'ciion the thinjis
of the past. And n<i less plainly il shows that the U'v,'
who felt Ihi.s desire have usually had lo sirtisjile
as'iiinst itidilference, misundi'rstaiidini;'. and adversity
to achieve their imrjiose.
F'or .\<'ars the trustees of the Newark Museum have
been feelini; about for a Inundation, however narrow,
on which to ]ilanl the corner slone of their iiojie that
Newark may one day have a i;i'oup of useful uiusi'ums
as a centre for the inslriulioii of hi'r ciii/.eus.
'IMiey may well have faith thai Ihe inslilution in tlieir
charge, already so uralefnlly and graciously received
by Ihe Xcwaik public aiul Newark's aduiinistration.
will urow and llourisli aii<l become what they desire far
Sooner an<l with far less sirui;.i;lc ihan have most of Ihe
museuuis whose histories are <iulliued in Ibis wouderful
record.
Light Obtained from Museum Psychology
Museums Based on the Hoarding Instinct
The tendency to hoanl. mei-(dy for the sake of hoard-
ing', antedates humanity. It is common to the squirrel
and the magpie. .\nd those who would educate accord
ing to Ihe culture e|io<h theory make jn-ovision fiu' the
10 The Newark Museum Association
]iericiil (if ■■(•(illcri i(ii:s." Tlic Imy iiiiikcs misccllanefnis
lioardiufis nf striiiii, •,\ui\ \^>\l. i<\' kiiilV am] ball: lioys
and fi'irls make staiii|i idllcii idiis ; in llir days of mii'
iiiotlicrs little Rirls liad siriiius (it Inuioiis and "traded
dnplicales" as sinew diy as an.\ adult coin collector.
The lioardinu's ilie iIiIul;. imi ihc \ahie id' the hoard.
This lendeiicy lo culleci is ilie psycholonical lia-sis
of the iiinsenni.
Thai niiiseniiis. Ihus liased. are nol more common, is
due lo ihc laci thai the- leiidency is tar from nniversal.
H. (I. Wells, in his novel, ••I'assionaie I''iiends,"" shows
how unwillinijly some lads are foiced. hy external iires-
snre, into accomi lalion lo lype in this i-es]iect.
Museums Based on Exclusive Possession
(It a|i|iaienil\ human origin is ihal desire to own
and cherish which has iis ihiet basis in the fact thai hy
its jjratilicaliou others are [irevented from possession.
True, food and mate are thns exclusively [lossessed li.V
some of the lower animals; hut rarely anythinji' else.
Vet few are willinji' to jiloat in secret over an exclusive
possession. The sweetness of ownershij) can he fully
savored only when noii-|iossessin.t; sj)ectators admire.
The miser, who hides his lioarilini;s. is an alinormality.
This sjiirii of exclnsive jiossession, widely indulged in
some deyree. is th(» secinnl tendency uuderlyinL;' the crea-
I ion of the museum.
In an art museum within t<'n luilcs of one of the
worhTs t;-reatest art c(dlections, is a rmuii devoted to
thirty or forty old masters, most <>[ them second-rate
work.s hy second fate men. The curator was askeil.
"Ccndd the daujihter of a moderatelv snccessful luaii.
The Educational Value of Museums 11
risiiiii Iriiiii llii' ranks ami toially iinai-i|iKiiul('il willi
ari, prt'](are Iit'i-sclf in yonr uallciy Im- a year's shnly
cil' ]iaintia!is in iMiriiiic?"
"Well," said lie. ■■siic conld liiM soiui' iliint;s here; liuf
of conrsc she wdiilil also do well to \isil llic X i;alkM'v,
since it is so near." ••'riien." said his qnestioner, "don't
yon really think yon had better sell these old masters
to the X eoUection and liny lliinys lo till in the iiaps
in yoni- modern collerl ion '?"
"( >h, no !" said \\i\ "( ili. no ! We have two S<i-and-s{i's,
and there are only Iweiily in llie woi-Jd !"
On llie other hand, when I'itlslniriih was \isileil. the
director of the Seieuee Mnsenm was away on a several
moulhs' visii to the Kinji of Hpaiu for whom he was
setting- np a "coiiy" — and there are nmny sneh copies —
of the l>i|dodo( lis ("ai-nes'ii.
Museums Inspiring Wonder
Over the entrance to the Children's IJoom in ihe
Smithsonian at Washington, is placed the adat;i'. 'NN'on-
del- is the heninniiij; id' \\'isdoiH." prohalily a paraphrase
of the nsnal renderinj; of Aristotle's "Knowledge begins
in A\"onder": and Dr. J'.aiher. the l-^nglish mnseiiiu
expert, notes that several of Ihe mosi lamons mnsenms
of the world, as those of Lomlon and I'ai-is, were begnii
as collections rd' "cnrions" things bronghi fr<im distant
places diii'ing the jieriod of colonial e\]iansioii.
I'ntil (jnite recent times these three tendencies,
Hoarding, Ex<lnsive ( »\vin'ishiii and ^yonder, were
represented by most of the world's great mnsenms. and
they inllneiice largely the conduct even of the most mod-
ern.
12 The Newark Museum Association
Classes of Museums Visited
'I'll lliose will) only uccasionally, and at Idiij;' inii-rvals.
visit iiinscmiis tlicro ilmihtlcss appears to be giH'at sim-
ilarity ariiiiiii; iliciii. liiil a systematic survey reveals
diU'ereiices tliai sliaiply dassily them liotli aceordiug
to their present cuiHlil i<in and to tiie inliereiit qualities
due III 1 iieir nriyiiis.
Museums Founded by Colleges
ill ilie ilays ut mir lailiris. wiieii a taste fur science
meant a pleasure iu ruuninii,- down, classifyinf;' and
labeling, museums arose based on tlie necessity for own-
ing the means of ideiitilication. Sucii museums were
estaldislied in liigli schiiuls and iidleges. I>ut their
value depended entirely ujion the use to \\hich they
were init, and that use waxed and waned with the jier-
sonnel of tlie teaching stall'.
Once a visiting lecturer needed a set of geologic speci-
mens wherewith to illustrate a little talk to teadiers
on geograjihy. She was referred tu the high school
teacher of jiliysical geogi-ajihy.
"Sir," saiil she, "I want a bottle ^>{ sand, jiieces of
saiidstune. congloiiierate, and coi|uina; and specimens
I if gianite, gneiss, and marble."
■•I>u yiiii know those things when you see them?" said
he. "1 do," said she. "'riien take these keys and select
them," saiil lie. "I don"t know one of them by siglit."
"But, e.xi-use me," said she, "I Ihoiight you were the
teacher of physical geography." "So I am, but I know
nothing about the subject. They appointed me to teach
it because I had so many vacant periods. I am a
teacher of Greek!"
The Educational Value of Museums 13
]S"(pt all scicnrc ciillccl inns, liiitlicit'd \>y cntlinsiasts
and (U'posited in llie jirerariinis custndy of a shifting
sclidol faciilt.v. iiicei sui-li iiU'lfiiiciit coiidii idiis as llicse;
1ml llii' siliialidii illnsli-atcs a ticiici-al |i(issiliilitv.
Scliudl and rdllc^d liillNClllMS, /*(■/■ sr. dflcil do Udl tldlir-
isli. lii'caiisd llicy dd li(d iiifrl a iicriiiailclil need.
Museums Endowed by Individuals
Tlieii there is the ciiddwcd niusi'iiiu. Smiie worlhy
son] (■duccivcs llic idea Ihal eiidiiriiip hdiidi- for his
name may hcsi iic ohtaiiied liy the ('iiddwiiienl id' a
iimsciim. Sd, ill Ihc midst of some valley which ]ii-(>
(IiicimI him. or dl' sdinc cily whose jirdsjierily aii<l wlidse
slums he ]ii'ddnce(l, lie sels diic. And ihc pcdjilc gaze
at it, and wander through il and go away.
It is one of ihe mosi dillii-ull feals in ihe worhl for
any ciiralor, ho\\r\er de\-ote<l he and his slalf may lie,
tu gel [ieo|ile fully lo use an endowed iiiiisi-iim.
A decent from one of Ihe largest endowed iiistitnlions
iu the world asked the diredor cd' one of ihe liniest.
"Is il any hetter whrii Ihe si'cdiid griii'i a I iuii cdiiies
along? Have they any iiiori' of I hi' fi-cling Ihal tlie
ihing is theirs, any mori' re,-il iiileresi in il?"
••No," said till' dircrliir, '■rm afraid lliey ha\-e not.
Some say thr doiioi- looi; all he had from ilie neressi-
lies of the iioor. and is oslenlationsly giving liaclc a
little in llir form of things thai Ihry do iioi IVi'l tlie
need of; ami sumi' say Ihal he i'\idriilly fell Iwiiiges
al getting iiinre than his sharr. I!nl all use lln'
miiseillii of his gill wilh languid inleri'st. as a Ihing
exiernal lo llieir lives, ami londi'sri'iidingly. as ihoiigh
till' favor wi'ii' tlirirs in usiny il at .all."
14 The Newark Museum Association
The niiirc (•(iiis|ii(iiiiiisl y llic dhjcci in (|iirsii(in is nn
imliviilual i;iri, the iiinri' ciiiplint ic is tliis nttitudc. It
seems to be less tell \\ lien tlie gift is to tiie ]iliU'e ol
birth tlinn when it is to tlie jilace where the fortune
was iiia<h'.
■'Now .Idliiiiiif," sa,\s I he mill her. wiicii Ilie home
place museum, or library, or liii;h school ojiciis, "When
you go out into the world and make youi' fortune, see
that you too remember to be grateful to the old lionie
auil the old ])eople."
Museums Made by the People
Finally comes the uiuseum founded and supported
liy "the jieople." There aie two ways in which the peo-
ple may contribute to a museum. The city fathers may
appi'opriate city taxes for it. or a groujt of interested
citizens may raise the money foi- it l>y subscription.
It is I'arely that so lai'ge a proimriinu of the com-
munity awakens to an educational need as to make the
first metliod feasible at once. Usually some small
grou]i. freipienlly ins]iire(] liy one ardent soul, sees the
vision, and labors to actualize it. Such labor may be
a long struggle, apparently ineffective and ever to be
unrewarded. Read the romantic story, recently pub-
lished, of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
When, after such a struggle, ihe ciiy does take hold,
the stiucture that rises lias sure foundations in the
affection and inlcrcsi of ilic <ity"s best citizens, both
rich and po<ir.
Yet each museum was a vision for some one before
it was an actuality lur cNctydnc. and in the ]n'osaic col-
umns of miiseiiin siaiisiics niaii\" of those I fausforma-
The Educational Value of Museums 15
lidlls ;iro depictt'il bv which out nf the sliiii;'f;le of a
siiii^lc life caiiic an iiisi initimi h('l|il'iil t(i The many.
Conditions of Museums Visited
ft is easy In liiscoxcr h\ readini; their lepurls, i>i' by
even a iiiiisl cnisory \isil. Ilial nnisennis are of two
kinds — livin.i; and dead.
Dead Museums
There is tlie linisiied iiinseiuii, in whicii were jilaced
l>y some bene\(denl or ambilious fonudev a number of
objects of more or less value, 1o which nolhinj; of note
has since been added and from whicli nothing' lias been
snbtracte(l. The |ieo|de of the ]dace take visitors, com
in;; from a disiance. lo see il. and occasionally liive 1o
it embarrassini; possessions Ihal ihey lliink aic appro
jiriafe to its supjxiseil function; but no one makes any
]iraclical use of tJiese accessions. Tliere is a sayinji tliat
"a completeil mnseiiiii is a i|e,-id museum": liui this is
mil always true.
.Villi there is the museuni ouce used iu leachiui:. uo\v
dust laden and finloi-n. the teacher who knew its uses
lieiug departi'd. .\M(\ there is tlie collecliou once ser\ ed
by a volnnleer curatoi- or kept u]i by the annual dona-
tions of some enthusiastic citizen, now neglected like an
orphan ou the d(Hirsle]j of :iu uninterested puldic.
Mveryu heie are found these defunct or siilMiorn ven-
tuics. always dead either lor lai-k of ihe pei'soil whosi^
s|iiril constitute<l iheii- \ital |iower oi . (piile as often,
from a plethora (d' "'thiniis" wliic'h o\-ei\\helm even the
most energetic stall'.
16 The Newark Museum Association
Live Museums
.V live iinisciiiii, wIm'IIhm- ■■cDinjilcicir' or iidl so \';\v
iis its collections are coiici'rm'il, is oiic lo \vlii<li Uic
public comes, cither I'oi' ]iie;isiirc (Ji- iiisl iiici icjii : or lo
wliicli siiidciMs come for ilie iijeiiiillcaiioii of s|iecimens
or for informal ion on classilical ion : or wlierein a
scholar <]\velis. en^aji'cd in i-esearcii in some special
lield. ami slorini; liis timtinas in his museum for the
use of oilier specialisis of lii;e kimi willi himself.
The h'airlianks Museum of Si. .Tohnslnuy, \'erniont,
wiiile (piiie frankly ■•comi.-leieil." havini;- lieeu con-
demned to remain miirii as iis founder lefl it, ha.s yet
become noted for its vilaliiy liecause of the eclucational
work which centred in it ilurin<; the curatorship of a
woman with the museum aifl. And though the ^Museum
(d' the Society (d' Natural History in tJoston does not
usually Iielray iis liveliness to ihe casual \isiior, the
sludeni who has occasion to use it linds iis curator
alertly responsive to his needs.
The Tendency to Die
Like other insliiulions wiiicii use the ci'vslallized
jsroducts (t{ enthusiasm, a museum tends, when ii has
once materialized, to hecome a "comiileted" ami, soon
thereafter, a dead tliiu"'. Here are so many cases, as
nearly as may he dust- and germ-proof, wherein rest so
many things. They are "keid"' liy curators, and may
he seen liy Ihe curious hetween stuli and such hours on
smdi and such days. Once upon a lime schools were
•■kept" also, and to much the same sa<l end. In them
the wisdom of the jiasi was ••im]iartcd." ami liy iliem
noiu- was inspired lo learn.
The Educational Value of Museums 17
"To my iiiiud," «;iys I'liplessui- T. II, Mdiitudimny,
in the Popular Science Moutlily (if -Tiily, liill. -a
iiniseuni lliat consists mainly of coljcciions and of sim-
]ih' carctakeis of these has a speaking resemlihuue (o
a t;ia\ fyani."
I'erhaps the term "(h^ad" has jieen used nnadvis
edly. The story of Ihe Miiseiim nf ( "harlcsinn. South
Carolina. toUl liy Mr. IJca hclorc ihc American Asso-
ciation of iluseunis in i!(l"_'. in wliicli he s]ioke of "the
nurTui-e an<l develo]imenl of the .Museum under the
auspices successively of the iahrary Society, tiie Lit-
erary and I'liilosopliical Sdciciy. tlic .Medical <'olle}>'e.
and the ("(jUege of Charleston, and liow the coinmiinity
rallicil to its sujijiort in limes <d' stress throu<;h pojt-
ular snliscriptious and state and city approiiriatious."
proves that a museum, while ajipareutly dead, may he
hut a Sleepiuji' Beauty, awaiting only the kiss of ihi>
Prince to arise again to happiness and service.
The Education of a City
V\'e see what our jiredispositious enaUle ns lo see.
In Jenuette Lee's novel "The Taste ai Ap]des," the
old >>'ew England shoemaker interjirets all h'.urope hy
its hoots, 1'he mission of ins]iection (d' which this
paper is a result was foreordained to discover in
miiseuniN the educational aspecl.
The City's Need of Education
It is not dillicult for any enlightened citizen to
look \ipon a city like Xewark. 7(t' , of whose citizens
are of foreign j^ai-entage. the majorit\ of whose adiili
inhaliilaiits ai-e engaged in ]ii-odiict i\-e toil, whicii con
18 The Newark Museum Association
laius no ciillcyc, wliicli w illiiii :i lew vcars liail milv oul'
liifili scliiicil. ilic iiici i(p|iiilis 111' a stale wliicli (ill'crs no
college o]i[)orIniiil ics I'oi- woincii, as a vasi school.
There is no donhl liial nian.\' of .\i'«ai-k"s adnll rhil
<ircn need insi inclioii on essential matters. In s]iiie
of the ]irosiiei-it y tlial lilesses us. we cannot (h-ny that
there is some linancial distress in lliecitx : Init one wiio
watches Newark afoot is most deeply impressed with
that |io\-erly which shows, not in inability to lin.\, lint
in ijiiioraiH-e of what to liny.
And these crowds njion the street are tlie active
minded: they are learning daily hy (d)sei-valion and
coni]iai-ison. and are lieing sharjiened constantly hy
attrition. ^Hii may see them gi(iw in kiiowleilge and
discertimeiit as yon ga/.e. The 1 iliiariaiis can tell you
that tlieii' children are Newark's litei-ary class, dexour
ing a major iierceiitage of the seriously cultural 1 ks
ciii-ulale(l in I he cily.
l!ut. behind this class of |)ei-ip;ilel ic students there
are masses t>f unseen igiKJrance starving souls at
washinhs. starving hearts at foi-ges. starving nnnds
feeding the machiiH's that |irodnce the city's wealth.
I ndoiditedly these peo]ile need education. If yon
think any of them are too old to take it. observe the
Iran.sl'oi-mat i<ui etfecte<l. not only in dress and cari-iage,
hnt in manner and speech also, in the mother of any
faiiuly of your acipiaintance that has acliie\ed recent
ail\ alice in fort une.
Iude<'d, in a scho(d like this we aT-e all pnidls: for
there is not oiU' of us lint is in some i-especis a child —
nndeveloped in s<ime essential eleuient necessary to
complete eidighteiimeul. I am a child iu handicraft.
The Educational Value of Museums 19
\(Hi in imisical aiiiiiccijitiiiii, he in liistmy of ;nf, she
in ilie clciiionts u\' j^dod cirizcnslii]!. WC all ncccl, ami
lliai ii|Hm suinr vital |ii)inl. cli'iiii'nlai-y insti-iii-ti(in.
The Possibilities of Educating the City
Wr Hccil Hill lie ilisciiiiia^cd at llicsc lipiir Ininili'iM]
llioiisaucl pupils, wliii arc uiir xcvy sehi's, with llicir
il<'(']i and iiianiriilil ciiipl incsst's. Xolhini; is iiairt' dis-
hcarlcnini; In llic Icaclii'i- than a luirdi' id' a llioiisaud
rliildrcn, in inrolicrcui mass. I!ut, divide lliciii inio
classes, and Inok iiiln Ihe laves of any f'lU'ty <>( tliese
vhildi-en. and ymi disv(i\ei- Ihal ymi are lodkiuj;- into the
eyes (d' I'oily angels, i-eady lo ^row in strenjitli and
lieaiity and i;rave under yonr l<'adeislii]p.
Forliinately, not all oi' the lour linndfe(l thousand
of us must he taufiht the same lesson at the same time.
Some have already idetx, some ji<iod manners, some
lo\-e ol' Iieauly, some iiiaiiual sUill, some jiolitical avii
men, some iniisical a|)pre(iation. The tact that we
come Irom many lands ensures this \aried culture. And
almost all ot us ari' ready to learn.
The discerninji museum attendant jdays a liauie simi-
lar lo that iuviilvinji the i|uesli(in, "ir not yourself who
would you rather he?" and i;cts some sui-]irisiii;i'
answers. This mild lookiiii; ijcntleman has an interest
in tire arms. Here is a lawyer chielly interested in
what |)ertains to the sea. "Uon't ,\oii think," says a
la<l.\ who has never lra\eied farther than to New ^'ork,
■•thai India is the most interesting- country in the
world?" ."What Cnc always really wanted," says a city
1 lernyman, "is to kee]i j;oats."
An assistant in the <'iininnati Art ^Museum (ells of
20 The Newark Museum Association
several rariiici-s who llualcd u]i lo llic licij^lits wlicrcun
lluit collectioii dwells, and wlio, after gazing about in
the hall of (ircek KSculpture and seeniing ])arti(iilai-ly
iiiipi-essed with the Parthenon frieze. a](]ieale(l thus to
her, "\\hal are they all almul. ami why do yon keep
them?"
The Agencies for Educating the City
Who are the teachers in this our eivie school?
Among the foremost are the three classes of profes-
sionals, the clergymen, jtriests and rahbis, chosen by
grctujis of the people themselves to instruct them in
religion, eiliics and morality, the sriioid teachers,
whether public, private or parochial, trained, let us
ho]M', and expei-ienced in the methods of child-culture,
and I lie ucw spapcrs sclf-a])]ioinlcd, but assui-cd instruc-
tors of all the p('()|d('. 'I'lieii the librarians, paid from
the taxes to su|i]>ly good books to those who need them.
Then the luany a]>]iointe(l or self-ajtpointed enlighten-
ers t)f |inbli<- o|iiiiioii. such as settleiiieiil workers, tene-
ment house inspectors, ])ublic welfare committees, shade
tree coiiimissions. park commissions, playground con-
ductors, women's and men's selfimprovenu'iil or civic
imiMoveiiicnl clubs, under whatever uaiiie they llourisli.
Then every stead \. Iioncsl wDrUman, turning out real
goods, ami every clever iiici-cliani, showing good things
in artistic display, and every siptare dealing ])olitician.
lU'cacliing the best political economy that be can learti,
and every conscientious housewife training her family
and her dejieudents to gentle manners ami thrifty hab-
its, and every mail on I hi' slicel \\lio sets an example
n\' jialieni-e and coiirlesy under li-ial.
The Educational Value of Museums 21
'riu'sc nniutfiitioiial tcaclicis. however, lieiiiji' iins.ys-
tciiializetl in iiiftliod, need not ciiiiafie us. Our cdiKorii
is with the jirocesses of teachini; liy (lesion, (llearly,
frniii this standpoint every one who feels tiie need of
otliers is thereby called to teacli. And (his sort of good
(■itizcnshi|i is iiirveasiim airumL;' us.
The Museum's Part in Educating the City
The sjiecitic demand upon any society liiat calls
itself a museum associalion is for definite and adequate
methods of visual inslrudion. cliiefiy by means of <lis-
plays of collected objeds.
This instruction may be given in al least three ways:
(li To original investigators, by museum sjiecial-
ists engageil in i-esearch.
(2) To students, by collections and curators of
special equipment.
(3) To the laity, both adult and juvenile, by col-
lections and guides available to all.
Dr. Arthur t'.alher, of the llrilish .Museum Associa-
tion, in his Presidenfs Address al the Aliei-di'cn Con-
fei'euce of 1!)0.'!, aflei' enumerating the llirce divisions
of a museum as i I i a stored sei-ies, accessible only
to investigators, d'l an exhibiled sei-jes, iutendecl for
the instruction of stndcnis, but denied to the public,
^'^\ a smaller sel-ies of carefully selecled objects, so
disiikiyed as to make llie utmost a]>]ieal to the gi'cat
public. ad\is(>s the cuiator of a small museum thus:
'"Ask yourself which of these Ihree functions your
museum. is intendecl to fulfill, which of (hese classes
forms Ihe majoiily of its visitors, oi- which of Ihem you
mosi desire to serve. Coutine vour efi'orts al the most
22 The Newark Museum Association
to Iwo of llicsc luiicl iiius : lull ;il iiliv r;ili' fix mi one
ol' lliciu ami. <l('V(iliiij; iiiosi u\ \iiiir ciu'rfjy lo (hat,
arraiijic .vmir collc'clidiis accdriliiiulN."
According; In Iliis aihii'c. il is cxiilciil llial il will he
luliji liclurc llic Xcwaik iiiusciiins will all(Mii|il llic lii-sl
fmictioii, llia( of sliariiij; willi s|ic(ial iiivcslijialors tho
icsiiKs of oriii'iiial icscarcli. As lo tlic second fniictioii,
III', l>isl)iow"s collcclioii already does work in identifi-
e;ilion. and liii;li scjiocds scieuce teailiers hid fail- so
lo nse il as far as il is aide lo sei-\e iliein. Tliis is ilie
easiest of all functions lo |ierforni.
Il is willi llie lliird I'linclioii, ilie insliaicl imi n\' ihe
"jjreal |iiildic." ilial iliis inxcsi ii;al ion is cliielly con-
(•ei-ne<i.
Progress of Education by Museums
l''or many years iliis siihjecl of insi iiiii ional use
has lieen lalked al.oul. In ls;i;!, .Mr. IMwanl S. .Morse
puhlislied in Ilie Allanlic .Monthly an article entitled
'•If i'uldir l,ilirarics, \vli.\ not i'uldic .Museums?" .Vnd
Mr. Ashley, of Demaresl. X. .1., al llie I 'hi ladel|ili ia
nieetiufi of the American .\ssocialion of Museums, in
HMIt. declared llial Ihal artiide had j;reat ililluence in
accelei-at in;^ ihe I rend lo\\ar<l heller miiseum aids in
puhlic schoid leacliin;;', allliouj;ii it di<l uoi |irodiice
poi>ulai- interest in the estahlislinient of museums in
small towns and xillaii'es.
i'.ul lliefacl is that al Ihoii^h ever.Mine in llie museum
wiirld is discussint; this function, so foreifi'ii is il lo ihe
liahils of tliou<;lils of museum truslees and euraloi-s,
and so unpre|>ared lo undcTstand il is Ihe ""i-eat ])nl)-
lic," even that part id' the |Mihlic engaged in teaching,
liiat it will he iiian\' Ncars hefore il will he fiill\- e.\er-
The Educational Value of Museums 23
ciscd. The leiichiiif; riiiicl idii nT llic Amcric.iii .Miiscmii
is still ill its iiifaiuy.
Sjipakiuji iis a tcaihei', oiip would say that this is
larfi'oly due to lack (it pedaiidfiic lainwicdiic and skill
on llic part of (Ik- niiisiMinis, a laclc nol lo he conilcnnH^d
al I his slauc of file woi-hl's ad\ancciii('n(.
Where Museum Teaching Shall Begin
One ot the lii-st rcquisilcs of the icachci- is that he
shall know the teaching, point of his ])n]iils. •U'licn I
o'cf a class (it forty ti-cshnieu from a mnidici- of i;rani-
mai- schools, and they aic all in dilfcrcnl sta.ucs of
develo]>iii('nt, where shall 1 lie-in to teach?" said the
high soIkkiI teacher to the su])erinteii(lent, and he
retorted, "Kegin in forty jilaces!"
He knew his Imsiness. The wise teacher liei;ins in
forty places. And the wise curator who sets u|i a sim-
ple case lalieled "Wini^s. and paws and hands, and
hoofs," in the same room that holds a mii roscopic dis
Jilay of the sti-ncture of hone, does wisely; foi' he
assumes that he must liejiin in at least seveial places
tu lead his ]iu|iils to enlinhteiimeiit.
One coi-res]i(indent thus answered our in(piii-ies as to
co-operation with the schools: "We tried tor se\en years
to work with the schools here, and ne\er i;<il one
response. I wish yon joy of your allemjit."
Coniiiare that with the account of like work in Si.
.lohnslinry. \\hile the curator was talking to an audi-
ence of st-emiugly indifferent or hostile teachers, as lo
liow she hojied to ladp (hem in their teaching of science,
this thought came to her. "They are not against it ; they
are simply afraid to do it. with oi- without help."
24 The Newark Museum Association
Sli;iii>lil\v;i.\ .she said In lliein, ••\\'()ul(l you like iiic
Id do lliis (eac-Ling for you?" Her hearers were trans-
roruK'd to ecstacy. "We would!" She had found their
tcacliins i>()int. II was not in forty places, nor yet in
I'diir. ll did mil cxisl I They knew neither the l)irds.
nor how lo teach tiiciii.
.Mdsl of the niuseuiirs visited, however eager to leach,
were confessedly gropiug fur the jilace at which to
establish their doorways.
Said one young museum assistant, regarding her
learned directoi' with a glance of atfectionate exaspera-
tion, ••He knows a lot about cutlietisli; liut he knows
no more of the needs of the average man than 1 know
of the Ka."
Said one virile director, ••My trustees are constantly
pulling at my bit to haul me onto the tracks; but Tui
all for traveling on the dirt road."
Says Professor Moutgouiery, in the arliile previously
quoted, j)leading for tiie em])]oyment of live employes
as the great desideratum. "Wlien tliis is done, uiuseums
in general will be great teaching iustil ulious, and
cease to be cold storage centers."
The Aim of Museum Teaching
Professors Charles and Prank McMuiry put out, six-
teen years ago. a little treatise on teaching, called ••The
method of the Kecitation," whicli, if one text were their
all, might well be recommended to museum curators
and docents. They advised that the teacher have an
aim, well defined, before beginning his instruction.
When the director of a uiuseum shuts the door u]ion
the auiassed hodge jiodge of his ten or twenty years'
The Educational Value of Museums 25
aci|iiisiti(in, ami yivcs a cliariiiiny illusi rated lecture
to se\'eral hiini]re(l ]ie(i|ile iipim "( )ur Xeiyhliois. >si)rlli
and Suiidi," willioiit a sinyle alliisiou to aiiytliiug in
his coUeclion, one wonders what lie thinks his aim is.
He directs a nuisenni, and he leaches; Imt, his uniseiiiii
does not teach.
When a curator with an ai'tistic soul arranges a
Florentine scarf hack of an I'^truscan vase on a .Ta]ia
nese stand, and so ilhiiiiinales the group through a
Tiffany screen as to produce an harmonious etf'ect, one
wonders what he thinks is his aim. lie could have
l)]ended several olijects at less cost h\ a trip to Waua-
maker's.
^^'hen a charming voung lady gathers about her knee
in an art gallery a gi'oup of young people full of senti-
mental devotion, and tells them the story of l^urydice
and then, on their di'pai-ture, sets down. "Saturday
< 'lass in Api)reciation, 24," one longs to ini]uire her aim.
The fact is, all these, and others, have an aim, though
a crude one; they desire to attract people to their
museums, and they hope that the silent inlluence of the
museum will do the rest. Anil so it will, if it is a
Teacliing Museum.
In orch'r to achieve the leacliei-'s aim it is often liest
to give the ptipii an aim of his own. The child makes
a mat for mother at his teacher's sugg(>stion. His aim
is to jilease mother, llis teacher's aim is (o deveio|i
him. Presumahly the jiresident of a college is more
interested in the discipline endui-ed than in (lie cuj) won
by his victorious team.
There is nothing in modi-rn educational method
more resented by those who snITered. as jiupils.
26 The Newark Museum Association
iiudt'i- llic iiiicii'iil iiici IkkI, lluiii llic lijiliit (if fiivinji' the
|ni|(il an ai;ri'i'iilili' aim. 'I'lic aim In llic old days was
always lo escajic a w iii|i|iiiiji. Tlir chlci-s islill ai>])i'()ve
it as a jn'oiicr aim. .Viid s(i, when a t earlier of lo-day
aiHiDiuiccs to lici- class in rcadinj;'. •'^^'e will now see
what fnrilicr happened to I'lysscs," tlicii- fcclini;s arc
onliafjed. That teacher knows well enonjih, tlic ol<l
folks say. that the fate of I'lysscs is not her aim. What
she is after is lo train the soiuiii to lie intelligent read-
ei's. and she slundd frankly say. "Now read with c.\|ires-
sion or be jinnished."
One iiiuseuni \isiicd. in its sui^jicsfion of an aim to
the youth whom it wishes to instrn<-t, sh<i\\s a canny
knowledjic of JH\'cnilc traits. It places on the front
dooi' a si^n forliiddiny chihlrcn to come nnatt(Mnlc(].
and then recei\('s them with (i]ien arms. The curator
declares that the deco\ works well. And one of our
most famous ninsenms in a ureal m<'tr(i]iolis nives,
diiriufi' the summer months, free t ransportati<in, a
colored ]iostal card i-e|iidducini; some fe;itni-e of the
(■ollections, and an ice cream cone to each liuest sent
from cei-tain settlement ceutersi
Learning by Doing
The hesf leachinj; is lliat which causes the ]iupils to
apply ]ir<im]itly the knowledjie that they <inm. There
js a j^real deal of this done amonii American museums.
In ('incinnati a uruu|i of those who liaN'e themselves
received instrnctioii. act as volunteer unjiaid docents.
In the C'hildi-en's Museum of Brooklyn a hoy <irou]i of
practical enthusiasts jD'actioe wireless telerrra]ihy. con-
struct indusirial models, make summer trijis atield.
The Educational Value of Museums 27
ami fiiiiii a juvenile I ree ((iiniiiissiciii lur their iKinie
sireels. ( )ii llie wilil-tluwer l.ililc ul' llie Itdstoll Cliil
ili-eli's .Museiilii each Ihiwei- m- spiin is iiiarkeil liy its
liaiiie. Ihe dale when Innml. and ihe name n\' llie hrs(
limlei-. The ('hirai;ii mnsenms weri' Innnd Id be alive
wiih ihi' arlixiiies iiC iheir |ialri)ns.
The Doctrine of Interest
('rudely slaleil, Ihe ddelrine i<i inleresi leaches llial
\v<' leai-n hesi llial which inleresis ns most. Sf\idies
are made of cliildi-eii's inleresis and Hie cnriiciilnm is
allei-i'd lo suil them. The recent exchange nl' modeiii
for ancieni lani;ua,i;es in liiiih scl Is and c(dle;4('s. liie
snlistil ntion of composilioii wrilin^ lor lechnical uram
mar, and the current entlinsiasm lor \ocalioiiai edma
tion are liased largely on this thictrine.
So Ihe cominii mnseum is lo niinisler lo Ihe livinji'
nei'ds of Ihe |ieo]de. •!. S. Lojkv,, in llar|ier's Weekly.
Feliruary ijl, lUlL', ^Ljivcs a lixcly ai-couni (d' IIh^ activi-
ties id' Ihe ('(Uumercial .Museum id' I'liihuhdjihia. lie
lells us llial llie ohjecl of its edncalional work is ■■|he
pi'epa ration of hoys and jiirls lo ]day an inlellijient jiart
in tlie new era of foreign <(ini]ietition upon which
America is enlerinj;."" He (daiiiis llial "To-dax there is,
in reiinsylvania. no mounlain s(ho(d house, miles from
a I'ailroad, hnl may lia\i'. from Ihis museum, ils own
illuslrateil lectnres and ils own siienlilic cidleidiou of
(dijecis thai eiiler illlo (lie World's coiiimei'ce."
And Hie jiulilic schools, so conslanlly coni]dained of
liy iiinseTim dii-eclors as dead lo arl and science, sho^\■,
in l'liila()(d]ihia. ihe etfecl of ihe a]i]ieal lo what they
feel lo lie Iheir liv(dv concern, since, in groniis nf 1(1(1,
28 The Newark Museum Association
the iliildren are hioiiglit to I lie iimseiiiii during school
hours in such immhers that all the hours of evei-y school
(lay are <;euerally enj^aged three mouths ahead. And
this, although the School Board makes it not obliga-
tory, hut merely gives jtermission fo7- the visits.
The Method of Presentation
Given, in the museum, a kiidwledge of (li what the
public knows, (2) what it really needs, (3) what it
thinks it needs, (4| what interests it — what tiien?
Then, a wise melli<id of ]iresentatiiin.
The Curator
.Museum literature, written muslly hy dii'ectors.
curalins, or docents, though sometiiues also by museum
trustees, apotheosizes the curator. If he be a live man.
all will be well ; if not, all devices, endowments, and
gifts will be of no avail. "The crown <if the whole is
the stall of curators," sa.vs one; and again, "The
strength of an instituti<m lies wholly in its men." "(iive
us docents eiiougli and llie torches lired at Iheir steady
tiaine will soon make an end of the twilight of Ameri-
can aesthetic life." says another. And l>r. leather
declares. "II is astonishing what can lie done with the
sienderesi iiu'ans if only the curators liave energy, and,
what is more inijiortant, brains, and, what is most
important, taste." He is speaking of art museums.
These statements ai-e relalixidy true. There are
many museums wliicji ai-e full of objects and yet fail
lo fnn<-lioii: while oilier iiiuseuiiis, sjiending nearly
niiiely pei- ceul oT ilieir incomes on curators, are func-
tioning freely and prolitably.
The Educational Value of Museums 29
If, however, tlie Sijsliiie Maduiiiia were jiiveii lo a
museum, no uiuounl of liui^Udr, stiii)i(lily. or even larU
of taste iu the curator would preveul us from visidn;;
that museum. And the cleverest and most tasteful
corps of curators can l)lunder wofiill\- in their atlenijils
to teach, when Ihe.v do not so much as liuow thai there
may he a teachini;- iiielliod.
Teaching Through the Ear; The Docent
One critic prefers the term "docentrv" to "educa-
tional" hecause the latter is so "dull"' aud the former
so "alive." The fact is that, while docentrv, undei-
present conditi<ins, is a valualile improvement on (dil,
repellent or liiissc: fnirc mciho<ls, il is really in a way
an ackuowledguient of shorl-comin^s in museum admin
istration. A museum dedicated to the education of the
])eople should be a series of colleclions, so selected, so
grouped, so disjdayed and so laheliMl that j pie are
allured aud held to the etforl of continuous ohservalion
by the interest they excite, and, thus held, see facts in
relation and are tjius caused to think rightly or to feel
n()bly. When a docent tells you what you see, you do
not wholly see; T(ui jiartly hear.
Teaching Through the Eye: The Arrangement
It was my good foi-tune. on my travels, to meel many
directors, cui-aloi's, aud doi-enls. 'ri[c\ were all earnest
workers, inlerested and iutelligcni. ami some of liiem
had excellent taste, and they all obligingly enlightened
me as to their aims and melliods. Some of them were
born with the teaching faculty. And there were few
from whom I failed to learn something likely to prolit
30 The Newark Museum Association
us in Xcwjuk. N'cl ;il I lie iimsciuii w liciciii I Icanied.
perhajis, iiiosl nf Imw ilic people may he taught, [ had.
as it ha]ipeiied, no guide l)ut a receutly a])]>()iiited jani
toi-. Hei-e one wished to stay and study, for here wei'e
uiany ideals, as lo museum instruction metliods, made
visible. Iteyoiid ceitain clever (h'vices llieie was no!
much that was new; but what had been, in other
Uiiiseums, done now and then and almost by chance
was here a mattei- of delermined policy.
In one museum Ihe genlleman in cliai-ge of instruc-
tion said that he conid never get Ihe curators 1(» leave
objects groujK'd in cases where he wanted them for
his teaching jmi'iioses; they would insist on rearrang-
ing them according to some juiuciple included in Ihe
history or the philosoidiy of ail. Hence his printed
oullines were constantly made useless.
In another museum the jn-inciide of gi'ouping is.
foi- legal reasons largely, to jiut into one room what
one uuin gave. This makes of the museum an adver-
tising agency for a departed froesus,
A doceul wanted lo couuecl design ill fabrics with
school handiwork. '-Il is beneath our dignity to adniii
amateur work to our galleries," said the curator.
Wiihoiit Nym]iatlietic understanding of the iuipor-
taiice of lliis work, directors and triistees are apt to
think the necessary se(|uences of objects illogical, and
Ihe best inslruct ional devices trivial. "What is this
l^igliteenlh ("eiitiiry \ase doing next a Trenton bowl?'"
asks the director. "1 was illustrating glazes," says the
cuiator. "Vou are mi.xing jieriods," retorts the direc-
tor. The most unhaiijiy museum ofticials in the country
are those who hear the call to teach, but lack the skill
The Educatinnal Value of Museums 31
1(1 iiiiikc if iuidihlc to tlicir sn]i('iii)is in uriirc. \\'licn
tlie deafness is aiiiunii llie snlM)r<lin:iles. Ilieic is always
a |iiissilp]e remedy.
Devices in Museum Teaching
Classification of Devices
Deviees are direel or (•(lUtiihutory ; lliey eitlier
iustrucf, (11- alliacl.
A series of nesis, Imnows, lii\'es, etc., lalieled •■Homes
of Animals" is a direel leaeliini; device. .\ weekly lee-
lure n])on "Tlie All of llie Nations," ealt nlaleil lo lead
]ieo[de lo uo from llie le4liii-(> hall lo llie imisiMllll lo
look at jiiclnres from Holland, lialy or {'"ranee, is a
eontribntoi-y device.
A docent who lakes jiarlies alioiil ihe museum, is a
devii-e meani lo iiisirmi, while an or^an reriial wiihiii
Ihe mnseiim preeincls, is meani lo allraei visiioi-s.
List of Devices
Here is a lisl of some of ihe devices seen in museums
visiled :
1. Ijive crealiiri's, such as lisli, liirds. monkexs, liees.
iiiosily serving lo |ii-oduce alniosiihere. A hoy who,
wandering; lliron^li Ihe formal aisles of a iiiiiseiim.
meets a com|ianiouaide monkey. Iliaws al once.
:.'. I'rocesses deniouslraled, as when tlie curalor
uses the ]i(dter"s wheel,
i\. Tliiniis Ihal work, a Idasi furnace ihal liyhls u|i
if one presses a liuflon, oi- a workinj; mode! of a canal.
I. T;ecTures in lecture halls attached lo Ihe museum,
'i'his is verv common. The lectures mav he ^iven to
32 The Newark Museum Association
clubs, to iiiiscellimeons audiences, to classes. They
Mi:iy lie lice, lor |>ay. durinjr school hours, on holidays,
to dele<;alc.s fioni classes, to the woikeis in a factory.
.Vud they may be illustrated with objects, with slides,
or with moving pictures. At one museum lectures on
arl are j;iveu ]icriodi(ally in Italian. At Boston, lec-
tures on .Japan are given by Ja]ianes(» in costume. In
Brooklyn a leilurer gave the same lecture eleven times
in one day.
These lectures may be given by the stall' members or
by outsiders. The lecturer may be paid or a volunteer.
A curator says •■\A'e don"t ]iay, but I always, in writing
thanks, enclose a crisp lixc dollar bill for expenses."
Some lecturers are engaged regularly, and paid well.
5. Docentry. This may be a kind of sublimated
guide service, the hackneyed memoriter story of the
ohl lasliioiK'd guide being rejilaced by an infoi-nial talk,
adjusted to the intelligence of the hearers; or it may
be a real lesson, given to a group seated about a case
])repaied foi' the ]iurpose.
<i. Lectures by the stall' in schools, homes, (dubs, etc.
One curator announces that he will lecture to any
organization about anything, so long as they realize
where he is from and what he represents.
7. Heal classes. There are all grades and styles of
this work. In one i)lace teachers come foi- work which
counts lowaids ]ironiotion credits and university
degrees. In Uullalo. all the science woi-k in the city
schools is ildUi' li\ the museum force, the jinpils coining
by direction during school hours.
S. Story telling. This varies with the personality
of the teller.
The Educational Value of Museums 33
!l. lOxnii-sidii Icailinji. TIic exi-nrsiun may he a liinl
walk, a trip oF liisldiic interest, a tree-study Iriji, or
a star-;.;azinj; jaunt. It may he led hy une (if the slatT
or hy an outsider. Its eonnecliDii Axilli the museum is
(il'len loose.
10. Entertainments. These vary from society fune-
tious lo visits from settlements, transportation of visi-
tors sometimes lieino' ]iaid in tlie lattcT- case.
11. Eiii]doyment of llic laily. .V curalor in I'.os-
ton asked a i;rou|i of children for advice in choosini:-
tlie jirints for a children's exhihil. In another museum,
volunlecr ■•.Museiiiii (iuards"" keep disci|diiie on Sun-
day.s. In anotlier, ".Museum Aids" lay wnmen who
volunteer, and receive inslrnclion — act as «;ui(h's, and
lielp in laltelino'. Auolhei- museum exchanjies service
willi the local hoy scouts.
iL'. Open lahoratories. In one museum, a constant
watch is kepi for peojile, esjiecially youns ]>eople, who
show unusual inicresi. To such an one access to cases,
a stool a1 a tahle whei-e he may work, laiioratory facili-
ties, and odier liherlies are liradnallv accor(l(^d.
]'■>. Lending;' ohjects lo go oui of Ihe museum. Pic-
Mircs, slides, stereofjra]ihs, lanterns, type-written lec-
luves, rr;ime<l picluri's, cases of specimens, oil paintings,
jiianohi I'ccords, materials for exiierimenls, all are sent
lo sclio(ds, cluhs, churches and homes.
li. Flower tahles. These have heen descrilied.
15. Telescopes, planetarinms, celestial spheres and
domes. The return to a general interesi in astronomy
thi-ongh Ihe agency of Ihe museum is notewcu'lhy.
16. Aclivilies, related to the museum colleclious, foi-
children to enyaiie in. The Worcester Art ]Mnseum has
34 The Newark Museum Association
siidDji' wdik of lliis sort. Anions these are transparent
slates on wliicli to draw the main lines of siinjile pic-
tures, prints to color, picture puzzles, individual writ-
ten catalogs of iii<lures studied, a game like Authors,
composition contests foi- ])rizes, clubs for neighborhood
ini])rovement. or for science or art study, exhibits of
collections bv pupils.
17. Labels. In cases in a cerluiu Hiiiseiini is a .series
of lal)els like the following:
Shell Gorget Representing Human Face with Burial No. 205
Rose Mound, Cross Co. Arkansas
TerraCotta Statuettes of Chalcluhuitlicce
"Emerald Skirted" Goddess of the Flowing Water— Mexico
If those are lai)els illuuiinating lo the specialist and
specialists visit the museum, then they are the labels
to use. But it would seem that either other and simpler
labels should enlighten the layman, or that laymen
should not be invited into the alcove containing this
exhibit.
In the same museum is found this intelligible label:
Dog Sled— Greenland
Peary Relief Expedition
Museum literature contains many admissions by
museum authorities that the laliel problem is a grave
one. Some museum experts have solved ii wnudei'tully
well.
The Educational Value of Museums
35
Here is a lal>el llial teaches:
Sponges
Sponges are a low S(ii-| of animal life,
mostly marine
Made of soft tissue ami a touuli horny
skel et < >n — Ba t h Spi inu'e
or siliceous material like ^lass
or carhoiiatc of lime
Found in
warm siialiow water — Commei-cial
dee]) water — (ilassy
fresh water — One family of glassy
cosmo]iolitan — Limey ami glassy
Used for hath imrposes — Horny sponges
Caught by iliving, (Iredgiug or nsiug long-
hamll('<l forks from hoats
Artificially propagated hy cuttings which
mature in from one to three years
Skeletons only are exhihiteil: soil slimy
tissue is removed
Ask for Museum bulletin, vol. III. Xo. 5
See reference hook list jiosted on stair
landiui;.
}\o specialist needs sucii a lahel. P.ut this case is
gazed at each Siuiday hy hnudreds of ]ieo|)le, from the
Italian laboi'er's family to the mayoi^'s wife, not one in
a linn<li'ed of whom ever heard of a sponge outside of
a hathtnh. If the readers of that lahel look knowingly
at the sjtonge when next they use it, printer's ink has
not heen wasted.
36 The Newark Museum Association
Nearby stainls a liij;' licai- in a case. 'I'lie label reads:
■■Obscrvo — ■' and llieu follows a list of salient features,
which would not have been observed without the stim-
ulus of the sujjseslions.
Here is a nnod label placed under a slran.ne, weapon-
like article in a jilass case devoled lo .Maska:
Scratcher for Decoying Seal
Seals are curious and are easily al
Iracted by unusual sounds. With a
scratcher like (his I he liunler makes a
sound near a blowdiole in llie ice, and thus
entices llie seal into a net.
Any layman can uuderslaud thai; no one, however
erudite, could know the facts A\ithoiit such instruction
as tills. And there would be little \alue in sliowinji the
scratcher were not (he label thus explicit.
IS. Catalor>s. Thev are as vexing as labels.
Suppose a jioor man takes his children to a uuiseum
of art. He buys a tine-looking catalog at the door.
•'This," says the father, "will tell us about the things,
and we can take it home and refresh our memories with
it." Then he ojiens it and reads, "No. '2~)'.)a. a wooden
statue of Jerapopacockle. :!l! inches high, and 111
inches wide at the shoulders. The god" — oh, it's a
goil — "wears a tall head dress. He stands ou a low
pedestal, resting his weight on both feet. In iiis right
hand he holds a sjiear, and on his arm is fastened a
round shield. Ills exiuession is severe. Tlie end of the
The Educational Value of Museums 37
nose is sligliMy ild'aced. Sii]>]misc(1 Io lii'lonii' to the
ninety-liftli dyiuistyl"
Tlicu lu' looks around at liis astonislicd otTsin-init, and
the most lio])efiil ciics, "Wliy llicrc's only one thing
told there tiiat I couldn't see t'oi- myself, and that one
I couldn't understand, ^^'llat's the ninety-tifth dyn-
asty'?" Then the father lilushiuiily replies, "I think
it's the reign of soiue family somewhere," and shuts the
book, inwardly calculating that it «ill take lifteen
walks homeward at night to make good the seventy-tive
cents.
Catalogs are here iiichaled because they can lie used
to instruct and sometimes are thus used.
Til. Things grouped about a tho\ighl, oi- central and
nnderst audable idea. Many uiuseuuis have such groui)S.
Some museums ha\e maiiy nt them. AiiKiug these ideas
are: "Homes of Animals." "I'mteclive coloring of ani-
mals," •■Keversions." "Tree diseases," "Structural
plans," "The early ste]is in weaving," "Uird calendars,"
"The e\iilution of trans]Mut.'i(ion methods," "Albinos,"
"I low ciial is formed," "The evolution id' th(> landscape,"
"Some ways of portraying the wind."
This list of devices for museum teaching might be
more minute. It covers, however, iu these Iweiity
classes, most of those seen.
^^'hal cannot be thus enumerate<l is the wide range of
the apjieal which museums are making on the adver-
tising side. Every tyjie of human being is included in
the s]iecial a])peal of some Auierican museum. The
National Museum at Washington gives instruction in
what to collect and how to shiji it. to the outgoing con-
sul : another museum is the reudez\-ous (d' Society;
38 The Newark Museum Association
ii (hird makes an effort to attract motornien, and the
"Truck Drivers' Convivial Chili" is invited to its shows.
Co-operations of Educational Agencies
Willi the jjrowtli in the coninninity of the louinuinity
S])irit, and of the tendency to see society as a whole
and social forces in their mutual relations, there has
arisen a iiuivement so to unify the education of the
child, and so to integrate the services of church, family,
school and social life, as to make character growl li
symnu'lrical.
It was natural, then, in ihis incjuiiy, lo look not only
for the educational work of the Museum itself, but also
for its co-operation wiili oilier cducalioual agencies.
It must lie confessed lliai liiilc of smh woi-k was found.
The Agencies Involved
Some science museums have subsidiary gardens for
experiments. Some museums are in jiarks and closely
altiliated with park officials, Hnancially, or sentimen-
tally. Some art museums June art schools as ajipen-
dages. or are themselves a]ipendages of such schools.
An inherent antipathy seems to exist between
museums and libraries, one which even the most book-
ish director and the most ])ractical librarian, united in
personal good fellowship, cannot wholly overcome.
Many museums have libraries, some merely for staff
use, and some advertised as for the use of ]iatrons. Not
a few museiims are housed in library buildings.
President Ward, of the Public ^Museum of Milwaukee,
addressing the Museum Association in Utl.^>, adjured
his confreres to avoid the lilnarv as a foster motiier.
The Educational Value of Museums 39
"We have in Wiscousiu," he saiil, "quite a nuiiilier of
museums run under the ausjtices of lil)raries, and every
one of them is dead." The museums of Pittsburgh seem
not to be injured by their lilirai'v contacts. And tlic
Xi'wai-l; vcntiu'c, lho\ij;b still all infant, shuws \ilalily
at least in firowint;.
Co-oi)erati<in witli schools is clearly a most natural
form of \v(irl< for any museum. But a certain cciurl of
law refused to aduiit that the museum is an educational
instilulidU, and the ("arnejjie Foundation does nut
admit museum curators to its |irofcssorial pensinu
])rivilej;es. At the lirsr iiieetinji' of the Musenin Asso-
ciatidu it was moved that the organization becoinc
allied with the National p]ducati(mal Associati(m: ilic
(■(iiiiinil Ice apjiointed to clfcct the coalition died of
ali-(j|iliy dni-Jng llic next two years.
iivirh'ntly, then, museums have co-ojM'rated little, in
the past, with other organizations, and es|)ecially with
schools. The genei-al ](ractice is to edn<-ale ilie iliild
in scho(ds by means of woi-ds, and the adull in imiseuins
by means of things — a reversal i<i what ^xould seem lo
be the naluial order, "The thing liefore the name."
Extent of Co-operative Work
What is the extent and what the jirolit of coojiera-
tions among these institutions of cultui-e?
This is part of another (piestion : What work is done
by the schools outside the schoolidom walls?
In all ]irogressive cities something is done besides the
traditional class room woik. This is in resjjonse to the
movement against the depressing effect of foi-malism,
and of plaring chief reliance on the text-book.
40 The Newark Museum Association
111 tliis work outside the school room four institu-
lioiis are concerued : Schools, Libraries, Museums, and
(■('r(ain volunteer agencies peculiar to each city, such as
]>arentlea(iHMs" associations, lyceums, institutes of
science, liisioiy, art. or iinisic, women's clnlis. men's
organ izat ions, etc. In every city llu' silualiun has its
own special features.
From one place, as already stated, our letter of
inquiry lii-ou<;ht lliis from the cui'ator: "We tried t'oi'
seven years to work with the schools here, and never
got one response." In another city the librarian said,
"We kee]) as far a«uy from I he schools as we can." In
another city llic curaior of one museum declared that
the public school oflicials \\ere (he only dead educators
in the ]iiace: and the cui'alor of another museum said
that the siliool ollicials were his best supporters.
So varied and contradictory were the replies received
to inquiries about the relation between museums and
the other institutions that this program of inquiry was
adi)];l('<l iu each cily:
ill \'isit the museums. ( L' ) \'isit the lilii-aries, (8)
YisiX the superintendent of schools.
At museums and libraries the inquiries were: What
are you doing for the scliools"? For (he women's dubs?
For settlements? For factories, sho])s and stores? For
churches, and men's organizations? For anybody else
by way of direct education? What lectures do yon
give? What do yon |inblisii? Wiiat. besides books,
do you circulate? How do you advertise? flow do
you label your wares? What classes visit you? Whom
do you visit ? Wliai do you <lo for each other?
The scliDol s\ip('i-iuli'ndeuts and su]iervisors were
The Educational Value of Museums 41
asked: ^Vliat use do von make of the lilirarv. the
museum, the zoo, the jtai'ks? Of factories aud eity
depai'tiuents? Of eollettions, stereoseojies. stereo-
<;ra]ihs, stereo])f icons, eliarts and ]>ietures? What do
YOU i;et into your classes from outside and wliat out-
side of your classes do you see?
These inquiries were ]>ursued with more or less thor
oughness in nearly every jilace visited.
The Attitude of Libraries
All liliraries know (hat they have a duty lieyond thai
of sup]ilying; books to citizens who ask fni- them. Tiie
mo(lern lihrai-y contains the hdnk militant.
It is an important article in the lihrarianV creed that
he should so emphasize his mission that a large jiercent
age of the adults and nil flir <-Ii ililnii in the coijimunify
shall he aware that he has sonielhiug to oliei' them.
Wliat the percentage of adults should he is a (|ueslion
to he settled hy each lihrai-ian accoiiling to his condi-
tions, Init all progressive lilirai-ians agree that l()l)'^;i
of the children should he the goal. In all (he cities
where the question was asked classes from the schools
go freely to the lilirai-y for lessons in its use.
In Providence e\'ei-y child wlm reaches the sixth grade
has had two lessons at the lihrary during school hours,
and in T<de(lo the ju'esent Su]ieiiutenden( of Schools,
on taking ol'lice, sent every ]iul)lic scIhmiI ])upll in the
city above the second grade to the library for a lesson,
and thereafter has caused evei-y third gi'ade class to go
as soon after pronioti(Ui as jxissilde, lest some over-age
puj)il be withdrawn and miss the initiation.
In Pittsburgh, not content with its work in schools.
42 The Newark Museum Association
I'lutories, settlements, and stores, the library has some
seventj'-tive assistants who dist-over groups of children
debarred by the isolating toi)ography of the city from
frequent visits even to the numerous branch libraries,
and who visit these groujis regularly at Ihe home of
some one <hild, reading, telling stories, and circulating
books.
The Attitude of Museums
The museums have no such universal understanding
of tiieir duty. Perhaps their duty is not as yet so
comi)reheusive. Every sane adult who can read must
need, at some time, lo rcail with sdiuc definite purjiose.
Every inciiil)er nl' every coniiiiiiuily over ten years of
age shouhl read daily for pleasure. \ud the i)u))lic
library is the acci'edited distributor of printed matter.
But museums are fitted for widely different tastes
and uses, ami their appeal is to consideral)ly less than
one hundri'd pei- rent of tiie coiiiiiiuuity.
Even museums of the first class, however, do some
Ihiug for the people at large,
^^'hen Smithson laid the foundation of our national
tnuseum, he dedicateil it thus : "For the increase^ and
difi'usion of knowledge among men."
The curators see to it that the e.xiiiliits open id the
general public contain (lis])lays sulticiently spectacular
to awaken pride in American pilgrims and respect in
foi'eign visitors. They identify and interpret specimens
and answer questions, no mailer whence tlie source;
and the department ot mineralogy gives dui)licate
specimens to all who ask, merely slii)ulating that the
request be sent in through a senator or representative.
Also tills department gives a broad interjiretation to
The Educational Value of Museums 43
the term "Exchange." It' you are a ueniiiiie collerlui'
VdU luav send to it '2i) specimens that it docs not need
and get in return 50 specimens lliat you do need.
Neillier of the other deitartiiients can. from tlie nat\ire
of tlie case, be so democratically ediicatidnal, for even
of Indian arrow heads the sn]i])ly is limited, and a
stuHed gorilla is not an exchangealile commodily.
The educational molto of this uiusenm might he "Fur-
ther and ]iicserve the discoveries of the few that they
may teach the many.'"
The Children's room in the Smithsonian seems tit
have direct educational relation to the children of
^\'ashinglon. whu alone <an reach it. It is attractive
and interesting, and its secretary says that he receives
many letters inquiring ahout its methods and ])ui]iose.
More exclusively devoted to the needs of the special
ist is the museum created liy schools, colleges, and
learned societies. I'\^w of these, even, are regardless of
the claims of the many. "I would be glad to see the
t'hildren's Museum bccnme well establisiied," said the
curatt)r of Scieni'e in ISoslon "for it will relieve us of
a kind of duty that we are not equipped for, either in
time or money. Teachers ask a good deal, and when
they ask we do not feel that we can refuse."
It is a sign of health in the schools t)f Boston that
they so pursue the specialist for help in their work.
Practically every museum supjiorted by the public
strives to do its duty to the schools. The American
Museum of Natural History has docent service, and
illustrated lectures, and lends sjecimens: (he Metro-
[lolitan hires instructors and invites teachers to biing
classes. The I'.rnnx Zoo and the A(|uarium have [tublic
44 The Newark Museum Association
school classes at i-egularly ai)]i()inte(l school periods;
the Boston Art Miisciini and Cluldren's Mnseuni con-
duct classes and take muleiials into the schools: there
is active school teachinfj worlc done hv the innseunis of
Worcester, Providence, rinciiiiiali. Toledo, liidianapo-
lis, — in fact everywhere curators are coming to recog-
nize their tasks as those of teachers of the schools.
At the Commercial Museum at Philadelphia, school
houi's are tilled hy scliool classes attending illustrated
lectures upon industrial jn-ocesses and then visiting
the correlated special exhibits shown hy the museum.
When the art nuiseuni of Toledo puts up an exhibit
of iKiilcry. every grammar grade class in the city
devotes an hour and a quarter of school time to attend
a demonstration at tiie museum of pottery making, and
then studies the exhibit. The same thing occurs when
the subject of the special exhil)it is stain(>d glass, or
lace, or jiastels; so that during the winter each jtujiil
above the fourth gi'ade s])ends a nuuiber of school hoiu's
receiving instruction in the arts at the museum.
At Indianapolis, the contents of the Children's Room
are changed each month to meet the needs of the school
course in art. fjandscapes, designs, figure drawing,
whatever is llie subject accentuated during the month,
are shown — and tlie classes come, using the materials
provided by the museum, sketching, taking notes, under
file instruction of teacher, art supervisor or museum
instructor.
The Art Museum of T'.oston does elaborate woik for
a grou]> of teaclieis. and gives eacli teacher an outline
that she uiny dujilicale liie lesson fur lier class.
The doccnt in the \v\ Musimiiii of Piiisbuigh gives a
The Educational Value of Museums 45
let-tui-c illustrated by slides, slinws llie elass what llie
gallery holds of illustrative material, and sets a jinih-
Icni for solution liy tlie children.
There remains I he museum devoted to the service of
the people, and lari^cly throunh llie schools, — that type
of museum which acknctwledges, "We have not sul'li-
cient money lo buy gi-eat works of arl. Classirs and
antiquities are far beyond our ho]ies. IJesides. every
new museum asjiirinii' io 1lie ;;real masters, iiiusi lie
worse otf llian ils predecessors, since the sujiply of old
masters is necessarily limited. There is, nearby, a
museum ei|ui|i]ied for the sjiecialist. Oui- task is to
make the soil oul of which masler ailisis and special-
ists grow."
So we have people's museums, miiseuuis ot industry,
children's museums. These museums lind out what the
schools need or want, open channels of communication
with them, and sujiply these needs through these chan
nels.
l^^ailure to liring aliout such intercourse with the
schools that every child liears the threefold invitation
of art, science, industry, spells ess("ntial failure foi' the
]>eo]de"s museum.
It is not true tliat, though 100', of the children have
heard these calls, ihey must all heed all or any of them.
There are ear-minded children, introsjiective or retlec-
tive children, imaginative and ratiocinative ihijdien,
who are hamjiered rather than heljied by enchainment
to material things, jiowever interesting or beautiful.
These will jiass the summons by. The mission of the
museum is to silt out those who can prolit by syste-
matic \isual instrnction, and to sei-\'e them intensiveh-.
46 The Newark Museum Association
All t'uiiirsi L'llort is being made to do this in many
places. The most successful methods used are, to recap-
itulate:
1. Such a museum devotes the greater i)art of ils
time ami iiiouey to jieople, not to things. It regards
curators as more valuable assets than collections. It
is known as the place where Mr. Blank or Miss lilauk
works, not as the place where sudi and such things are
"preserved."'
2. Its collections consist of concrete material cor-
responding to units of thought. It is like a library.
Each department is a book; each room is a chapter:
eacli case is a iiaingiajih : each shelf is a sentence.
In the Brooklyn Chihli-en's Museum is a <ase C()n-
taining nunlels of wax and of the anatcimy of the bee.
They are so old that no one knows wlicnce Ihey came.
They were of little use, until the curator set opposite
them a bee hiv^e whose occupants fly in and out of the
building, carrying on their social functions under the
eyes of llie young visitors. Fi-om that moment tlie old
models gained a meaning and a value.
To make each museum unit a thought unit two things
are necessary :
A. "I'lii- ordiodox iiH'lhod of tilling eacli shelf with
many sjiecimens, so similar tliat (mly experienced eyes
can see differences between them, must be changed by a
decrease in the nuudter of tilings and an increase in the
differences between the specimens. That is to say, a
synopsis only must be shown in each show case.
The I'easons for this are threefold : First, the lay-
man cannot appreciate minute ditferences: second,
untrained minds liecome confused bv a multitude of
The Educational Value of Museums 47
impressions; tliird. wiieu everything is sliown, crowd-
ing results.
B. The relations hetweeu neighhoriug articles must
chiefly be. not those of siniilnrily, Imt tiiose of causa
lion. Tilt' iiioi-c (lyii;uiiic an I'xliiliii ilic hkhc viiiorous
the impression. The interest sliow n liy iiiosi observers
varies in a descendins; scale accoiiliii^ lo whciliei" the
tilings sliown ai-e:
(1.1 Living, as in a /(kj, in- nc|iiaiiiiiii, oi- aviaiy.
(2.1 In action, as when I lie aiiloinatic stereopticon
shows its pictures.
(■'!.) Showing a dramatic siinaiion, as in halii!a(
groups.
(4.1 Indicating the life cycle of an individual, as
from moth to motli, or the development oi' a s]iecics, as
from bog to coal, or the develojmient from raw mateiial
to tinishcd ]ii-odnct, as from the shell to the Imt ton. The
least interesting thing is an unrelated thing, and next
to that come two things related merely hy resemblance.
The Attitude of Schools
As to the schools, they have their jirolilems also in
the matter of co-operation. The traditional way to test
school results is by books learned. exam]>les "done."
compositions written, and technical excellence acquired.
To intei'fere with routine by insisting that it is also
worth while to see beauty, to love natur(>. or to feel
with the invenioi- his thrill, is to arouse opjiosition in
the mechanical-minded.
^^'here the course of study makes no jnovision for
the use of any knowledge <ii" jiowei' gained outside of
le.xt books, or where siii-h jirovision is a dead letter.
48 The Newark Museum Association
till' t(>iu-lit'i- who iilijccts to ;i iiieaniugless junket is
rijrht.
Also, where ancient customs ju-evail, tliei-e is always
danger lliat cousei-vative parents or citizens will criti-
cise.
But, so far as nij- visits went, this discussion is aca-
demic. I found only one place where the schools do not
quite freely use the museiiiii so Car as it is equipped
with materials and assistants adapted to their needs.
They do this better than they use tlie libraries.
In one city the museum director reports that the
Board of Education pays transport atitm. when llie
child cannot: in another, the lioard of Trade tinder-
takes to do so. In Toledo, classes can move al)out with
great freedom, for the carfare of young children is only
one cent. In I'll Isbuigli, il costs twenty cents to give a
child from a distaiuc his glimpse of the beauty on the
hill. The director there is considering the getting of
subscrijitions to overcome this dil'ficulty.
Difficulties in Securing Co-operation
As is evident, each library, each museum and each
school system gets its |ioinls of contait where it can
and dev('lo]is accoidiug to its own genius. The result
is that no two sittiatioiis have the same virtues. But
all the situations have the same vice and that a natural
and inevitable (Hie. in view of the manner in which the
three educational factors are governed. In every place
the w-eakness consists in a lack of correlation, due
mostly to a lack of knowledge and of symjiathetic
insight. Schools do not know what libraries have for
th(>m. Libraries do not know \\hat museums are doinK.
The Educational Value of Museums 49
MiistMiuis ilo iidt know Imiw scliools are luii. Xouc of
tlic'jse agem-ies kuows I lie jmlilic wliiih it servos.
The lieail of a prominent secondary sdiool assured
tlie lil)rariau, "Really there is no value in lessons on tli<^
iilirary tor our students. A\'liat lliey neeil is just io he
shown Ihrougii, you know, froiu narret to cellar, made
familiar with it, you know." Thi.s schoolman thinks
thai a lihi-ary is a liuildiuii'.
A iironnnent museum ollicial vaunis his museu)u as
democratic. "We are ylad Io have school classes come
.•md spend the day with us. And our lunch room ](ro
vides a nourishing' siiu]il(» lunch for iwcniy-live cents I"
The curator iu one museum thinks thai he is diiing a
"great work"' in the schools when oul of some li'.ODd
school children he gets "over a hundred" essays on "A
visil to ( )ur iluseum." .V lilirarian considers her work
as "a poor husiuess" when only half the teachei-s bring
their classes. And a scliool pi-iu<iiial, who himself is a
sludent, lii'st li(U-rows froiu The city library all that if
has on a subject and then sends (hirly chihlren. after
scho(d, with no ciia])eroue and no knowledge of how
to use a refei-ence book, Io "look up" llie same subj<'cl
for a ilebale. All these misunderstandings a real get-
together spirit would quickly obviate.
If every nuiseum were to put. as does Pi'ovideiu'e, a
hibliograjihy on the wall beside ils well labeled cases,
and conveniences for consult ing the books near the
cases, there would bi- less vacant idling through the
museums oi the country.
These observations are the partial results of visits to
other cities. And they lead directly to the following
snira'estions as to the Newai-k Museums.
50 The Newark Museum Association
Applications to Newark Museums
Their Obvious Advantages
The Xc'w;uk Miisciiiii Association is to be congi-atu-
liited on several counts: Its ninsenuis Iiave not been
iiiven by any one creator. They need the su])port of
all citizens. They have so little that, with a well dctined
purpose, future accretions should lall easily into jilace.
These museums, beins Imused under the same roof as
the library and directed by the liliiarian, such an inti-
nuicy is possible, ]>erha])s, as may enable Newark to b(>
the lirst cily cumijletely to interwea\'e llie work of the
schools, the museums, and the libraries. \\'ith Ex-Gov-
eiuoi- Mur])liy, Pi-esiden( of tlie l^ssex ("ounly Park
('oiiimission, as jiresident and sympathizini; with and
understanding the work, there is also a chance of giv-
ing it such a working relation with Ihe Paik (^Commis-
sion as exists, ])robably, nowhere exec])! in Itoston,
where tlu^ Park (J'omuiission houses and provides
upkeep for its Children's Museum.
A museum should, for its best good, be poor; but
not too )io(ir. Receiving so small a financial sujijiort
from the city, ours is forltmale in having for its qmir-
tors rooms 'which, though lew. are of a proper character
for its collections.
The Inevitable Growth of Any Museum
No one starting a museum need fear that he will want
for things. Whatever be its scope, things will flow in.
This, at least, was the testimony of most of the
museums visited.
"We have struggled hard to preserve this museum for
The Educational Value of Museums 51
uil." siiys oue cmaldi', "nnd luive ofteudcd many wduld-
be donoi's by refusing their collections."
"This may seem to you a scant exhibit of modern art,"
says another, "but I assure you that we can't show what
we have, and we couldn't luid we twice I he space."
"The late cviradu-," sij^hs liis successor, "was snowecl
under by material ihai his financial resources did uol
enalde him to handh\"
"II is easy for you lo see whaCs (he nuitler here,"
says a trustee. "The director lias |prrinillcil iis (o be
overwhelmed with truck."
"Build a museum in the desert." says one. "and you
will shortly lind your collection ahead of your staff."'
Two of the m(tst el'licieut small iiiuseunis visited, in
Providence and Brooklyn, spend almost nothing for
their collections, but rely on doiuitious and the speci-
meus obtained by their stall'. .\nd we are witnesses
recently of the straits to which the Metropolitan has
been put merely to house what has been given.
It is not suggested (liai the Newark director shall
never buy. 15ut, being |>oor, he will uoi make impulsive
purchases. lOacli will either fill the ga]>s iu a ]dan which
has been based upon gifts already received, or will
umke the lieginniug of a collection based on an idea
calculated to attract gifts for its completion.
No director, starting a museum uuder a set o( trus-
tees who undei'stand and sup|ioi-t him, need fear the
final outcome because (he beginnings are small. A ]uill-
togetliei- s])irit is worth as much as a nulliou dollar
endowment — ami atti-acts the endowment.
Evidently, then, the association has ouly lo be harmo-
niously aggressive, ami its educational value is assurecl.
52 The Newark Museum Association
Disadvsuitages of the Newark Museums
Newark's position ucai- onr gi-i'ute.st eity, often called
ail assef, is sonietiint-.s seeii to be the opposite. To
ol)taiii for Newark ciiUural agencies, such as tirst class
theatrical performances, grand oi)era and museums, is
more dil'licult (haii for interior cities of the same size.
The argument that those who wish tiiese things can go
to New York, witii its implication that those who can-
not go often to New York do not wish cultural o])](or-
tiinities, is the usual argument of the Cans about the
Cau'ts. \Ve can liardl.N ex]iect our c-ity to be entirely
free from this spirit.
The obverse tendency, to pour contributions into cof-
fers which are already full, is equally common. We see
it in huge gifts to the great colleges and in neglect of
home institutions, in the crowding of large churches
and the stream of donations to the larger museums.
The Newark museums will doubtless have seven lean
years and then seven fat years; it is a common exper-
ience.
The conscientious conservative we have always with
us. In this jiarticular instance, the conservatives have
especial advantages in argument. They insist that it be
proved to them : 1. lluseums are good ; 2. Newark needs
a museum ; 3. It should be three kinds of a museum ; 4.
It is needed soon; 5. It should serve as an educational
agency; (i. It should be co-operative in method and
democratic in spirit.
Those who are conservative because they cannot see
until they are shown, are the class who most need
museums.
The habit ol' large giving bv individuals for the com-
The Educational Value of Museums 53
uioii weal lias iKit vet become tixed aiiioDji wealtliy
Newarkers ; aud such giving lias been ehiedy foi- that
type of charity which obviously helps its object, rather
than that which more subtly enables him to help him-
seir. The more dilticult ]n-actice of creating so general
au enthusiasm as shall attract the mites of the multi-
tude is also yet in its infancy liere. l'>ut civic conscious-
ness is rapidly growing. Ni'warlc's museums liid fair
to come into port on the crest of a tidal wave wliich is
just now rising.
Although most of Hie individual things tliat the
Newark museums nugiit to do arc done soiiicwliere
to-day, yet the entii-e sciieme is not to be seen in full
operation anywher(>. The carrying out of good plans
will lie slow, for it will be imj^ossible to hire trained
e.\]>erts til dii what lias not yet been done. Hence, sus-
taining tiie jiromotors' faith and rousing of eiitlnisiasm
in others will require botii wisdom and vignr.
Each of these drawbacks lias been suH'ered by some
museum visited. They are writTen in archives, wiiis
jiered in ]irivale conferences, and inqilied in formal
rejiorts. They lu^ed not apjiall. though some of them
will iiihbiubtcdly annoy.
Suggestions for the Newark Museums
Genera! Scope of These Museums
in the near future, the ciiy gnvernmcnt will pcrh,-i]is
unt provide more than liuibliugs and u]i keep, including
salaries, for the Newark Muscuim. Collections must be
gained through subscri]itions ami gifts. As the city
contains jsersoiis of diverse tastes who are likely to give
lo iustitutious if they have already a dejiartment cov-
54 The Newark Museum Association
ei-iu<4' tilt' special inleri'st involved, the association
.should collect, as soon as uiay be, a nucleus of really
good things in all its tliree fields, art, science and indus-
try. History is omitted because archaeology can be
included under ethnology, and, because in Newark is
the headquarters of the New Jersey Historical Society,
and duidicatiou of work is bad policy.
This nucleus, however small in quantity, should be
of such excellent iiuality as may encoui-age real con-
noisseurs to commit their treasures to the museums'
keeping. The next few years will be the heroic age,
the Days of the Fathers, which will be looked back to
with respect when the time of fruition has come. Com-
pare the humble beginnings of the Metropolitan
Museum with the opulence of its three latest be<]uests.
Since the city government can not righteously sub-
sidize any enterprise that does not prove its value to
the city, the associaticm must immediately prove itself
to be an agency both of cultural and of economic value.
This it can do only by serving both adults and chil-
dren, both for education and for recreation.
Art
As an agency of cultural jileasure-giving. the art
department should be pre-eminent.
For this purpose, not rarity, but beauty is necessary.
Connoisseurs can see in the metropolis collections with
which our collection can never compete. The comjiara-
tively uninforiued can be well introduced to such types
as will ultimately make them also judges and enjoyers
of beauty, through reproductions and traveling exhibits,
if these are well displayed. The present sculjiture hall
The Educational Value of Museums 55
])r<)v<'s this. Tliere iirc luniiy linlli'iics r(ini:iiiiiiii; iimre
vnliialilc ciillcilidos (linii this liltlc i;riiii|) <<( l:iiniliar
casls; lint iin collccliou i.s iiKirc ]>erreclly i)l;\(('(l ami
jiroiipi'd f(i in'iiducc refined aesthetic ])leasnre.
l''vei-y ell'di't siioulil he made lo liml where, in ili(>
lily, ai-l is stndied. and in ennnecliun wilii wiiat i;riiH|is
dl' jietijile art a]iiireeial inn is liivcly In l)e easily evoked,
and, tlironji'h tiie sinijile materials ilial ean lie atf'ordi^d,
inlellii^cHl cd (i|iiMal inn slmnld lir crraled with liiese
I'ui'ees I'nl' these ends.
Financially, the ail de|iarlmeni can prnlil the city
just in so lai- as llie city's industries ajipreciale the
ecnnnnnc \'alne nC heanty. A Inmp ui' clay worth less
than a penny, may. when t ransl'oi-nied liy the indnstry
id' the ai-tisan into a howl, he worth a dollai-; when
Iransrormed hy the skill of the artist into a heantil'nl
how i. il may he worth many thousands ol' dollars. 'I'lie
like is trne to some extent of many indnstries. An
iudnstrions and Tnii-al jeweler can make a livinii'; an
inventive and artistic jeweler can make a lort\nn'. The
dillerence helween a live dollai- and a twenty dollar hat
is mnch more in the style than in llie malei-ial. The
next jieneralion, tanjilit the jirincijdes of j;oiiil taste in
the schools, will prove this more Inlly than do we, and
as America comes into comi)elifi(Hi with nations where
the economic valne of heanty is known, onr mannl'ac-
Inrei-s will learn it of necessity. A ui'owth in this
knowledge shonld he slimnlaled hy a ]iersonal pi-opa
s;anda of museum siip]iorl amoitii' the maniifaihirers
of Newai-k.
1''he Art ^Iiisenm of Toledo shows two rooms, hnilt
within the Miisenm. their fnrnitiire coslini; aimnt the
56 The Newark Museum Association
same, uue beaut iliil. I he other ugly. And the director
advertises, through the city papers, that he will advise
any householder how to get the most beauty for his
moucy iu house furnishing and decoration. Were the
art department of Newark's museiiiii to ilo lliat, and
then to furnish young artists with opjiortunities to
cater to the taste thus awakened, Newark's finances
Would be materially im|)roved, both llirough the retain-
ing of much money now sjient elsewhere and by the
attracting of a high gi-ade ut purchasers to this city.
Industry
There can be no question as to llie advisaliility of
making industrial exiiibits prominent, for several rea-
sons:
\'o(alional ('(luration is receiving attention from
Ixiih citizens and school authorities in Newark. The
schools have estat)]islH>d a vocational elementary school
for boys, and the same is to be done for girls. The East
Side and Die Centi-al higii sdiools both euijihasize the
educational value of technical subjects. Newark has
long had a technical evening school. And yet, the city
does not ])retend to have solved the (pu'stion of voca-
tional guidance. Any lielp iu alfording o|i]iort unity for
insight into the methods and jirocesses of the world's
industries will doid)tless be gratefully received by both
teachers and parents.
Newark is a city of industries. The curators in Phil-
adelphia assert that the heads of the deveIo]iing busi-
nesses in tJieir city give ajipreciative co-o]!eratioii t() ail
that the Comuiercial Museum undertakes. There can
be no better advertiseuieni than such ostentatious
The Educational Value of Museums 57
fiaiikiu'ss as is sliuwn by the Irt'c cxcursioiis of iuspec-
tidU uHcrcil lo visiliu^' Iimisewives liy 1lie Franco-Aiiieri
call Sduji r(iiii])aiiy. 111- siicli scrt'cii |iiriiircs uf faitui-
ios as tliuse sliowii (Ui llic Heinz I'ier in Atlantic ("ily.
TJie innst'imi li'uslees slionld liend tlieir individual euei-
•jies t(i inducing the nianufacturers of the city to put
loans and gills on exliiliilioii in tlie nuiseuni.
Tlie elementary iiulilic scho(ds eni|iliasize industrial
geography, and, as Ihere are delinile reipiirenients t'ov
this ill the courses ol' study and delinile lests involving
these topics, the leaclieis will doiddless he glad to lake
advantage ot anyihing calculaled lo lill their leacli
ing oul of llie <li-eaiiness of word-gelling. The fact
that niosl of the schools are al leiii|il ing lo do this hy
the aid of slei-eoscopes and slereoplicoiis indicates tliat
other means of visual instrudion in ge(»graphy \\ill he
ap]ireciateil.
The amount u\' visual inslruclion in Ihe industries
of the \vor](l now gi\en in tlie scliools, and Ihe aiiiouiit
of co-o]ieration in crealingan indiisliial exhiliil ohlain-
able from Newark iiidnslries sliould he in\-estigated,
and the developmeul of Ihe indiisliial <le](artnieiit of
the museum sliould he adajMed to llie needs and ihe
o))portiinities thus (h-velo]icd.
There is, in Newark, a course of sliidy on Newarl;
herself. I*u]>ils are expecled to lind oiil for liienisel\-es
certain things and rejiort upon some of the more olivioiis
resnlls of cily governmenl. 'i'he pu]iils of Ihe (iA grade
are supposed to visit Ihe lllirary. merely l<i gain a cur-
sory imju-essiou of Ihe liuilding. ilol to experience its
use. The hesilalioli which they evidi'iilly feel in doing
this indicates one wav in which museum iii\ ilal ions lo
58 The Newark Museum Association
cliildi-eii iiiiglil help to hi-ins abuut what the school
o'licials waul. And some questions brought to the
lilii-aiians witii the request that they provide a hook-
that will answer them, show jdaiuly the need for olijec-
tive teaching lliat will lead In Ihe relegation of the text-
book to its rightful place. A pui)il, for instance, mod-
estly asks for a book ans\\eriug (he ([uestion, "Are
garbage cans properly emptied in your neighborhood?"
Such a course th(» museum can inalcrially ]icl]i lo iii;ike
]pi-actical.
Science
In science. Ihe situaliou is more dillicnll. It is Irue
thai within the past twenty years interest in nature
study as a recreation has increased. It is al.so true that
our industrial jjrosperity has been created largely by
our scientific discoveries and inventions. Yet nature
study in many American sdiools is neglected or per-
functory, except in the raie cases of a teacher »v jirin-
cipal enthusiastic on Ihe sul)jecl. an<l there is nothing
harder to prove to many jiarents than that a love of
nature or a taste for nalural scieiU'C in their children
can be turned to ju'olitable account, livery city con-
tains many business failures, and mediocre professional
men, who would have made siucessful farmers, poultry-
meu. tlorisls. foresters or chemists had they been able
to know and lo follow their bents.
The musc\iiii should alford a symjialhctic centre for
the scienlitic interests of the coiiiniunily. and serve
these interests by the exhibition and circulation of
specimens, and by fostering lield work, collections and
laboratory work among both old and young. The Chil-
dren's Museum of I'.rooklvn has seni oul a nunilicr ol'
The Educational Value of Museums 59
I'xpeit wireless telegraphei's. ;inil counts li'ee-]ilanl Idi;-
eliilis ;\s iiidii-ect resulls of ils \Miik with cliildi-eii.
Whatever is dune in any deiiartineul must he a
growth. For some years, jtrohahly, only those chihlren
will be made aware of wiiat is olVered in nature sUidy
whose teaehei's oi' parents have a lasle for Iii<' sulijecl.
There are many |in[>ils graduated liom the elemen-
tary schools, who have never visited the lihrary, and
wIlo cannot IJnd an arlich' in an encyclo|i;edia. .\lucii
more will this be the case with the imisenm. l\-\\ lour-
teen-year-old children lia\c imm- seen any sialiie ullier
than those in t)ur parks and in their own churches.
^'ow, growth is necessarily slow, 'i'lie viial matter
is not how far we have ])ro^ressed, liiil are we progi-ess-
ing?
Some places are in advance of us; but there is no
evidence that there is any .\nierican city where every
child knows how to look for information in a l)ook of
reference, how to visit the pulilic libi-ary, the museum
and the public parks with ]irolil, and what are the
chiel points of interest in his city. Something at' all
this is done everywhere; jierliaps not all of it anywhere.
Newark has made a good start in at least two of these
direction.s: A considerable jiercentage id' her chihlren
use the library, for pleasure, an<l she h.-is a course (d'
study u|)on the city, fully develojied on ]iaper ami some-
what carried out in fact. It will be evident that In aid
her in the other matters the task will be. not \i> develop
the museum aibitrarily along prearranged lines, but to
allow latitude, so that it may gi'ow to meet, as well as
to create, demand.
In earlier ])ages. the work of the docent may seem
60 The Newark Museum Association
to have beeu belittled. The museum of the future will
develop the docent's work to a degree thus far uuiuui-
gined. Some of the work uow doue by the doceut will
be rendered unnecessary by better incthods of display
and of labeling, but many new values w ill be found in it.
For example, uuiuy children have never seen a statue
of the nude. Some of these childieu. carefully drilled
for twelve or fourteen years out of innocence into mod-
esty, or, alas! into vulgarily, wlieu they enter the little
Newark sculpture hall have a sluK-k which is often jiain-
ful, and generally forbids the natural enjoyment of the
beauty they lind there. Xewcomers. theiefore, are held
in a griiu]) unlside the door and given a few minutes'
prejiaration. They are told of the relation of dress to
climate and custom; the vai-ialious of costume for sea
bathing and atlilclics. are cited; tjic beauty of the
human form is mentioned, and the studies made of it hy
those who \\ish to follow such trades as that of cos-
tume dcsigniug. They are asked to note the wooden-
ness of the Assyrian ligures, tlie c(mventionality of the
f^gyijliau, and tlic beauty of tjic Greek. They are ])re-
I)ared for the wliilcn(^ss of the casts by being told of the
ditference between an original and a I'Cjirod action.
The children, tlius prepared, feci less cndtai-rassment
ovei- llie exhibit.
Quite as definite a preparation is needed that the
iiiineial collection may be seen by children to any profit.
Lessons for adults will, of course, lie developed in other
ways, ^^'e liojie to get enlightenment and assistance
from tlie New York Museum instructtus, although our
liroblem, which is how to get the most nourishment out
of a lillle display, is very ditfereut fnuu theirs.
The Educational Value of Museums 61
Specific Suggestions for These Museums
The siiocilic measures aud seinieiices liy which tliese
general suggestious may be achieved atl'ord a cdusider-
ahle hitiliide i)f judgmeul. The loHowiiig is Imt oue of
many possible plans.
Children's Room
Put about a thousand (h>nars into a small (/hildren's
lioom. Have there startling, wonderlul, unusual and
beautiful things, such as albinos, peacocks, sponge cor-
als, a split naulilus shell, a(|uaria fed by fountains, au
aviary, and a iiee hive. Select and arrange chiefly to
attract admiration and astonishment. This wciuld lie
the striking feature of the years' work. Compk'le it
promptly, aud advertise it extensively.
Habitat Group
Spend about live hundred dollars in the prejiaraliou
of a lialiitat group of New .Jersey birds likidy soon to
disajipear. Have tin- habitat cunningly arranged to
melt from rejiroduced plant and tlower, as luarsh mal
low ami grass, into a painted backgiduiid. as in the hab-
itat grou]>s at the Museum of Natural flistory. I'ul
this grou]i in the hall of the lirst lloor.
The aim in jire]iariiig this group is tAvo-f(dd : to adver-
tise Ihe museum, and to ins]iire interest in jireserving
the memory of the life forms now jiassing front the
neighborhood id' Newark. This group would, ]ierhai)s,
suggest to peo])le the giving ol' moiK^y for the pre])ara-
tion (d' ot.her siudlar grou](s.
These two things would constititte a spectacttlar dis-
play, which would engage Ihe interest of the city and
62 The Newark Museum Association
rause cilizeus j;;eueiall_v, aod siibscriliers iu jiartieiilar,
to ri-ali/A' that tlie iinisouin is alive.
Educational Work
Meauwhile, bend the best energies of the corps to tlie
uiore serions work of iiiaugiuatiiii; an instructive
niuseuiii.
Minerals
Arrange nialerial ir<Mii l)r. Uishriiw's ample supplies
iu uiiueralogy in devel<>i)niental or induslrial series, as
i'rom peat to coal, from co(iuina to marble, from mud
to slate, etc. Accompany these series willi charts con-
taining mounted pictures, and witli a list of books.
Near these exhibits, available for reference, i)lace a few
books on tables. Each display shuuld be simply and
ex]dicitly lal)eled.
Sculpture
Cause lo be printed h-alU'ts treating iu sim])le Eng-
lish (it liie subjects siiiiwii in the scul])ture room, and
place outside the door of this rnom an auiumatic stcre-
ofiticou, showing carefully selected sets of slides with
brief accdinjianyiug labels, giving units nt' instruction
u|«>ii sculpl urc. This is In give tlinse wlio have no other
o]>|>orluuily for appiccial i\-e ol)servatiou of sculpture
land they are the majorily of Newark's po]iulationi a
chance, lii'si. to feel the aesthetic emotions jirojierly
|irodiiced by scul]dure. and. then, to reinforce this feel-
ing by knowledge of the great statues of tlie world. The
feeling gained from the casts sh(mld cairy over to the
reproductions displayed and discussed in the slides.
In the scul])ture room shoidd be a full set of stereo-
The Educational Value of Museums 63
iiiajilis aud several stereoscopes ou a talile siiiiouudeil
by chairs arranged for tlie free use of visitors.
Nature and Science Room
Place in the northeast room on the third floor tin-
lieginnings of several allied, scieuee, ajiplied art aud
industry exliiliits, as follows:
Auiuial lOxliiliils
A. The l!ee
A hive of bees
Models of wax
Enlarged models of lices
Specimens of wax aii<l Imiu'v
A life history of the bee
Bee pictures aud statist irs in diai-ls
A list of literary, sciculitic aud economic
treatments uf bees to be had in llie library"
A few liooks aud jiaiiiplilels jilaced ((luveu-
iently foi- use near the exhibil
The bee in art — exempliticatious of the use
of the bee as a mntil' in decdialion
B. i:ii-ds
A case couiaiuiug many |iirliires cil birds Inr
lending, with notes attached : — ■•Notice, etc."
A case containing single birds label(>d only
with uuuibers, not names, aud accom])anied
by cards whereon students ma,\' write the
names, and then, getting a "key card." test
Ihemselves fur cori-ectuess in naming
A case containing specimens of bii-d lyjies.
such as \\aders. hojijiers, runners, bii-ds uf
])rey, etc., the classification being jiojmlar
rather than scientific. These s]>ecimens id
be lent to schools aiul classes for iuleiisive
■ study
Bibliography, books, slides, stereogra]ihs. as
for bees
64 The Newark Museum Association
The bird in ;ut
As suou iis it cau 1)0 alToi-ded, sonic iiioviug
jiiclurcs on bird life
C. Insecls
Life histories of uoxious and of beueticial
iuseets
D. Fish
A trealineiil as siiiiilai- as jiossible to the fore-
goinji-
All afniaiiuiii
liidiistiial I'xliibits
A. Pottery — the jirocess
Raw materials
The casting jirocess, the wheel process, ])late
making, hand built ](ottery, and glaze
E. Pottery — tiie history
C. Textiles
Spinning and \yeaviug, processes and his-
tory
Materials
Wool
Oeograpliic distrilKilioii
Animals from which obtained
Care of animals
Processes of jircparing wool
Fibres
Cott(.n
Treatment similar to that of wool
Silk, (lax. other fibres
Methods
Felting, weaving, netting, knitting
S]»inning, by dislalf and sjiindle, by wheels
Weaving
>«'avajo loom, hand looms, horizontal
and vertical, tapestry loom, and mod
ci-n machinery
The Educational Value of Museums 65
Clii.ssificatiou of textiles
Brocades, velvets, damasks, etc., of various
periods and places
Tapestries, decorations
( 'arpets
Embroideries
Stamped and printed textiles
Modern decorative textiles
Practical invest ijjaf ions
Fillings with sizing and clay
Weighting
Imitations
Ilow to judge and test
Standard cloths
Labels, gnai'antees and laws
Budgets of clothing, as: ^^'hat girls should
wear to school; wliiil :i business woman
should wear, etc.
Hygiene of clolliing
Colors and dyes
Handwork of modern women, as: Colonial
jteriod (restrained lyjie) ; N'icloriau
peiiod (exuberant typei; I'resent day
jieriod ( conseidusly nrtistie type)
D. Basketry
Evolution of basket from guunl
Evolution of pottery from basketry
Tyjtes of basketry
( "olor in l)asketry
Eornis and <lesigns
I'ses
Symb()lism
Exhibits at' Ilabitations n) M;in
A. Prehistoric
Cave men, lake dwellers, &c.
Parallels in present day examjiles. of primi-
tive conditions
66 The Newark Museum Association
B. Early historic types
Villages in Greece, etc.
C. Middle Ages
Town house
Castle
I). The new world
Pidneer Cdnditions, as house in stockade, etc.
The house ot to-day
E. Occupations and art of men in the various stages
indicated liy the houses exemplified.
Botany
Nothing has been said of botany. The museum owns
a considerable and interesting collection of woods, tiie
gift of (iovernor Murphy, and Dr. Disbrow has many
.specimens of useful plants and a large herbarium. As
in years past, so in the future the annual exhibit of
liudding tree branches provided bv the Park Commis-
sion will probably be shown in the Children's IJoom.
It will be easy to du[dicate this in llie branch libraries
and to continue it in a display of llowers, both wild and
cultivated, as they bloom, giving both scientific and
common names, habitats, and the name of the first
donor of each species.
Hygiene, Education, Etc.
Neither has any mention been made of exhi!)its bear-
ing ujnin human health, and education. The modern
movements in civic betterment, city planning, mosquito
extermination, shade tree work, all should be recognized
in a depart iiient, and nuiterial to aid the schools in
teaching hygiene and the citizens in furthering civic
education would easily till another room.
Besides the accui'ate ethnologic models for which
The Educational Value of Museums 67
these suggestiiiiis inovide, llicre .should he historic and
oeographic scenes, not as small as and less ornate than
those shown in the Cliildien's Museum of Brooklyn,
which could he shown in hranches and lent to schools
or classes, made and airanged in portahle shajie. Such
groups should he so sim])ly made that Ihe childien
would he moved to make similar ones and similar mod-
els made h_v individuals or hy groups of children shoulil
he given ])i-ominence, exhihils heiitg made ot I hem.
Museum Loans
The Museum puhlishes a lisl of articles now on hand
which it can lend to schools or classes. To these can
he added the reproductions of famous jiainlings now
owneil I)y the Museum, and industrial material, geo-
graphic models, hirds and hii'd jiictures, insects, insect
histories, stereographs and lantern slides, and geo-
graphic models as they can he jnirchased.
Leading to Other Museums
While this Museum should attempt at once to reach
and to teach a few siiuple things to the very many for
whom it will he the only availahle museum o]i]iortunity,
it should not neglect the many who might take advan
tage of the New York museums if they were so diiected.
A systematic stimulation of visits to the great gal-
leries and inuseums across the Hudson could he etlected
hy showing a full line of jiictures and repi'oductions of
what these museums (lisjday, hy ottering occasionally
personally conducted lours to them, and hy referring
to their features as fully as is done to the Newark
Lihrary hooks in lahels and catalogs. In this system
is included the Bronx Zoo ;uid the New York Aquarium.
Index 69
Index
I'Al.l-.
American Museum of Natural History, some metliods... 4o
American Museums Association reports xiv
Animal exhibits should be in Newark's museums 2, tj:j
Applied art should lie included in Newark's museums. ... 2
Aipiarium exhibit in Northeast Room xiii
Aiiuarium, New York, school classes 4o
Arrangement principles 29
Art museum sluiuld be in Newark's museum group 1
Art should be pre-eminent in Newark's museums .54
Ashle.y, Mr., of Demarest, N. .1., quoted 22
Association of American Museums, Reports helpful xiv
Astronomical instruments as teaching devices '■','■'
Basketry exhibit outline tj.j
Bather, Dr. Arthur, advice to the curator of a small
museum 21
Bather, Dr., on curators 2.S
Bather, Dr., on museums of <'urious things 11
Bee exhibit, outline *>'■'
Beers, Miss .Jessica, to report on Buffalo and Chicago xi
Bird exhibit in Northeast Room xiii
Bird exhibit, outline <•'■'•
Boston Museum of the Society of Natural History Id
Boston Art Museum school work 44
Boston Children's Museum 27
Boston Museum curator of science (pioted 4.'!
Botany exhibit GO
Bronx Zoological Garden school classes 4M
Brooklyn Children's Museum bee exhibit 4i>
Brooklyn Children's Museum, growtli by gifts ."I
Brooklyn Children's Museum juvenile workers 2(!
Brooklyn Children's Museum results of work ."I'.i
Catalogs as teaching devices '■',<]
Charleston Museum, story of 17
Chicago museums 27
Children, activities for. as feacliing devices -V.)
Children decoyed to a museum 2(!
Children's room in Smithsonian 4.',
Children's Room should be a feature of Newark's
museums 01
Cincinnati Art Museum, anecdote I'.i
Cincinnati Art Museum school work 44
Cincinnati volunteer docents 20
Citizens of all ages need education 17
City administration a museum 7
City planning should be shown in Newark's museums.... 00
Civic betterment should be department of Newark's
museums 00
Classes as teaching devices ".2
College museums as a class 12
70 The Newark Museum Association
Page
Conditions of museums visited 15
Connolly, Miss Louise, selected to inspect museums viii
Co-operation, difliculties in securing 4S
Co-operation, extent of 39
Co-operations of educational agencies 38
Curator, The 28
Dead museums 10
Devices in museum teacliing 31
Devices, list of 31
Disbrow, Dr., collection 62
Disbrow, Dr., work in identification 22
Docentry 29
Docentry as a teaching device 32
Doctrine of interest 27
Dying tendency of some museums 16
Education, progress of, by museums 22
Educational agencies, co-operation of 38
Educational agencies of a city 20
Educational aspect of museums 17
Educational needs of citizens 17
Educational possibilities 19
Educational value of museums 1
Educational work should be a feature of Newark's
museums C2
Endowed museums as a class 13
Entertainments as teaching devices 33
Exchange system of Smithsonian 43
Exclusive ownership basis for some museums 10
Excursions as teaching devices 33
Fairbanks Museum of St. .Tohnsbury, Vt 16
Fine arts should be included in Newark's museum 1
Fish exhibit 64
Flower tables as teaching devices 33
Greek villages, etc 66
Groups as teaching devices 37
Habitat exhibit in Northeast Room xiii
Habitat exhibit outline 65
Habitat group should be a feature of Newark's Museums. 61
Herbarium 66
Hoarding instinct basis for some museums 9
Hygiene in Newark's museums (i6
Indianapolis Museimi school work 44
Industrial exhibits, outline (it
Industrial geography in elementary scliools 57
Industries of Newark should be shown in Newark's
museums 2
Industry museum should be in Newark's museum groui)..3, 56
Insect exliibit 64
Insect exhibit in Northeast Room xiii
Interest, the doctrine of 27
Labels as teaching devices 34
Index 71
I'Ar.R
Laliels that teach ^JG
Laboratories as teaching devices '.i'.'i
Laity employment as a teaching device :-!:!
Learning by doing 26
Lectures as teacliing devices 31
Lectures outside the museum as teaching devices 32
Lending collections should be in Newark's museums :.'.
Lending objects as a teaching device :i-!
Librarians as educational agents 20
Libraries and museums, co-operation 'is, 40
Libraries, lessons in use 41
Live creatures as teaching devices 31
Live museums 1 ti
Loans made to schools (iT
Lopez, ,T. S., on the Commercial Museum of Philadelphia. 27
McMurry's Method of the Recitation, noted 2 1
Method of presentation 2,s
Metropolitan JIuseum of Art 14
Metropolitan Museum of Art, some methods 43
Middle Ages, habitations 6fi
Minerals sliouUl be in Newark's museums 2, (52
IModels as teaching devices 31
iModels should be feature of Newark's museums Ofi
Montgomery, T. H., quoted 17,24
Morse, Kdward S., article, "If Public Libraries, wliy not
Public Museums" noted 22
Mosquito extermination should lie feature in Newark's
museums (iii
Murphy, Franklin, President "lO
Museum history in Directory of American Museums. ... <S
iMuseum methods summary 46
Museum nuclei in Northeast Room xii
Museum teaching, aim of 24
Museum teaching, where shall it begin 23
Museum, three divisions, as named by Dr. Arthur Bather 21
Museums and libraries, co-operatiui 3S, 40
Museums and schools, co-operation 39, 40
Museums as educational agents 21
Museums, attitude toward community 42
Museiims, inevitable grow'th ."0
Museums visited by Miss Connolly ix
National Museum at AYashington 37
Nature and Science Room 63
New .lersey Historical Society work should not be dup-
licated ri4
New world habitations 66
New York Aquarium, school classes 43
New York's museums should be adve-tised 67
Newark geography should be shown in Newark's museums 3
Newark industries should be shown in New-ark's museums 2
Newark Museums, advantages of 50
72 The Newark Museum Association
I'AGE
Newark Museums, disadvantages of 52
Newark Museums should be of practical value vii
Newark Museums, suggestions for t<:',
Newark Study in Newark's schools 57
Nude stn tuary 60
Old and new museums 5
Paintings, copies and originals, should be in Newark's
museums 1
Patent oflice "model room" 5
Philadelphia Commercial Jluseum 56
Philadelphia Commercial Museum, activities described by
J. S. Lopez 27
Philadelphia Commercial Museum school work 44
Philadelphia schools, interest in museums 27
Photographs should be in Newark's museums 1
Pittsburgh Art Museum school work 4.">
Pittsburgh library work with children 41
Pittsburgh museums and libraries 39
Pittsburgh school visits costly 48
Plants should be in Newark's museums 2
Pottery exhibit in Northeast Room xiii
Pottery exhibit outline 64
Prehistoric habitations 65
Presentation, method of 28
Processes demonstrated as- teaching devices 31
Professional men as educational agents 20
Providence library lessons 41
Providence Museum bibliographies near cases 49
Providence iVIuseum growth by gifts 51
Providence Museum school work 44
Psychology of the museum 9
Public welfare workers as educational agents 20
Rare objects not essential 4
Rea, Paul M., Secretary Association of American Museums xiv
' Rea, Paul M., on the Museum of Charleston, S. C 17
St. Johnsbury, Vt., Fairbanks Museum 16, 23
School interest in museums in Philadelphia 27
School teachers as educational agents 20
School visits to museums 48
Schools and museums, co-operation 39, 40
Schools, attitTuie toward museums 47
Science should be included in Newark's museums 2, 58
Scratcher for deco>ing seal, specimen laliel 36
Sculpture, copies and originals should be in Newark's
museums I
Sculpture leaflets should be printed 62
Shade tree work should be feature in Newark's museums 66
Smithsonian Institution inaccessible and gloomy 5
Smithsonian Institution children's room 11
Smithsonian Institution methods 42
Sponges, specimen label 35
Index 73
Page
Staff ability should keep ahead of amount of material 4
Statue copies should be in Newark's museums 1
Story-telling as a teaching device 32
Subscription-supported museums as a class 14
Synoptical science collection should be in Newark's
museums 2
Tax-supported museums as a class 14
Teachers as educational agents 20
Teaching devices 31
Teaching, modern, leads to museum use 6
Teaching of the museum, its aim 24
Teaching of the museum, where shall it begin 23
Teaching through the ear 29
Teaching through the eye 29
Textile exhibit in Northeast Room xiii
Textile exhibit outline 64
Toledo Art Museum methods 55
Toledo Ai't Museum school work 44
Toledo library lessons 41
Toledo school visits to museum 4S
Visual instruction by displays of objects 21
Vocational education in Newark 5H
Volunteer docents in Cincinnati 26
Ward, Pres., on the museum and the library 38
Wonder basis for some museums 11
"Wonder is the beginning of Wisdom" 11
Woods, collection of 6G
Worcester Museum school work 44
Working models as teaching devices 31
Workmen as educational agents 20
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