Ways of Knowing in the Museum
Resource type
Lecture
Creator (person)
Alberti, S J M M
Abstract
Museums attract millions of people (six feature in the top 10 most visited attractions in the UK). But as well as communicating, their collections remain important resources for generating knowledge. John Pickstone was long fascinated by museums and closely involved with them throughout his career. Forty years ago, he articulated a ‘museological science’ as part of his ongoing ambition to construct a historical sociology of science, technology and medicine. An event in his honour is therefore a timely opportunity to reflect on contemporary assessments and historical understandings of the role of museums in research and vice versa. From the beguiling juxtapositions in cabinets of curiosity, through museum collections’ high watermark during the payday of Empire, to the high-tech efforts of museums today, curators and others have studied the objects in their care. Past and present examples from across the disciplinary spectrum may illuminate the changing role of collections in generating new understandings of nature and culture. Can we discern a distinct way of knowing in the museum?
Event title
Inaugural Pickstone Lecture
Publisher
University of Manchester
Rights statement
In Copyright