Throughout history, museums have served as educational institutions, helping to inform the public about people, their environment, and their past. The museums of different countries receive about 55 million school groups annually, and provide 18 million hours of education annually. Educational programs at museums can include guided tours for students, staff visits to schools, traveling exhibits, and professional development for teachers. Many museums also have mobile exhibits that bring art to schools, and provide educational resources for teachers.
Despite the diverse range of museum types, many words have emerged from the word “museum.” In the 1770s, a Portuguese scholar referred to museum professionals as “museographists.” In 1881, the Zeitschrift fur Museologie und Antiquitatenkunde was published in Dresden. Since then, the words “museum” and “museography” have become synonymous. As a result, the words have become synonymous, including the study of museums.
The word “museum” has a long history. In 1776, Portuguese writer Emanuel Mendes da Costa called a person who exhibited in a museum a “museographist”. A decade later, the term “museology” came into use. Today, the terms are used interchangeably, although museography is more widely used. Both terms, besides referring to the practice of museums, are also used for the study of collections.
Until recently, historians have tended to focus on archives, libraries, and museum object stores, rather than museum collections themselves. However, advances in digital technology have pushed historians’ efforts into developing temporary exhibitions and new museum galleries. This has lead to the evolution of a specialized field, known as museum history. Achieving this goal requires an understanding of the history of museums. And this is the primary reason why the study of museum history has become a popular specialty.
In the past, museum history has been primarily viewed as a branch of public history. It has been historically related to the development of museums and their objects. This means that museums are increasingly involved in the development of temporary exhibitions and new galleries. Therefore, the subject of museum history is a growing specialty. While many historians focus on the history of historical collections, others study museum collections in general. The study of the museum history of artifacts and the museum collections themselves is the most important aspect of museum research.
The purpose of a museum is to preserve and protect important historical artifacts. Often, museums are privately owned and founded by wealthy individuals. Some museums are open to the public, while others cater to specific audiences. Examples of these types of museums include the LDS Church History and Artifacts of the early Mormons, who cherished religious artifacts. In addition to being educational institutions, museums also serve as landmarks.
