Actually according to the government heritage is now out - as it is a term
referring to the past which is unfashionable in New Labour speak.
Culture/Cultural is now in as it supposed dynamic and forward looking.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Graham Collett" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Saturday, November 30, 2002 10:29 PM
Subject: Re: IND-ARCH Digest - 9 Nov 2002 to 23 Nov 2002 (#2002-32)
> Tony
> This is a very important issue, which has been concerning me for some
time.
>
> I was aware of the examples you mention. In Halifax (West Yorkshire) the
> industrial museum closed to individuals and now only opens for pre-booked
> parties.
> Other museums have (as you say) "watered down" their industrial exhibits
in
> favour of new "hands on" science exhibits. I am all for catering for and
> encouragng the younger visitor but in some cases this approach has gone
too
> far. For example the new Standedge Tunnel Visitor Centre at Marsden
assumes
> that all visitors have no prior knowledge of canals and only want the
> basics. It is so lacking in historical background on the Marsden area that
> the National Trust have put together their own excellent set of display
> panels in their own building in the former stn goods yard which you can
view
> free of charge!
>
> One of the issues affecting all museums is that whilst grants are/were
> available for capital projects, there is less cash available to provide an
> operating subsidy. Thus some museums have been able to build extensions
and
> new displays but can't afford to staff them! The position has probably
been
> exacerbated by the availabliity of lots of Millennium Fund grants in the
UK
> over the last couple of years.
>
> I also get the impression that industrial musuems are regarded by many in
> the educational sector as old fashioned and not of relevance in a "high
tech
> fast moving" world! The secret seems to be to package IA as "Heritage" -
> things under this banner seem to attract more interest!
>
> Just a few thoughts anyway.
>
> Regards
>
> Graham Collett
> York UK (a "heritage" city with a railway museum!)
> ####################
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Automatic digest processor" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: "Recipients of IND-ARCH digests" <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Sunday, November 24, 2002 12:05 AM
> Subject: IND-ARCH Digest - 9 Nov 2002 to 23 Nov 2002 (#2002-32)
>
>
> > There is one message totalling 38 lines in this issue.
> >
> > Topics of the day:
> >
> > 1. Closure of Industrial Museums
> >
> > ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > Date: Sat, 23 Nov 2002 17:17:00 -0000
> > From: Tony Woolrich <[log in to unmask]>
> > Subject: Closure of Industrial Museums
> >
> > Hi Everyone,
> >
> > Does anyone have anecdotal evidence for the closure and the
> > dispersal of the collections from Industrial Museums? Also the
> > sending of museum artefacts to the scrap man. I am particularly
> > interested in the UK context, but would be interested to learn about
> > the problem elsewhere.
> >
> > If I can get enought information I would like to write this up for
> > publication somewhere, since its a problem which does not appear to
> > have been disussed in the national press. Industry is a major part of
> > our heritage and if we cannot properly do justice to it in our museums
> > our culture is the poorer for it.
> >
> > Why are industrial museum suffering? Is it that private museums
> > cannot afford to keep going. Is it that curatorial staff lack a
technical
> > background to properly appreciate what they have got?
> >
> > In recent years the Welsh Industrial and Maritime Museum was
> > closed, and the Mining musum at Chatterly Whitfield went bankrupt. I
> > know of other museums where the industrial collections have been
> > watered down to free up the space for social history or hands-on
> > science exhibits. I have heard rumours of a number of museums
> > suffering but I would appreciate some facts about it, so do you know
> > of any journal articles I might read, please?
> >
> > I have cross-posted this to other groups, so if you get it twice, my
> > apologies.
> >
> > ------------------------------
> >
> > End of IND-ARCH Digest - 9 Nov 2002 to 23 Nov 2002 (#2002-32)
> > *************************************************************
> >
>
>
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