MGHG Annual Conference, Sept 10th and 11th 2010 Leeds City Museum

MUSEUMS AND THE MARKET

Ever since the historian Frank Herrmann first directed attention to the 
important role that the market has played in the changing fashions for 
collecting, in his The English as Collectors (1972) (recently 
republished, in 1999, by Oak Knoll Press), it has become increasingly 
clear that the market has been no mere ancillary factor in the history 
of museums and the development of their collections.  A real interest 
has recently re-emerged in questions of the influence of the market on 
how we understand, consume, interpret and value objects. These 
developments can be seen as a part of the drive for an ever deeper 
contextualisation that emerged as part of the 'New Museology' in the 
1980s.  This 'market turn', if we can suggest that such a shift in 
academic focus is occurring, offers the exciting prospect of a 
reinvestigation of the historiography of museums and their collections.

In the history of nearly every museum there has been a significant 
engagement with the wider market structures and yet these engagements 
rarely feature in the interpretation of the history of the objects as we 
encounter them in the modern museum. Indeed, whilst relevant studies 
have often focused on the art market, it is increasingly clear that 
other markets, such as those pertaining to natural history and specimen 
collecting, scientific instruments and the collecting and display of 
archaeological artefacts, are also part of the museum's engagement with 
market structures. The historiography of collections illustrates this 
engagement, reflecting the changing relationships between curatorial 
interests and the wider field of consumption.

It is therefore appropriate, given the current academic interest in the 
commercial aspects of the history of collections and the wide range of 
objects that museums collect, interpret and display, to look anew at the 
role played by commerce in museum acquisition practices. Can such an 
approach offer a different way of interpreting collecting and the 
individual objects in museum collections?  Why has the role of the 
market often been downplayed, ignored, or even suppressed in museums? 
Could an approach to interpretation that includes reference to the 
market help the visitor to understand why specific collections have been 
assembled?  This conference proposal, therefore, focuses on the 
intersections, the formal and informal spaces where the market and the 
museum meet and overlap.

The conference invites papers on themes such as;
●	The role of agents and dealers in the development of museum collections.
●	The intersections between the market, the museum and evolving 
discourses; art history, the history of science and museography/museology.
●	The market and its relationship to the role of patronage and 
philanthropy in the museum.
●	The influence of the market in the history of museum practice; for 
example the developing influence of the blockbuster exhibition.
●	The role of museums, galleries and heritage in local and national 
economies; for example in cultural-led economic regeneration.
●	The relationship between museums/heritage, the market and evolving 
national and international legislation; for example restrictions on the 
ownership, movement and circulation of cultural property, such as the 
Waverley  Criteria.
●	The relationships between museums/galleries and contemporary commodity 
  culture.
   We invite papers on a wide range of museums, galleries and 
collections, such as: fine art; decorative art; natural history; social 
history; industrial history; local history; heritage; military history; 
anthropology and science collections. (this list is by no means meant to 
be exhaustive).

We also invite session proposals which map onto the themes listed above. 
For example we are hoping to have a session which, due to the location 
of the 2010 conference, considers the history of museums and the market 
in Leeds, 1830-1930. Session proposals should include a brief outline of 
the session (300 words) as well as three or four abstracts (300 words 
each) for the proposed session.

Please send a 300 word abstract for proposed papers to Dr Mark Westgarth 
and Dr Abigail Harrison Moore, School of Fine Art, History of Art and 
Cultural Studies, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT. 
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Closing date for papers: 1st February 2010.


The Singularity of Venice An interdisciplinary seminar
Call for papers
This event will explore, from a variety of academic perspectives, the 
singularity of Venice in cultural history. Venice is unique in terms of 
its lagoon setting, architectural and artistic enterprises, political 
system and social make-up. In the medieval period, Venice became a 
global power protected by the lion of St Mark; later in the eighteenth 
century it presented itself as a city for courtesans and Carnevale. In 
the present day the city is a tourist destination and luxury location 
for events such as the Venice Film Festival. But how unique is Venice? 
As academics, are we biased by Romantic concepts of La Serenissima? 
Papers are invited from any department, but may be of particular 
interest to postgraduate students and academics in History, History of 
Art, English Literature, Italian, Politics, Theatre Studies, Renaissance 
Studies and Film Studies. Questions include, but are not limited to:
●	How is Venetian artistic, literary or musical production particularly 
unique, or conversely, what characteristics does it share with other 
cultures?
●	Why has Venice been used as a setting for plays, novels, short stories 
and films?
●	How has the unique geography of the lagoon city affected its cultural 
history?
●	How has the Republic's political and social networks affected its 
cultural history?
●	Does the focus on Venice distort the relevant importance of other 
trading centres and cities in northern Italy and the Adriatic?
●	How has Venice marketed itself as a unique city?

  Please send abstracts of 250 words for 20 minute papers to 
[log in to unmask] by Sunday 28th February. Speakers' travel expenses 
will be covered.

  The event will be held in Room A028, Millburn House, University of 
Warwick on Thursday 25th March

Organised by Dr Joanne Allen, Early Career Fellow, Institute of Advanced 
Study, University of Warwick

  Keynote speaker: Anna Somers Cocks, Chairman of Venice in Peril

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