196 Mcmtv^ial of George Brozvn Goode. 



printed were Edward Forbes' s suggestive essay on The educational 

 uses of museums, dated 1853, and the still earlier one by Edward 

 Edwards on The maintenance and management of public galleries and 

 museums, printed in 1840. 



No one, however, has as yet attempted, even in a preliminary way, to 

 formulate a general theory of administration applicable to museum work 

 in all its branches except Professor Jevons, who in the paper already 

 referred to presented in an exceedingly suggestive manner the ideas 

 which should underlie such a theory. 



It is still true, however, as it was when Professor Jevons wrote in 188 1, 

 that there is not in existence "a treatise analyzing the purposes and 

 kinds of museums and discussing the general principles of their manage- 

 ment and economy." With this fact in mind, I have ventured to 

 attempt the preparation of such a treatise, and to bring together in one 

 systematic sequence the principles which I believe to underlie the policy 

 of the wisest and most experienced of modern museum administrators. 



My ideas are presented in a somewhat dogmatic manner, often in the 

 form of aphorisms, and possibly many of them may sound like truisms to 

 the experienced museum administrator. 



I have no doubt that my purpose in preparing this paper will be at 

 once understood by the members of the Museums Association. 



I have had two objects in view: 



It has been my desire, in the first place, to begin the codification 01 

 the accepted principles of museum administration, hoping that the out- 

 line which is here presented may serve as the foundation for a complete 

 statement of those principles,_sucli as can only be prepared by the coopera- 

 tion of many minds. With this in view, it is hoped that the paper may 

 be the cause of much critical discussion. 



My other purpose has been to set forth the aims and ambitions of 

 modern museum practice in such a manner that they shall be intelligible 

 to the persons who are responsible for the establishment of museums, and 

 the conduct of other public institutions founded for similar purposes, in 

 order to evoke more fully their sympathy and cooperation. 



Museums of art and history, as well as those of science, are discussed 

 in this paper, since the same general principles appear to be applicable 

 to all. 



The theses proposed are as follows: 



I.— THE MUSEUM AND ITS RELATIONSHIPS. 

 A. — THE MUSEUM DEFINED. 



I. A museum is an institution for the preservation of those objects 

 which best illustrate the phenomena of nature and the works of man, 

 and the utilization of the.se for the increase of knowledge and for the 

 culture and enlightenment of the people. 



