THE MUSEUMS OF THE FUTURE. 4P>7 



museum to grow up without liberal expenditure for th< acquisition of 

 collections and their installation. 



Good administration is not to be had for nothing. As to the qualifica- 

 tion of a museum administrator, whether it l>e for a museum of science 

 or a museum of art, it is perhaps superfluous to say that he should be 

 the very best obtainable; a man of ability, enthusiasm, and withal of 

 experience, for the administration of museums and exhibitions has be- 

 come of late years a profession, and careful study of methods of ad- 

 ministration is indispensable. If the new administrator has not had 

 experience he must needs gain it at the expense of the establishment 

 which employes him — an expense of which delay, waste, and needless 

 experiment form considerable elements. 



No investment is more profitable to a museum than that in the salary 

 fund. Around a nucleus of men of established reputation and adminis- 

 trative tact, will naturally grow up a staff of volunteer assistants, whose 

 work, assisted and directed in the best channels, will be of infinite value. 



The sinews and brains of the organism being first provided, the de- 

 velopment of its body still remains. The outer covering, the dress, can 

 wait. It is much better to hire buildings for temporary use, or to build 

 rude lire-proof sheds, than to put up a permanent museum building be- 

 fore at least a provisional idea of its personnel and contents has been 

 acquired. 



As has been already said, a museum must spend money in the acquisi- 

 tion of collections, and a great deal of money. The British Museum 

 lias already cost the nation for establishment and maintenance not far 

 from s.;o.O00,000. Up to 1882 over $1,500,000 had been expended in 

 purchase of objects for the art collections at South Kensington alone. 



Such expenditures are usually good investments of national funds, 

 however. In 1882, after about twenty-five years of experience, the 

 buildings and contents of the South Kensington Museum had cost the 

 nation about $5,000,000, but competent authorities were satisfied that 

 an auction on the premises could not bring less than $100,000,000. For 

 • very dollar spent, however, gifts will come in to the value of many 

 dollars. In this connection it may not be amiss to quote the words of 

 oik; of the most experienced of English museum administrators (pre- 

 sumably Sir Philip Ounliffe Owen) when asked many years ago whether 

 Americans might not develop great public institutions on the plan of 

 those at Kensington : 



• Let them plant the thing,'" he said, "and it can't help growing, and 

 most likeh beyond their powers — as it has been almost beyond ours — 

 to keep up with it. What is wanted first of all is one or two good 

 brains, with the means of erecting a good building on a piece of ground 

 considerably larger than is required for that building. Where there 

 have been secured substantial, luminous galleries for exhibition, in a 

 fire-proof building, and these arc known to be carefully guarded by 

 night and day, there can be no need to wait long for treasures to flow 



