THE MUSEUMS OF THE FUTURE. 43!) 



of, is one in which an attempt is made to teach the unprofessional vis- 

 itor; an institution for popular education by means of labeled collec- 

 tions, and it may be also by popular lectures. A college museum, al- 

 though used as an aid to advanced instruction, is not an "educational 

 museum" in the ordinary sense; nor does a museum of research, like 

 the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Cambridge, Mass., belong to 

 this class, although to a limited extent it attempts and performs pop- 

 ular educational work in addition to its other functions. 



In the National Museum in Washington the collections are divided 

 into two great classes. The exhibition series, which constitutes the 

 educational portion of the Museum, and is exposed to public view with 

 all possible accessions for public entertainment and instruction, and 

 the study series, which is kept in the scientific laboratories, and is 

 scarcely examined except by professional investigators. 



In every properly conducted museum the collections must from the 

 very beginning divide themselves into these two classes, and in plan, 

 ning for its administration provision should be made not only for the 

 exhibition of objects in glass cases, but for the preservation of large 

 collections not available for exhibition, to be used for the studies of a 

 very limited number of specialists. 



Lord Bacon, who, as we have noticed, was the first to whom occurred 

 the idea of a great museum of science and art, complained three cen- 

 turies ago, in his book " On the Advancement of Learning," that up to 

 that time the means for intellectual progress had been used exclusively 

 for "amusement" and " teaching," and not for the "augmentation of 

 science." 



It will undoubtedly be found desirable for certain museums, founded 

 for local effect, to specialize mainly in the direction of popular educa- 

 tion. If they can not also provide for a certain amount of scholarly 

 endeavor in connection with the other advantages, it would be of the 

 utmost importance that they should be assorted by a system of adminis- 

 trative co-operation with some institution which is in the position of 

 being a center of original work. 



The general character of museums should be clearly determined at 

 its very inception. Specialization and division of labor are essential 

 for institutions as well as for individuals. It is only a great national 

 museum which can hope to include all departments, and which can with 

 safety encourage growth in every direction. 



A city museum, even in a great metropolis like Brooklyn, should, if 

 possible, select certain special lines of activity, and pursue them with 

 the intention of excelling. If there are already beginnings in many 

 directions, it is equally necessary to decide which lines of development 

 ;i i e to be favored, in preference to all others. Many museums fail to 

 make this choice at the start, and instead of Steering toward some 

 definite point, drift hither and thither, and, it may be, are foundered 

 in mid-ocean. 



