ON THE PROVINCIAL MUSEUMS OF THE UNITED KINGDOM. 121 



9. Oases. — Vertical wall-cases and horizontal table-cases are used in 

 all mnseums. Some have also upright detached cases glazed all round, 

 and some have upright pillars, from which glazed frames project, hinged 

 to the pillar, and movable like the leaves of a book. These are good for 

 photographs, engravings, textile fabrics, &c., or for dried plants, and even 

 for insects. Vertical wall- cases should not be more than eight or nine 

 feet high ; a division into bays of about five feet wide is convenient. These 

 should be glazed with plate glass, either in one sheet or divided by narrow 

 strips of wood or metal horizontally into two or three squares, the divi- 

 sions corresponding with the edges of shelving inside. Drawers should 

 be provided under all the horizontal table-cases, but should not come quite 

 to the ground, unless they are recessed, otherwise they are in the way of 

 the feet of visitors. Table-cases are often made with an upright glazed 

 compartment along the centre. This gives additional space, but interferes 

 somewhat with the view of objects beneath it. Whether it is better to 

 run the wall-cases round the room with their backs to the wall, or to have 

 side windows and cases between them projecting from the wall at right 

 angles, is still an open question. The latter arrangement does not show 

 the classification so clearly to the eye, and does not favour an easy cir- 

 culation of visitors, but it may sometimes afford better light and more 

 space. 



10. Dust. — The exclusion of dust from the cases is a very important 

 matter in all museums. Most of the older cases are very defective on this 

 point, but those more recently built have all joints deeply rabbeted and 

 lined with cloth, velvet, rubber, or cotton-wool, and all the lids and doors 

 closely screwed up with some special kind of screw. Some paste paper 

 over all the joints. At Nottingham a small tin gutter runs under the 

 joint to catch any dust which may get through. The Birmingham 

 Museum and Art Gallery finds a ' double rabbet ' successful. From 

 Norwich 'Brown's Patent' is reported to have stood sound for fifteen 

 years. This consists of a hollow tube of cloth. The Rev. H. H. Higgins, of 

 Liverpool, who has had much experience, says that nothing will absolutely 

 exclude dust in a public museum where hundreds or thousands of visitors 

 tramp over the floors daily, but that the objects must be tenderly dusted 

 by hand at short intervals. 



11. Fittings. — These are made of various woods and in various colours. 

 In the best museums plain oak, polished mahogany, or ebonised bay- 

 wood are generally used. Ebonised wood has a handsome appearance, 

 and is not obtrusive, but is undesirable for table-cases, as the stain wears 

 off by friction. Polished mahogany is handsome and durable, but has 

 perhaps too heavy an appearance. Plain oak, neither coloured nor 

 varnished, is cheerful and wears well. In small museums birch and 

 deal stained, varnished, or painted, are used for the sake of economy. 

 For shelving within the cases plate-glass is now much used, as it makes 

 less shadow than opaque material. Many experiments have been tried 

 in the internal colouring and lining of the cases. At Liverpool a rich 

 dark blue has been found effective as a background in the wall-cases. 

 Other museums line with white or tinted paper. For archaeological and 

 art specimens the cases are often lined with cloth of various hues — 

 maroon, olive green, Turkey red, &c. As the natural history collections 

 come more and more to be set up pictorially the difficulty will disappear 

 in their cases, as the backgrounds will form part of each pictorial 

 group. 



