ON THE PEOVINCIAL MUSEUMS OF THE UNITED KINGDOM. 129 



for a week together at several times of the year, to count the numbers 

 who enter, and from this imperfect record an estimate for the year is 

 made. Smaller museums have a visitoi's' book, in which each must sign 

 his name on entering. Where an admission fee is charged the money 

 taken indicates the number. In the few cases in which museums are 

 opened on Sunday afternoons they appear to be largely attended. 



34. Situation. — The great bulk of the public museums are centrally 

 situated in the midst of the populations for whose benefit they are in- 

 tended. The few which are not so are either included in public parks 

 and botanic gardens or are attached to institutions erected in the sub- 

 urbs. It is not easy, therefore, to estimate the effect of this difference, 

 but there seems to be some evidence that while a suburban situation 

 deters visitors during the woi^king days, it tends to attract them on 

 holidays. The curator at Cardiff reports that his museum ' is too central, 

 in the heart of the smoke and dust,' and that a new building is in pro- 

 gress. Dusty and noisy situations are undoubtedly objectionable. 



35. Busiest Time. — In museums generally the busiest time is the after- 

 noon, and next to that the evening, while only about half-a-dozen record 

 their busiest time as the morning, several of these being at fashionable 

 watering-places. A large number are crowded on public holidays, while 

 a few state that they are not affected by holidays at all, and about half-a- 

 dozen close their doors on those days. Those which are open on Sunday 

 afternoons give this as one of their busiest times. 



36. Hemarhs. — Suggestive remarks were made by many curators under 

 this head. Some of them have been already referred to. Many urge the 

 importance of provincial museums giving their chief attention to local 

 collections. Several speak of the great want of workrooms ; of the 

 necessity of fully descriptive labels, and explanations of words and names 

 such as ' majolica,' ' vertebrates,' &c. ; of the desirability of collections of 

 scientific apparatus, of a good supply of seats in the rooms, and of the 

 importance of getting some alteration in the law of treasure-trove. One 

 thinks that Sunday opening is not required ; another wishes he could per- 

 suade his committee to adopt it. 



Several point out the impoi'tance of having museums controlled by 

 scientific curators, not by town councils or amateurs, and urge that at 

 least the committees of town councils should associate with themselves 

 some gentlemen of scientific reputation, which is in fact done by a consider- 

 able number of such committees. Several others feel the need of some 

 organisation among curators, either nationally or in districts, for mutual 

 help and co-operation. 



The great question of funds is a perpetual source of complaint. 

 Societies are nearly always short of money ; and when a town adopts the 

 Public Libraries and Museums Act it generally tries to get both institu- 

 tions, and often an art gallery as well, out of the penny rate. The con. 

 sequence is that, except in very large towns, all are crippled. In a 

 town of 100,000 inhabitants the penny rate will raise on an average per- 

 haps 1,500L This would be sufficient to carry on only one of these institu- 

 tions in a vigorous and successful manner. It is not nearly sufficient for 

 two, and is useless when divided among three. Several towns have now 

 obtained in private Acts the power to levy twopence for these purposes. 

 There is a considerable feeling of disappointment that the trustees of the 

 Great Exhibition Fund have refused any assistance to provincial museums, 

 although much of that fund was derived from provincial sources. 

 1887. K 



