ON MUSEUMS IN RELATION TO EDUCATION. 279 



purpose, and has since been increased. The work of the Academy of Sciences, 

 Chicago, and of the Children'e Museum at Brooklyn, is remarkable in that the 

 children are encouraged to take part in the Museum work, by the maintenance 

 of aquaria, the loan of specimens to be taken home, and the preparation of 

 costumes, &c., to illustrate the clothing of various periods and nations. Classes 

 in the natural and physical sciences are taught in the Brooklyn Children's 

 Museum by the staff, and many children have become expert in wireless tele- 

 graphv, blow-pipe analysis, and in the use of other scientific instruments. 



The Public Museum, Milwaukee, possesses a full lecture system reaching 

 all sections of the public from the elementary schools upwards, and has 

 established a Science Club for High School Students. Arrangements are made 

 for all Public-school children of certain grades to visit the Museum twice yearly. 



The American Museums make free use of Museum and Art ' Docents ' for 

 the delivery of lectures and demonstrations. These ladies and gentlemen are 

 chosen for their special knowledge, and are maintained either by the Museum 

 or the city, or partly by both, or in some cases, as at the Brooklyn Institute 

 of Arts and Sciences, by an Art League. The two ' Docents ' of this Museum 

 lectured to 114,000 pupils in one year. 



The American Museums are in a position to undertake this valuable educa- 

 tional work owing to — 



1. Large gifts of money from wealthy persons. 



2. Large staffs of enthusiastic workers. 



3. The association with every Museum of a large body of rich and cultured 

 people, who are themselves interested in the collection and study of Museum 

 objects; they frequently give large sums of money for general maintenance, 

 or earmarked for special purposes, and also present private collections. 



As educational work extends, the popularity and usefulness of the Museums 

 increase, and their purpose and utility become more highly valued. The attain- 

 ments of the staff are recognised, and opportunity given for the prosecution of 

 their own line of research. 



An essentially American feature in the formation of new Museums is the 

 preparation and publication, long in advance, of full plans of intended new 

 buildings, and their free display in journals and public places. Reduced models 

 to scale are also prepared of the suggested buildings, and these are exhibited 

 to the public. These people do not hesitate to embark upon schemes 'which 

 will take years of work to accomplish. Definite steps forward are taken as 

 opportunity arises, but the whole scheme is kept prominently before the public 

 as an earnest of the future and a stimulant to gift. 



APPENDIX II. 



Manchester Scheme. 



At the beginning of the war several of the elementary schools in Manchester 

 were taken over for military hospitals, and the scholars, therefore, temporarily 

 dispossessed of accommodation. The Education Authorities thereupon instituted 

 a half-time system in certain of the remaining schools, in order that the dis- 

 possessed scholars should receive, at leafit, some instruction. It was decided 

 in thsse half-time schools to fill up part of the remaining half of the scholars' 

 tim« by visits of educational value to various Manchester institutions and other 

 places of local interest. In this connection the Keeper of the Museum, in con- 

 sultation with the Education Authorities, organised a scheme whereby the 

 scholars attended at the Manchester Museum for courses of lessons in Natural 

 History and Egyptology. The main points of the scheme are as follows : — 



1. The classes are limited to twenty in number. 



2. The classes are. as far as is possible with existing accommodation at the 

 Museum, provided with separate class-rooms, seating accommodation, desks, &c., 

 so that the lessons are given as nearly as possible under school conditions. 



3. The teachers are trained teachers on the staff of the Manchester Education 

 Committee, who have also a special knowledge of the subjects illustrated in the 

 Museum. They have bfen specially appoin^d to this wprl? by the Education 

 Committee. 



