Museums- and Museums 



483 



Many other special designations which are given to 

 museums having special objects might be mentioned, but 

 they scarcely need definition. We have museums of Archae- 

 ology, of Geology, of Natural History, of Geography, &a,.&c. 

 These objects are all included in the scope of most Metro- 

 politan, County, General, and Educational Museums. . t 



In many instances at the present time, Museums and Art 

 Galleries are associated. While it is most desirable to en- 

 courage the introduction of maps, engravings, drawings and 

 photographs into General Museums when they are illustrative, 

 it may be doubted whether it is desirable to allow works of 

 art and objects of mere beauty to compete in close quarters 

 with those designed for education. In all historical museums, 

 portraits, and even historical art, are, however, not only 

 legitimate but very valuable. 



We must end where we began, by a clear avowal of our 

 conviction that the most useful type of museum for the pur- 

 pose of diffusing knowledge and developing an appetite for 

 study is the Educational one. Unembarrassed by restrictions, 

 it should collect, label, and display anything and everything 

 that can be made attractive and instructive. Such museums 

 ought to be found in every considerable town, and if the State 

 or civic authorities could be induced to devote funds to their 

 promotion, it would be money well spent. We should , be 

 very sorry if such institutions were restricted on the " local" 

 (or Toynbee) model. 



