UNPUBLISHED PAPERS AND ADDRESSES 

 A Naturalist's View of Museums op Art 1 



At the first meeting of the American Association of Museums it was 

 my pleasure to listen to a paper by Dr. Gilman on "The Aims and Prin- 

 ciples of the Construction and Management of Museums of Fine Art." 

 More recently it was equally my pleasure to see the same article in print, 

 and while heartily in accord with the greater part of the principles enun- 

 ciated, there were places where — I will not say I disagreed with Dr. 

 Gilman — I looked at the proposition from a different point of view. 

 When an invitation was extended to me to be present today, Dr. 

 Gilman most courteously suggested that I might find a text for a paper 

 in his article and I have availed myself of this suggestion to present 

 A Naturalist's View of the Aims of a Museum of Art. The underlying 

 principles of museums, be they Museums of Science or of Art, are alike; 

 they are collections of natural objects, or of those made by man, placed 

 where they may be preserved, seen, and studied. The objects, or speci- 

 mens, may be displayed for general purposes only, or for the illustration 

 of some subject or the elucidation of some idea. 



Museums have undergone great changes during the past twenty- 

 five years and the general tendency now-a-days is to illustrate, by the 

 display of objects, their arrangement and their accompanying labels, 

 some fact in nature or in the history of mankind; and to illustrate it in 

 such manner that it may be readily comprehended by visitors. 



Now the question has arisen in my mind as to whether the adminis- 

 trators of Museums of Art do not take too much the view of the artist 

 and too little the view of the average visitor. Is the sole purpose of the 

 exhibits of a museum of art to foster a love of the beautiful and promote 

 an appreciation of the principles of art? Are there not other things that 

 an art museum can do, should do, for its visitors? As a general state- 

 ment of what a naturalist thinks a museum of art might do, let me quote 

 from a paper of mine on the place of museums in supplemental education, 

 presented at a meeting of a library club. 



Museums of art, in a way, are the oldest of museums and yet to me they seem 

 to make the least use of their opportunities; partly, poss.bly on account of the 

 cost of their collections, partly on account of their growth by generous gifts but 

 largely on account of the point of view of their administrators. The View v , y gener- 

 ally adopted seems to be that the function of an art museum is merely or largely ^to , dis- 

 play beautiful object, and foster a loye for the beautiful The history of art he ^ »t 

 of environment on the artisythe^nfluer ^pohfacal, rehgious or econonue condi- 

 ~ .Read at the opening of the Museum oTiln^ioston. Mass., November 9, X909. 



