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MUSEUMS ASSOCIATION AT WORCESTER. 



The Annual Meeting- of the Museums Association was held at 

 Worcester from nth July to 14th July. The various business 

 meeting's were held at the Guildhall, where the delegates were 

 welcomed by the Mayor. All the subjects discussed were such 

 as are beneficial to those in charg-e of museums. Particular 

 .mention should be made of Lord Windsor's presidential address, 

 in which he was able to speak with some authority as to the value 

 of museums. He pointed out that in the near future museums 

 would become more and more important factors in the educa- 

 tion of the country, and that, in connection with the National 

 Institutions, he was pleased to be able to state that the Govern- 

 ment was taking- steps to enlarg-e and extend the usefulness of 

 these institutions at an enormous cost. 



Of particular service to Provincial Museums was the dis- 

 cussion which took place on the relation of such museums to 

 the National Institutions. At this meeting- representatives from 

 the various National Institutions attended, and pointed out the 

 ways in which they could be of service to the Provincial 

 Museums. One important question was dealt with, namely, the 

 instruction g-iven to scholars at the museums. The question 

 was raised as to the amount of time that was occupied in g-iving- 

 instruction to the scholars, as a result of which some of the 

 Curator's ordinary duties must necessarily suffer. It was pointed 

 out, however, that certain educational committees made a small 

 grant of £^2^ or ;£^3o to the museum, which enabled the latter 

 institution to secure the services of a junior assistant, by whose 

 help the routine work of the museum was not neglected. In 

 view of this, such museums as were making a special point of 

 teaching the scholars, decided to ask the education authority to 

 make such a grant, as the complaint was pretty general that, 

 desirable as the lectures were, they naturally interfered with 

 the ordinary museum work. 



In addition to the reading and discussing of papers, visits 

 were paid to the Cathedral, and various old buildings and other 

 places of interest in W^orcester ; to the Worcester Museum and 

 Victoria Institute ; to the Royal Porcelain Works ; to Franche 

 Hall, Kidderminster, where Mr. Tomkinson has an exceptionally 

 fine collection of Japanese art ; to Kempsey, where Sir Richard 

 Temple exhibited his fine collection of Indian art and antiquities ; 

 and to Hewell Grange, where Lord Windsor had many objects 

 of interest. Next year the Association visits Bristol. 



Naturalist, 



