Ward—Modern Exhibitional Tendencies of Museums. 327 
those persons having to do with the arrangement of specimens 
for exhibition should be proficient museologists. This has not 
always been the case and the eminent specialist has sometimes 
shown himself a dismal failure in the exhibition department 
of the institution with which he is connected, a condition lead¬ 
ing to a regrettable lack of harmony between himself and the 
efficient museum director. 
ISTot many years ago little or no attempt was made to attract 
and hold the interest of the layman and, by arrangement and 
label, interpret to him some of the knowledge that scientists had 
learned concerning the specimens shown. Such a catering to the 
unelect was apparently not considered advisable and it almost 
seems, as we look back upon that period, as if the museums 
feared to lose the respect of the multitude if they stooped to be 
comprehensible. 
The conservatism of human nature and the restraining in¬ 
fluence of authority not unlikely in a large measure accounts 
for the reluctance of some, who must long ago have appreciated 
the inefficiency of their exhibits, to break away from the time 
honored precedent bearing the stamp, of authority as methods 
employed by prominent naturalists. To one whose interests are 
confined to investigation and to whom time spent on educating 
others, unless they in turn are to become investigators, seems 
wasted, the sacrifice of time and thought on the preparation of 
exhibits for the general public must be distasteful; and thus 
we may logically account for the fact that some eminent spec¬ 
ialists have proven hopelessly inefficient in this important feat¬ 
ure of museum work and are out of sympathy with and even 
deprecate modern exhibitional tendencies. 
Most of the larger museums of today are to a considerable 
extent supported by public funds and more particularly is this 
so in their departments of public exhibition in which the people 
in general are naturally most especially interested. Also there 
is a growing movement in the establishment of municipal mu¬ 
seums which is well marked here in Wisconsin so that a discus¬ 
sion of these matters before this assemblage, representative of 
the scientific associations of the state and presumably much 
23—S. & A. 
