Memory, narrative and display: city museums revisited

EasyChair Preprint 3073

Abstract

The paper follows Donatella Calabi's argument that city museums should be seen in political terms, not as inert collections of objects but as places of debate, engagement and collective memory, where narrative can reinforce a citizen’s sense of belonging and the visitor’s appreciation of the sources of local identity. The paper considers this ideal in the context of CAMOC (Collections and Activities of Museums of Cities), the urban subgroup of ICOM (International Council of Museums). A case study of the Museum of London illustrates the diverse origins of a modern city museum and the many directions it might choose to take. We see how an accident of building design ensures that the museum's present displays are arranged on a chronological basis: in a forthcoming relocation to larger premises the discipline of a timeline will be lost. The implications are discussed.

Keyphrases: Architecture, city museums, museology

@booklet{EasyChair:3073,
  author    = {Michael Hebbert},
  title     = {Memory, narrative and display: city museums revisited},
  howpublished = {EasyChair Preprint 3073},
  year      = {EasyChair, 2020}}