Museums Matter

In Praise of the Encyclopedic Museum

Nonfiction, Art & Architecture, General Art
Cover of the book Museums Matter by James Cuno, University of Chicago Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: James Cuno ISBN: 9780226126807
Publisher: University of Chicago Press Publication: December 15, 2011
Imprint: University of Chicago Press Language: English
Author: James Cuno
ISBN: 9780226126807
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Publication: December 15, 2011
Imprint: University of Chicago Press
Language: English

The concept of an encyclopedic museum was born of the Enlightenment, a manifestation of society’s growing belief that the spread of knowledge and the promotion of intellectual inquiry were crucial to human development and the future of a rational society. But in recent years, museums have been under attack, with critics arguing that they are little more than relics and promoters of imperialism. Could it be that the encyclopedic museum has outlived its usefulness?

With Museums Matter, James Cuno, president and director of the Art Institute of Chicago, replies with a resounding “No!” He takes us on a brief tour of the modern museum, from the creation of the British Museum—the archetypal encyclopedic collection—to the present, when major museums host millions of visitors annually and play a major role in the cultural lives of their cities. Along the way, Cuno acknowledges the legitimate questions about the role of museums in nation-building and imperialism, but he argues strenuously that even a truly national museum like the Louvre can’t help but open visitors’ eyes and minds to the wide diversity of world cultures and the stunning art that is our common heritage. Engaging with thinkers such as Edward Said and Martha Nussbaum, and drawing on examples from the politics of India to the destruction of the Bramiyan Buddhas to the history of trade and travel, Cuno makes a case for the encyclopedic museum as a truly cosmopolitan institution, promoting tolerance, understanding, and a shared sense of history—values that are essential in our ever more globalized age.

Powerful, passionate, and to the point, Museums Matter is the product of a lifetime of working in and thinking about museums; no museumgoer should miss it.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

The concept of an encyclopedic museum was born of the Enlightenment, a manifestation of society’s growing belief that the spread of knowledge and the promotion of intellectual inquiry were crucial to human development and the future of a rational society. But in recent years, museums have been under attack, with critics arguing that they are little more than relics and promoters of imperialism. Could it be that the encyclopedic museum has outlived its usefulness?

With Museums Matter, James Cuno, president and director of the Art Institute of Chicago, replies with a resounding “No!” He takes us on a brief tour of the modern museum, from the creation of the British Museum—the archetypal encyclopedic collection—to the present, when major museums host millions of visitors annually and play a major role in the cultural lives of their cities. Along the way, Cuno acknowledges the legitimate questions about the role of museums in nation-building and imperialism, but he argues strenuously that even a truly national museum like the Louvre can’t help but open visitors’ eyes and minds to the wide diversity of world cultures and the stunning art that is our common heritage. Engaging with thinkers such as Edward Said and Martha Nussbaum, and drawing on examples from the politics of India to the destruction of the Bramiyan Buddhas to the history of trade and travel, Cuno makes a case for the encyclopedic museum as a truly cosmopolitan institution, promoting tolerance, understanding, and a shared sense of history—values that are essential in our ever more globalized age.

Powerful, passionate, and to the point, Museums Matter is the product of a lifetime of working in and thinking about museums; no museumgoer should miss it.

More books from University of Chicago Press

Cover of the book Ecce Homo by James Cuno
Cover of the book Communities of Style by James Cuno
Cover of the book Document Raj by James Cuno
Cover of the book Mathematical Physics by James Cuno
Cover of the book The Fragmented Forest by James Cuno
Cover of the book Sea Monsters by James Cuno
Cover of the book The Making of Romantic Love by James Cuno
Cover of the book Love and Saint Augustine by James Cuno
Cover of the book Social Security Programs and Retirement around the World by James Cuno
Cover of the book Atoms in the Family by James Cuno
Cover of the book Black Picket Fences, Second Edition by James Cuno
Cover of the book The People's Peking Man by James Cuno
Cover of the book The Social Citizen by James Cuno
Cover of the book Freedom as Marronage by James Cuno
Cover of the book Science, Faith and Society by James Cuno
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy