Museums in the Twentieth Century
1900-1950
- Emergence of the museums as public institutions
- Collaborations with schools
- Publications oriented to the general public
- Specialized museums (ex. the Brooklyn Children's Museum, Anna Billings Gallup; Museum of Modern Art (1929), Alfred Barr)
- Increasing museum attendance
- Broadening of support base
- Increasing professionalization
- American Association of Museums est. 1906
- Specialization of museum professionals
- Development of conservation sciences
- Visitor studies (Edward D. Robinson, Yale U., beg. in the late 1920s)
1951-2000
- Continued popularization
- Services for disadvantaged and special audiences
- Emphasis on cultural pluralism
- Specialized "modes of interpretation" (living history, museum theater, Exploratorium model, etc.)
- Expansion in the use of technology in museum exhibits and educational programs (media in exhibits, distance learning, web-based exhibits, virtual museums)
- Continued growth
- In 1967 there were approx. 5,000 museums worldwide and in 1994 there were 8,200.
- Specialized and industry-sponsored museums increasing
- Currently more than 2,000 government museums, most at state, county and municipal levels
- Museum universe expands to includes art centers, botanical gardens, planetariums, nature centers, aquariums.
- The Smithsonian alone attracts 25 million visitors per year to its 16 museums.
- Declining governmental support and competative market requires innovation in developing "income streams" (cultural tourism marketing, museum stores, facilities rental, etc.)
- Continued professionalization
- Attention to professional standards and ethics
- Continued specialization and the development of museum studies programs and mid-career training programs
- Establishment of numerous professional organizations: American Association for State and Local History, Association of Art Museum Directors, Association of Youth Museums, College Art Association, Assoc. for Living History and Farm Museums, African American Museums Association, etc.