The Role of Collections of Classical Antiquities in UK Regional Museums: Visitors, Networks, Social Contexts
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The role of collections of classical antiquities in UK regional museums: visitors, networks, social contexts Victoria Clare Donnellan UCL Thesis submitted for PhD degree 2 3 I, Victoria Clare Donnellan, confirm that the work presented in this thesis is my own. Where information has been derived from other sources, I confirm that this has been indicated in the thesis. 4 Abstract This thesis explores the role of collections of classical antiquities in UK regional museums through qualitative research in six case study museums, with a focus on previously under-researched collections outside London, Oxford and Cambridge. First, an analysis of their history and intended role provides new insights into the broad picture of the development of foreign classical archaeological collections, in a range of contexts: two municipal museums; two university museums; and two galleries founded by private art collectors. The collections' contemporary role is analysed through the related concepts of outputs, benefits and meaning, situated within an exploration of the personal, physical, and socio-cultural contexts. Despite evidence of under-use, in some contexts, classical collections are shown to be made accessible in multiple ways. Focusing on casual visitors to permanent exhibitions, and drawing on interviews with museum visitors, staff members and stakeholders, I use the categories of the Generic Learning Outcomes and Generic Social Outcomes to analyse the perceived benefits of encounters with classical collections. I also discuss the wide range of meanings made from classical antiquities, presenting categories of meaning which emerged from analysis of the interview data. In the final chapter, I discuss the role of collections of classical antiquities, both within the specificity of each case study context, and also drawing general conclusions. I compare their intended role with the role they are expected to play today, and trace some effects of their history on the ways they are now perceived and used. I point, in particular, to tensions between the elite associations of classics and the socially-engaged, inclusive, post-modern museum, and between the foreign origins of classical antiquities and the local focus of many regional museums. I suggest that, within this context, interpreting the history of classical collections offers a productive means of enhancing their role in contemporary society. 5 Contents List of Tables 11 List of Figures 12 List of Abbreviations 15 Acknowledgements 16 1. Introduction 17 2. Theoretical Background 23 2.1. Historical context: the classical and the museum 23 2.2. Institutional context: the role of the contemporary museum 29 2.2.1. The role of museums today: impact and value 30 2.2.2. Conceptualising the role of museum collections 35 2.2.3. Museums, objects, individuals and society 40 2.2.4. Summary 45 2.3. Disciplinary context: contemporary classics 46 2.3.1. Classics and universities 46 2.3.2. Classics and schools 49 2.3.3. Classics and museums 52 2.4. Summary 55 3. Methodology and Methods 57 3.1. Research questions 57 3.2. Methodology 57 3.3. Research design 59 3.3.1. Stage one: collections scoping and selection of case studies 59 3.3.1.1. Collections scoping: methods 59 3.3.1.2. Collections scoping: findings 60 3.3.1.3. Selection of case studies 61 3.3.1.4. Summary and description of case studies 66 3.3.2. Stage two: fieldwork 71 3.3.2.1. Fieldwork methods 71 3.3.2.2. Research ethics 80 3.3.2.3. Analysis 81 6 3.4. Summary 86 4. Historical Context 87 4.1. Beginnings 87 4.1.1. Municipal museums 87 4.1.2. Private collectors 95 4.1.3. University museums 102 4.2. Developing Role 107 4.2.1. Institutional and disciplinary context: professionalization and 108 priorities 4.2.2. Casual visitors 113 4.2.3. Schools programmes 125 4.2.4. Academic use 128 4.2.5. Developing role: summary 131 4.3. Summary 132 5. Contemporary Institutional and Disciplinary Context 133 5.1. Organisational structures and stakeholders 133 5.2. Policies and priorities 138 5.2.1. Local versus global heritage 138 5.2.2. Accessibility for a broad public audience 139 5.2.3. Social objectives 143 5.2.4. Collecting policies 144 5.2.5. Summary 145 5.3. Staff members 145 5.3.1. Structures 146 5.3.2. Disciplinary and professional identities 156 5.3.3. Perspectives on the role of museums 158 5.3.4. Limitations to the role of classical collections 161 5.4. Summary 164 6. Casual Visitors 166 6.1. Personal and socio-cultural context 166 6.1.1. Visitor demographics 166 7 6.1.2. Previous knowledge 169 6.1.3. Frequency of museum visiting 171 6.1.4. First-time or repeat visitors 171 6.1.5. Connection with the university 172 6.1.6. Motivations 172 6.1.7. Expectations for a classical gallery 175 6.1.8. Social groups 176 6.1.9. Personal and socio-cultural context: summary 177 6.2. Physical context 177 6.2.1. The wider museum 184 6.2.2. Overall design and atmosphere 187 6.2.3. Intended messages 191 6.2.4. Written text 193 6.2.5. Objects 196 6.2.6. Physical context: summary 198 6.3. Use, opinion and benefits 198 6.3.1. Dwell times and visit patterns 199 6.3.2. Visitor opinion 203 6.3.3. Benefits 204 6.3.3.1. Knowledge and understanding 205 6.3.3.2. Enjoyment, inspiration and creativity 206 6.3.3.3. Attitudes and values 207 6.3.3.4. Activity, behaviour and progression 208 6.3.3.5. Skills 209 6.3.3.6. Social benefits 209 6.3.3.7. Benefits: summary 211 6.4. Casual visitors: summary 212 7. Other Uses of the Collections 214 7.1. Temporary exhibitions 214 7.2. Schools use 216 7.3. Events and activities 223 8 7.4. Further and higher education: teaching and learning 228 7.5. Research and publication 232 7.6. Volunteers 235 7.7. Digital uses 237 7.8. Loans 239 7.9. Looking ahead: museum plans for the future 240 7.10. Summary 242 8. The Meanings of Classical Antiquities 244 8.1. Introduction 244 8.2. Art, craft and technology 247 8.3. Past and present 251 8.4. History 255 8.5. Archaeology 258 8.6. Conservation, preservation, age 261 8.7. Storytelling and mythology 263 8.8. History of collections 264 8.9. Evocative, physical, reality 269 8.10. Personal 272 8.11. People 274 8.12. Local 276 8.13. Sexuality and nudity 277 8.14. Summary 279 9. The Role of Collections of Classical Antiquities in UK Regional Museums 281 9.1. Outputs, benefits and meaning 281 9.1.1. Outputs 281 9.1.2. Benefits and meaning 285 9.1.3. Summary 290 9.2. Contextualising the role of classical collections 290 9.2.1. Historical context 290 9.2.2. Disciplinary and institutional context 296 9.2.3. Casual visitors: personal, physical and socio-cultural contexts 298 9 9.2.4. Summary 302 9.3. Classical collections and society 302 9.3.1. Accessible or exclusive? 302 9.3.2. Social benefits 307 9.3.3. Local or global? 308 9.3.4. Summary 312 9.4. Concluding thoughts: impact and future directions 313 Bibliography 315 Appendices 351 Appendix 1: Collections scoping project 352 Appendix 2: Scoping project questionnaire 366 Appendix 3: Case study shortlist 369 Appendix 4: RAMM classical collection summary 374 Appendix 5: Burrell Collection classical collection summary 378 Appendix 6: LLAG classical collection summary 389 Appendix 7: GNM collection summary 391 Appendix 8: NCMG classical collection summary 394 Appendix 9: Staff and stakeholder interviews 396 Appendix 10: Sample interview schedule for museum staff 398 Appendix 11: Sample information sheet for visitor interviewees 399 Appendix 12: Sample consent form for visitor interviewees 400 Appendix 13: Visitor interviews 401 Appendix 14: Sample interview schedule for visitors 408 Appendix 15: Sample demographic data collection sheet 409 Appendix 16: Telephone interviews with teachers 412 Appendix 17: Sample interview schedule for teachers 413 Appendix 18: Sample observation sheet 414 Appendix 19: Documentary sources 415 Appendix 20: Sample information sheet for staff and stakeholder interviewees 419 Appendix 21: Sample consent form for staff and stakeholder interviewees 421 Appendix 22: Final NVivo coding system 422 10 Appendix 23: Museum staff members' academic and professional identities 427 Appendix 24: Visitor demographics 432 Appendix 25: Previous knowledge 449 Appendix 26: Frequency of museum visiting 453 Appendix 27: Repeat visiting 455 Appendix 28: Visitor motivations 456 Appendix 29: Expectations 461 Appendix 30: Objects remembered 463 Appendix 31: Visitor opinions 466 Appendix 32: Benefits 467 Appendix 33: Sample quotes for GLOs and GSOs 469 Appendix 34: Schools resources 476 Appendix 35: Events and activities 478 Appendix 36: Loans of foreign classical antiquities 480 Appendix 37: The meanings of classical collections 482 11 List of Tables Table 3.1: Initial shortlist of ten strong contenders for case studies Table 3.2: Regional distribution Table 3.3: Staff and stakeholder interviews: themes covered Table 3.4: Visitor interviews Table 3.5: Visitor interviews: themes covered Table 3.6: Teacher interviews: themes covered Table 3.7: Documentary sources Table 3.8: Summary of major theoretical categories Table 5.1: Categories of professional and academic identity for museum staff interviewees Table 6.1: Sources of adults' previous knowledge Table 6.2: Sources of children's previous knowledge Table 6.3: Approximate number of words of contextual information (excluding individual object captions) Table 6.4: Estimated dwell times of observed interview groups (minutes) Table 6.5: Benefit categories coded in visitor interviews Table 7.1: Attendance of Greeks schools sessions at case study venues (where figures available) Table 7.2: Perceived benefits of schools' use of classical antiquities Table 8.1: The meanings of classical antiquities Table 8.2: Associations between the meaning categories Table 9.1: Associations between meaning & benefit categories 12 List of Figures Figure 2.1: Historical context Figure 2.2: Cultural value (from Holden 2006:31) Figure 2.3: GLOs (MLA 2008b) & GSOs (MLA 2008c) Figure 2.4: Conceptualising the role of classical collections Figure 2.5: 'Contextual model of learning' (adapted from Falk and Dierking 2000; 2013) Figure 2.6: Theoretical framework showing relationship with thesis chapters Figure 3.1: Map showing locations of case studies as pink stars and other collections with 100 or more objects as blue stars.