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Exhibiting Classical Collections in UK University Museums

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Exhibiting Classical Collections in UK University Museums Exhibiting Classical Collections in UK University Museums: Contexts, cultures and practices in gallery redevelopments A thesis submitted to the University of Manchester for the degree of Master of Philosophy in the Faculty of Humanities 2018 Ifigeneia Anagnostou School of Arts, Languages and Cultures LIST OF CONTENTS List of tables 7 Abbreviations 8 Abstract 9 Declaration 10 Copyright statement 11 Acknowledgements 12 Chapter 1: Introduction 13 1.1. Research aim and origins of the thesis 14 1.2. Research context 19 1.3. The contexts of recent redevelopments 22 1.4. University museums as a context of study 26 1.5. Classical antiquity and its material culture: problems and current 29 challenges 1.6. Terminology and definitions 31 1.6.1. Defining 'classical' 31 1.6.2. Other terminology used in this thesis 34 1.7. Structure of the thesis 34 2 Chapter 2: Literature Review 38 2.1. Historical Context 39 2.1.1. Historical reflexions 39 2.1.2. Classical collections in the public museum 42 2.1.3. The impact of academic disciplines 48 2.2. Recent and current developments and contexts in the classical 55 disciplines and museum theory and practice 2.2.1. A changing landscape: academic classics 56 2.2.3. A changing landscape: museum classics 62 2.2.3. Museums today: contexts, influences, developments and 68 their impact on classical collections 2.3. Conclusion 76 Chapter 3: Theoretical Framework and Research Methodology 78 3.1. Adopting a theoretical approach 79 3.2. Conceptualising the construction of narratives in the museum 86 context 3.2.1. Museum architecture and use of gallery space 88 3.2.2. Exhibition design: color, light, atmosphere 90 3.2.3. Exhibition content, type and form 91 3.2.4. Object collection, classification and selection 92 3 3.2.5. Textual and other types of interpretation 93 3.2.6. The museum effect 94 3.3. Research Methodology 95 3.3.1. Adopting a case study approach 96 3.3.2. Selecting the case studies 98 3.3.3. Fieldwork - Data collection methods 101 3.3.4. Data Analysis 110 3.4. Concluding remarks 111 Chapter 4: The Ure Museum of Greek Art and Archaeology 113 4.1. Historical context 114 4.2. The collection of the Ure Museum 116 4.3. Framing the redisplay: contemporary contexts 119 4.4. Project background 121 4.5. Team, roles and professional identities 123 4.6. Consulting the public 124 4.7. Museum architecture 125 4.8. Display organisation and layout 126 4.9. Organisation of the objects 130 4.10. Interpretation 134 4 4.11. Themes, concepts and the rationale of the new exhibition 135 Chapter 5: Greece and Rome at the Fitzwilliam Museum 139 5.1. Historical context 139 5.2. The classical collection at the Fitzwilliam Museum 142 5.3. Project background 144 5.4. Conclusion 146 Chapter 6: 'Ancient Worlds' Galleries at the Manchester Museum 147 6.1. The origins of the Manchester Museum 148 6.2. Archaeology in the Manchester Museum 149 6.3. The classical collections in the Manchester Museum 150 6.4. The Mediterranean Gallery 152 6.5. Framing the redisplay 153 6.6. Consulting the public 155 6.7. Conclusion 157 Chapter 7: Conclusion 158 7.1. Contribution to knowledge 162 5 7.2. Conclusion and Recommendations for further research 163 Bibliography 164 Appendices 199 Figure 1: The building housing the Ure Museum of Greek Art and Archaeology Figure 2: The entrance of the Museum Figure 3: Gallery plan of the Ure Museum Figure 4: Former Gallery Plan Figure 5: The case devoted to the history of the museum and the collector Figure 6: The two island cases exhibiting Greece and Egypt 6 LIST OF TABLES Table 1: List of the prospective case studies 7 ABBREVIATIONS AHRC Arts and Humanities Research Council HLF Heritage Lottery Fund UMAC University Museums and Collections UMiS University Museums in Scotland UMIST University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology V&A Victoria and Albert Museum VUM Victoria University of Manchester GNM Great North Museum 8 ABSTRACT This thesis examines museological approaches and display practices surrounding collections of classical antiquities in UK university museums, as these have emerged through recent redevelopment projects that have reshaped UK's cultural landscape since 2000. Despite the critical role University Museums have played in the formation, research and representation of the classical archaeological discipline, the fact that they hold important collections of classical antiquities, and their recently reinvigorated role as the public interface between Academia and the wider community, yet there is limited existing research concerning the contemporary display of classical antiquities, in general, and within University Museums, in particular. This research comes to address this gap by shedding light into the ways current approaches to classical collections are shaped by the interplay of disciplinary developments, practices of display production and socio-cultural contexts. The research draws on theoretical approaches emphasising context-specific readings of material culture, 'behind the scenes' perspectives, and the relational aspects of museum practice. Methodologically, it is grounded on qualitative research undertaken in three case study museums: the Manchester Museum (University of Manchester), the Fitzwilliam Museum (University of Cambridge) and the Ure Museum of Greek Archaeology (University of Reading): first, an overview of the collections' histories in the three museums situates each collection within their respective local institutional culture and traces shifts in its perceived role and meanings. Then, contemporary approaches towards classical collections are explored by examining both the processes of display production (here, the gallery redevelopment process) in each case study and the resulting exhibitions as finished products. The thesis provides an analysis of how the three museums responded to needs and realities of a changing socio-cultural landscape, which was heavily shaped by funding opportunities, governmental priorities and strategic agendas set by the institutions themselves and their parental universities. It also provides a discussion of the impact of the broader disciplinary developments and the engagement of each institution with the wider museum community on the interpretation and re-display of classical antiquities. This thesis acknowledges these factors as important in shaping approaches to classical collections. The thesis goes on to argue that the ways each institution has nevertheless approached its classical collections is also intimately linked with local contexts: these are provided by the institutional 'culture' of each case study, the professional identities of museum staff working with classical collection, the character and scope of collections themselves, the relationship between the museum with its parent university, and the community the museum serves. 9 DECLARATION No portion of the work referred to in the thesis has been submitted in support for an application for another degree or qualification of this or any other university or institute of learning. 10 COPYRIGHT STATEMENT I. The author of this thesis (including any appendices and/or schedules to this thesis) owns certain copyright or related rights in it (the “Copyright”) and s/he has given The University of Manchester certain rights to use such Copyright, including for administrative purposes. II. Copies of this thesis, either in full or in extracts and whether in hard or electronic copy, may be made only in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 (as amended) and regulations issued under it or, where appropriate, in accordance with licensing agreements which the University has from time to time. This page must form part of any such copies made. III. The ownership of certain Copyright, patents, designs, trademarks and other intellectual property (the “Intellectual Property”) and any reproductions of copyright works in the thesis, for example graphs and tables (“Reproductions”), which may be described in this thesis, may not be owned by the author and may be owned by third parties. Such Intellectual Property and Reproductions cannot and must not be made available for use without the prior written permission of the owner(s) of the relevant Intellectual Property and/or Reproductions. IV. Further information on the conditions under which disclosure, publication and commercialisation of this thesis, the Copyright and any Intellectual Property and/or Reproductions described in it may take place is available in the University IP Policy (see http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/DocuInfo.aspx?DocID=24420), in any relevant Thesis restriction declarations deposited in the University Library, The University Library’s regulations (see http://www.library.manchester.ac.uk/about/regulations/) and in The University’s policy on Presentation of Theses. 11 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This research owes much to my supervisor and advisory panel. My first and biggest thanks goes Kostas Arvanitis, my main supervisor, for his invaluable insights and his belief in this research. Without his constant encouragement and support, this thesis would not have been possible. Many thanks are due to my advisory panel, Helen Rees Leahy and Nick Merriman for their constructive feedback, guidance and support. Karen Exell has provided advice at the early stages of this thesis and I would like to thank her for her contribution. I also am very grateful to all those who agreed to participate and be interviewed for this research. My sincere thanks goes to Professor Amy Smith and Dr. Lucilla Burn for their warm welcome in 'their' museums, for providing access to archives and for sharing their expertise. This research has benefited enormously from two research grants received by the A.S. Onassis Public Benefit Foundation, and the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), respectively. I am deeply grateful for both, for making this thesis possible. Great thanks goes to all members of museum staff in the case study museums for their help during my fieldwork. I would especially like to thank Brian Sitch for his contribution and for the provision of source material.
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