museum

Table of Contents

Introduction
History
- Etymology
  - From mouseion to museum
  - Museology and museography
- The precursors of museums
  - Evidence from antiquity
  - Classical collecting
  - Asia and Africa
  - Medieval Europe
  - Renaissance Italy
  - Royal collections
  - Specialized personal collections
  - Collections of learned societies
- Toward the modern museum
  - From private collection to public exhibition
    - Public collections
    - The first public museums
      The Ashmolean
      The British Museum
      The Louvre
      Museums in Rome and the Vatican
      Other European collections
    - The spread of the European model
  - Museums and national identity
    - Central Europe
    - Museums of antiquities
    - Influence of industry and science
    - The United States
    - Other national and regional museums
  - The first museum boom
    - Europe
    - South America
    - Asia
    - Africa
- The 20th and 21st centuries
  - Early period of reassessment
  - Post-World War II era
    - Museums and the public
    - Museums and the environment
    - Museums and public finance
    - New museums and collections
Types of museums
- General museums
- Natural history and natural science museums
- Science and technology museums
- History museums
- Art museums
- Virtual museums
Museum structure and operations
- Building design and function
- Museum organization
  - Administration
  - Management
  - Funding
    - Public and private sources
    - Entrance fees
    - Commercial activities
  - Support organizations
  - Museum cooperation
- Museum activities
  - Collection
    - Acquisition policies
    - Legality
    - Protection of cultural property
  - Conservation
  - Documentation
  - Research
  - Exhibition
  - Educational services
  - Information services

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