Determining the size of museum subsidies

The justification of a subsidy relies upon the museum's soical value which consists in its use value, its non-use value, and in its externalities. The estimation of these values is based on the consumer sovereignty expressed by the net cash revenues of the museum, the consumer surplus, positive externalities and the willingness to pay taxes. The paper measures these sources of value by the travel cost and contingent valuation methods and by special computations of externalities. The particular museum, used in this paper as a case study, seems to pass the test, i.e, its subsidies do not exceed its social value.     

Assessing the role of collaboration in the process of museum innovation

ABSTRACT

The relationship between collaboration and innovation in cultural organisations is an emerging topic that has drawn particular attention from scholars and practitioners. The main aim of this study is to assess the role of collaboration in the process of innovation in museum organisations. To achieve this aim, first, we develop a four-domain analytical framework by matching innovation types to cultural production processes to reflect the peculiarities of museum innovation. By applying this framework to the multiple case studies from four Spanish museums, we identify three main motivations (supplementing manpower, compensating for the scarcity of knowledge, improving demand-driven innovation) and four forms of collaboration (teamwork, outsourcing, consortium and conversation) and summarise the different modes of collaboration involved in various domains of production and innovation. An assessment is conducted subsequently to evaluate the effectiveness of existing collaborations in achieving technological and cultural innovation in museums. Finally, a list of implications for museums’ innovation management is presented.     

The authenticity of the museum experience in the digital age: the case of the Louvre

The technological shift of museums is extensively documented, even if research on the impact of technologies on cultural practices and social patterns at large is still lacking. As part of a research programme conducted by the Louvre and HEC Paris, the article proposes a conceptual analysis of ‘real’ (visiting the museum) and ‘virtual’ (visiting its website) experiences of museums. It contributes to the understanding of whether the two experiences are substitutes or complements using a newly created measurement scale. In addition, the article also aims at enriching the contemporary discussion on the artworks’ aura and the authenticity of the cultural experience in the digital age.     

A survey on the light-fastness properties of organic-based Alaska Native artifacts

A series of light-fastness tests were conducted on a group of ethnographic objects that will be on exhibit at the Smithsonian Institution Arctic Studies Center, a recent addition to the Anchorage Museum at Rasmuson Center in Alaska. The objects surveyed belong to the collections of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History and the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian. This work was designed as a feasibility study on the use of a micro-fading tester as a non-contact and non-destructive technique to evaluate the light-stability of materials present in ethnographic collections. A broad range of objects containing a wide variety of materials were selected for the study. The materials investigated included a variety of dyes applied on silk, cotton, and wool substrates along with some unusual materials such as tanned skin and seal gut skin. The results from this investigation have allowed establishing exhibition recommendations taking into consideration the sensitivity of each object, light levels in the museum building, and estimated light exposures based on the duration of the exhibit. The micro-fading tester has proven to be a very useful tool for determining the light-stability of ethnographic materials without causing any harm to the objects. Objects containing equivalent materials are usually classified under a general category based on their probable sensitivity to light. However, micro-fading test results have permitted the detection of dissimilarities among some of these objects, which could be associated to variations in prior fading histories, the quality of raw materials, and different preparation methods.     

To preserve or enhance precious memories: a segmented market analysis of the history museum in Singapore

This study examines the value placed on museums by patrons and non-patrons and investigates the factors that affect this valuation with a view to boost visitorship. The total economic value of Singapore’s History Museum is at least US$57 million, and this is high relative to other countries, a fact which can be used to justify increased government funding towards museums as cultural capital. Females and high income people are the target groups for increased visitation, while among the non-patrons, the ethnic majority is another potential clientele. Somewhat surprising is the finding that neither patrons nor non-patrons see the museum as having significant tourist value, and contrary to prospect theory, there is a preference for enhancing the museum’s services over keeping the museum. These findings provide some direction for the management of the museum to improve its visitor appeal.     

From Van Gogh's museum to the temple at bassae: heidegger's truth of art and schapiro's art history

This essay revisits Meyer Schapiro's critique of Heidegger's interpretation of Van Gogh's painting of a pair of shoes in order to raise the question of the dispute between art history and philosophy as a contest increasingly ceded to the claim of the expert and the hegemony of the museum as culture and as cult or coded signifier. Following a discussion of museum culture, I offer a hermeneutic and phenomenological reading of Heidegger's ‘Origin of the Work of Art’ and conclude by taking Heidegger's discussion of the strife between earth and world to the site of the ancient temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae as an example of the insistent foreclosure of the ancient work of art and the conflicts of the pervasive efforts of modern conservation.     

Efficiency of neutron tomography in visualizing the internal structure of metal artefacts from Mapungubwe museum collection with the aim of conservation

AimEstimating physical stability as well as revealing signs of fabrication in metal artefacts via two complementary nondestructive methods, neutron- and X-ray tomography were the main goals of this study.AbstractTo aid conservation management of metal artefacts improved knowledge of the internal structure and degree of corrosion therein is highly desired. In this study, neutron- and X-ray tomography were chosen as two complementary noninvasive visualization techniques to study internal structure and corrosion of five representative examples of archaeological metal artefacts from the Mapungubwe museum collection. Tomography was performed at the Neutron Radiography (SANRAD) facility of the South African Nuclear Energy Corporation where thermal neutrons as well as complementary X-rays are conveniently available under one roof. Comparative studies revealed neutron tomography to be generally superior to X-ray tomography due to the enhanced penetration properties of neutrons through the metal objects. In this paper the rich capability of neutron tomography as a nondestructive visualization aid for scientific conservation purposes is introduced and supported by results achieved for the five selected real artefacts.     

GPR survey to study the restoration of a Roman monument

This paper describes the ground-penetrating radar (GPR) survey carried out on the Roman theatre of Sagunto (Valencia, Spain) following recent restoration work in 1991. The structure has been substantially altered a number of times: it was remodelled during the Roman and Moorish periods, partially destroyed during the Peninsular War (1808–1814) and the Carlist War (1833–1839), and extensively modified during the 1930s and 1950s. Major reconstruction work was carried out in 1991 to convert the building into a working theatre. The GPR survey was performed to detect the possible effects of the 1991 remodelling on the historical remains and to identify the point of contact between the present-day modifications and the Roman remains. We took several on-site measurements of the wave velocity in the different materials in known areas to determine as accurately as possible the depth of the contact point. The velocity was calculated by measuring the depth in these areas and the two-way travel time of the wave. The measurements were taken from the walls and the tiers as the thicknesses of the materials were known in these areas. The recorded values were compared with the velocities reported by other authors and with the information from diffraction hyperbolas recorded in the radar data, which are caused by small objects inserted in the medium. We used these velocities to determine the exact point of contact between the Roman remains and the materials used in later restorations. The contact points cause the reflections that can be seen in the GPR data. The results also reveal considerable variations in the surface of the Roman tiers, which can be attributed to partial erosion in these areas caused mainly by water.     

Combined in situ micro-XRF,LIBS and SEM-EDS analysis of base metal and corrosion products for Islamic copper alloyed artefacts from Umm Qais museum,Jordan

Selected copper alloy artefacts from the collection of the Umm Qais museum at Irbid, Jordan, were studied by SEM-EDS analysis, while in situ analyses were performed by means of portable μ-XRF and LIBS spectrometers. Analysis and characterization of base metal and corrosion products of the copper alloyed artefacts were performed in relation to the environmental conditions of the display and as part of the overall assessment of the museum environment. Findings of this study are directed towards guiding a preventive conservation strategy for the copper alloyed artefacts at the Umm Qais museum.     

A new class of gels for the conservation of painted surfaces

The application of a new class of organogels as cleaning tools for painted surfaces is described. It combines some of the most attractive features of cleaning liquids and normal gels while diminishing the deleterious characteristics of both. Thus, the ‘latent’ gellant, polyethyleneimine (PEI), reacts with CO₂ at room temperature in solutions of several organic liquids to produce an ammonium carbamate form (PEICO₂). This charged species organizes itself into 3D polymer networks which immobilize the liquids as gels. The properties of the original solution (i.e. a free-flowing liquid) are re-established immediately after addition of a small amount of a weak acid which displaces the CO₂ molecules and makes the PEI chains positively charged. The visual changes are substantiated by rheological analyses. Results from analytical tests to determine the utility of these gels as cleaning tools for painted surfaces of historical and artistic interest, have been obtained from contact angle and FTIR measurements as well as visual comparisons of the surfaces before and after application of the gels. The analyses indicate that the PEICO₂-based organogels were very effective in removing different surface patinas from painted supports. A surface layer of dammar was completely removed from a test canvas with oil paint, an aged painting from the XIX century, and a XV century oil-on-wood panel attributed to Mariotto di Cristoforo. Finally, a surface acrylic polymeric resin (used in a restoration performed during the 1960s) was also successfully removed from Renaissance wall paintings decorating the Santa Maria della Scala Sacristy in Siena, Italy. The isothermally rheoreversible gel approach described in this work represents a new, highly versatile, and very efficient method for removing aged surface patinas from works of art.     

A multilevel approach for the damage assessment of Historic masonry towers

In the paper some case studies of damaged towers in Italy are presented: the Tower Masserano of Palace Ferrero - La Marmora at Biella, the bell tower of the Collegiata of San Vittore at Arcisate, and three medieval towers in Alba. A methodology is put forward for combining laboratory and nondestructive testing methods with monitoring systems in order to reach the goal of evaluating the state of conservation of historic towers and its evolution in time.     

一座金桥通两岸

2007年12月22日,我国宝岛台湾的台中山下,中台禅寺的广场上人山人海。两岸佛教界共同为世界和平祈福,节目多多,热闹非凡。其中一座金光万道、名唤同源桥的铜雕巨     

A web information system for the management and the dissemination of Cultural Heritage data

Safeguarding and exploiting Cultural Heritage induce the production of numerous and heterogeneous data. The management of these data is an essential task for the use and the diffusion of the information gathered on the field. Previously, the data handling was a hand-made task done thanks to efficient and experienced methods. Until the growth of computer science, other methods have been carried out for the digital preservation and treatment of Cultural Heritage information. The development of computerized data management systems to store and make use of archaeological datasets is then a significant task nowadays. Especially for sites that have been excavated and worked without computerized means, it is now necessary to put all the data produced onto computer. This allows preservation of the information digitally (in addition with the paper documents) and offers new exploitation possibilities, like the immediate connection of different kinds of data for analyses, or the digital documentation of the site for its improvement. Geographical Information Systems have proved their potentialities in this scope, but they are not always adapted to the management of features at the scale of a particular archaeological site. Therefore this paper aims to present the development of a Virtual Research Environment dedicated to the exploitation of intra-site Cultural Heritage data. The Information System produced is based on open-source software modules dedicated to the Internet, so users can avoid being software driven and can register and consult data from different computers. The system gives the opportunity to do exploratory analyses of the data, especially at spatial and temporal levels. The system is compliant to every kind of Cultural Heritage site and allows management of diverse types of data. Some experimentation has been done on sites managed by the Service of the National Sites and Monuments of Luxembourg.     

A methodological approach in the evaluation of the efficacy of treatments for the dimensional stabilisation of waterlogged archaeological wood

The aim of the work is to set up a methodological approach to verify the effectiveness of the treatments of decayed waterlogged archaeological wood and to point out the proper thermo-hygrometric conditions for its preservation after treatment. The treatments were performed on wood samples of maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Aiton), oak (Quercus sp. caducifolia), elm (Ulmus cf. minor) and strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo L.), obtained from stems pertaining to the original vegetation found in the excavation site of the Ancient Ships in Pisa (Italy), and dated from seventh century BC to second century AD The utilised products were: Polyethylene Glycols (PEG) of various molecular weights, a Polypropylene Glycol (PPG 425), Trehalose (α-D-glucopyranosyl-α-D-glucopyranoside), and their mixtures, and also a Hydroxypropylcellulose (Klucel). The main objective to be pursued by the treatments was considered the stabilisation of the original size and shape of samples. The various steps of this approach were: the execution of a preliminary diagnostic survey on untreated samples; the characterisation of treatment solutions ‘as such’ to establish the property to be monitored during the treatment; the evaluation of the main physical characteristics of wood after the treatment were determined. Among the latter, the coefficient of dimensional stability during the exposure to a series of selected thermo-hygrometric conditions and the retention of consolidants after the treatment. These two measurements allowed the definition of the ‘efficacy of a treatment’, φ_T, a new parameter firstly utilised in this work. It measures the stabilisation capability of the percent unit of retained product, and its value permits to put in evidence the consolidants that stabilise wood with the lowest amount of product. Conversely, it was not possible to measure the Anti-Shrink Efficiency (ASE), one of the most utilised parameters for the evaluation of treatments, because of the serious distortions and fractures observed in all the heavily degraded untreated samples.     

元初书家题画诗论——以赵孟頫、邓文原、鲜于枢为例

题画诗是艺术融合的典型与艺术接受的产物,它兼有诗、画、书的多重美,又体现着接受者与作者、作品之间的关系.它是诗人、画家、书家共同创作的结果,并随着文人画创作的高涨而在元代走向兴盛.在对兼有多种艺术身份的题画诗的研究中,考察书家的题画诗创作具有不可替代的意义.本文以元初赵孟烦、邓文原、鲜于枢三大书法家为例,通过深入解读其题画诗,发现展现情景意识、时间意识、空间意识分别是三家始终坚持的创作模式,这种模式源于三家分别以形神兼备、生命底蕴、景物气度为原则的绘画接受模式,并分别与三家各自以中和、韵致、骨力为特点的书法风格相一致.本文拟通过挖掘三家题画诗的诗歌创作模式、绘画接受模式和书法题画的风格以及其间的内在联系,探索题画诗创作中诗人与画家、图画之间的关系及其成因.