Museological News 8

September 1985
Semi-annual bulletin
of ICOM International Committee
for Museology

Stockholm 1985

Contents

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Stand-in for the Editorial:

Meeting News 1985 by Vinos Sofka

Meeting Documents

__

Agenda of the meeting, Zagreb 1985

ICOfOM Activities 1984/1985

Annual report to the Advisory Committee and
Executive Cou ne il of ICOM, Ju:ly 1985

11

ICOM Triennial Programme 1987-1989

ICOfOM views on the medium_term activities of ICOM 1987-1989
and a long-term programme to 1995, February 1985
_

15

ProposaI to the Editorial Advisory 80ard of Museum, Unesco

Paris
Sorne reflections on the need for presenting theoretical
museological thinking to the readers of Museum, June 1985

19

ProposaIs for refiection

23

___

WG on the Treatise on museology - aims and orientation,

by Zbynek Z Stransky

25

WG on terminology, by Zbynek Z Stransky

___

29

33

WG on information, L.y Peter van Mensch

Classification system of museum terms, by Zbynek Z Stransky

35

Classi fication system for the field "Museum/Museology",

by Klaus Schreiner

___

45

Common theses on museology

An attempt to summarize standpoints on the fundamentals of
museology, by Klaus Schreiner
__

49

Lecture Progrllllllles 1985

55

___

57

Project Muse Arabe - Paris, by Christiane E Naffah

__

63

IcorOH membership
Applications between Leiden and Zagreb
received after April 30, 1985

87

ICOfOH publications

91

New Museology 1985

Repor t by Andr Desv a11 es

This issue of Museological News has been prepared

by Vinos Sofka, Chairman of rCOfOM, with the assistance of
the Museum of National Antiquities, Stockholm, Sweden
Closing date: Stockholm - September 15, 1985

Stand-in for the Editorial:

. Meeting News 1985 by Vinas Sofka
The yeak h~ been event6uf fiOk ICOM.

FOk ICOFOM, ~t ~ cutm~nating k~ght now: on Septembek 30, the Committee'~

meeting, the E~ghth, w~U be ~naugUka.ted ~n Zagkeb, Yugo<lfav~a.

Inv~ted by the Yugo<lfav Na~ona.f Comm~ttee 06 ICOM and taken cake on by the

MLLzej<ll dolwmenta.c~on~ centak, we <lhaU hofd OUk annuaf mee~ng and

Cakklj thkough anothek one 06 OUk ~ympo<l~a.

It ~
~e,

afway<l

uncek~n

how many

w~ff

be abfe to attend the

mee~ng. Th~

40 pat~~ have afkeady keg~teked, and <lome mOke ake expected

to appeak ~n Zagkeb a.t the <ltakt 06 the mee~ng. The keg~teked one<l come

mo~tflj 6kom EUkope, nkom 11 countk~e<I, but theke ~v~ff ai&o be ~ome

kepke<len~Ve<l 6kom A<I~a IJapan), NOkth and South Amek~ca ICh~fe, USA).
The gkea.te<lt gkoup, about 15 mMeum peopfe, ~, ~ MuaUy, 6kom the
conVenek countky, Yugo<lfav~a.

T~e<I, e<lpec~af~J the econom~c keaf~~e<I, ake not 6avoukabfe 60k tkaveff~ng.
majok~ty 06 the Comm~ttee'~ membek<l cannot attend the mee~ng<l.
Sofu~on<l have been <leakched 60k, how to ~ncke~e the pO<l~~b~f~~e<l to
. pak~c~pa.te a.c~vefy ~n the WOkk 06 the ICOM ~nteknationa.f comm~ttee<l.

The

It ~ OUk pof~cy to ~eep eVekybodq ~6o~ about wha.t ~ go~ng on ~n

ICOFOM and ICOM: by pube~h~ng aU n~, pkopMaf<l and mee~ng docLlmen
~n the lCOFOM buffe~n MMeofog~caf N~, by mak~ng the ~ljmpo~~um papek<l
av~fabfe ~n the pkepk~nICOFOM St~dy Sek~e<I.
The pukpO<le 06 th~ ~<lue 06 MMeofog~caf New<l
about the com~ng mee~ng ~n Zagkeb.
What

w~U

happen a.t the ICOFOU meeting

to

g~ve

<luch

~nnOkma~on

YugM!.a.v.ia.?

The agenda. ~ ckammed w~th ac~V~~e<I:

- We <lhaff get acqu~nted w~th the c~ty 06 Zagkeb and ~ ~ukkound~ng<l,
~ cuftukaf f~6e and mMeum ac~v~~e<I. EXCUk<l~On<l, <I~ghee~ng~,
cuftukaf even, mee~ng<l w~th Yugo<lfav~an mMeum peopfe, v~~t4 at
mMeum<l w~U be akkanged;
- ICOFOM annuaf mee~ng w~ff be hefd;
Sevekaf fectuke pkogkamme<l on ~nteke<l~ng tOp~M w~U be g~ven;
- ICOFOM <lympo<l~ w~ff take pla.ce.
Take a fook a.t the pfanned agenda. It ~ pke<lented on .the 6offow~ng page<l.
The

E~ghth

annual

me~g

06

ICOFOU 066ek<l a

k~ch

pkogkamme:

In60km~on.about the ~ta.ge 06 mattek<l On ICOM and ICOFOM: on the ICOFOM

ac~v~~e<I 1984/1985; on ICOM and ~ kemoufd~ng pkogkamme, on the
.
pkopo~af<l cakk~ed out by the WOkk~ng GkOLLp 06 the Adv~OklJ Comm~ttee on
the ~tkUctuke and pof~cy 06 ICOM, blj the WOkk~ng GkOUp on the Statute<l
06 ICOM, and by the WOkk~ng GkOUp on mMeLLm eth~c<l; on ICOFOM pubf~h~ng

ac.v-iv.. and on the c.on-tac.t w-ith the Edaoltm Adv.u,oltt( BOMd 06

the Unv..c.o Itev-iew MU4eum c.onc.eltn-tng a pltv..enta.tion 06 m~eotogy

-in the jouJtna.t; and muc.h moite.

pltv..enta.tion 06 d-i66eltent pltOpO~~ c.onc.eltrt-ing the 6utulte woltk 06

the Comm-ittee and the d.u,c.uM-ion on them: the dlta6t doc.umertU on

~ and pot-ic.y 06 rCOFOM, on rCOFOM tong-teltm pltogltamme, on rCOM

and rCOFOM tJt-ienn-iat pltogltamme61987-1989, on the woltk-ing gltoup~ on

the Tlte~e on mU4eotogy, teltm-inotogy and -in60ltmation.

-inv-itation to the d.u,c.U4~-ion on plt06~-i0na.t mattelt~: on pltobtem~

c.onc.eltn-ing the c.~~-i6-ic.ation ~y~tem -in the mU4eum 6-ietd, on c.on

-6eMU4 Iteac.hed -in the pltev-ioU4 d.u,C.U4~-iOM on the 6llndamen-taU 06

mU4eotoglj.

lte6tec.oM about the Comm-ittee 1 ~ 6utuJte ac.v-iv.. pltepaltatioM

06 the tJt-ienn-iat meeng -in c.onnec.on w-ith the rCOM Geneltat Con

6eltenc.e and Geneltat A~~embty -in Bueno~ A-iltv..; plte~yta.Jty -inv-itatioM

6ltom F-inta.rtd and Zamb-ia to .the Comm-ittee'~c.om-ing meeng~ -in 1987

o.nd 1988.

anaty~.u, 06 the woltk 06 the c.omm-ittee, -tU bod-iv.. and 066-ic.ehotdeJt-6

M a ~ta.Jtng po-int OOIt the nom-irtation 06 c.and-idatv.. 601t etec.OM
00 rCOFOM Bo~td -in 1986.

Seveltat 06 the doc.ument<l and pltopo~aU to be pltv..ented and d.u,c.U4~ed

Me Itepltoduc.ed on the 60ttow-ing pagv.. 06 th.u, butten. Att the membelt~

06 rCOFOM have not ont y the po~~-ib-it-ity to 60ttow what happeM -in the

Comm-ittee but aUo ta a.-ilt the-ilt op-irt-i.on on rCOFOM mattelt-6: tho~e

plte~ent at the meeng~ by teU-ing U4 -it, thMe who c.annot attend by

wlt-ing a to the Chwman. The c.aU 601t v-iew~, op-in-ioM, -ideM .u,

pe.tmanenti

Wh-ite the -6c.-iert6-ic. ac.v-iv.. 06 rCOFOM, -tU ~ympo-6-ia and pubt-ic.aoM,

c.onc.entJtate on the 6ut6-itment 06 the aglteed tong-teJtm ltv..eMc.h pltogltamme,
lCOFOU lec.tuJte pJtogJt~ at the meeng~ make -it po~-ibte ta be -in
touc.h w-ith ac.tuat event<l and new~ -in the 6-ietd 06 mU4eum-6 and mU4eotogy.
Th-i-6 t-ime, -in Zaglteb, thltee d-i6eltent tec.tuJtv.. w-itt be g-iven:
- on the Yugo~tav-ian mU4eltm pot-ic.y, oltgan-tzation and woltk
- on tJtend~ -in mU4eum devetopment and v..pec.-iatty on the New MU4eotogy
movement
- on the pltojec.t MU4e Mabe -in PM.u,.
The pultpo-6e .u, to be -in60ltmed, but aUo to teMn 6ltom the expeJt-ienc.e made
by otltelt~. To make both -in60Jtmation and expelt-ienc.e ava.-itabte to eveltljone
-inte.tv..ted, the tec.tulte6on "MU4otog-ie nouveUe", wh-ic.h ~:t: -6ummelt WIL6
pltv..ented to the rCOM Adv.u,olty Comm-ittee, and on the woltk 'on the pit 0jec.t ,
Mu~e Mabe, on bu-i.td-ing up a new mU4eum, Me pubU-6hed -in th.u, .u,~ue.
Eveltlj t-ime that rCOFOM meet<l, a -6ympo~-ium '.u, Mltanged. Zaglteb .u, no
exc.epon. The theme 06 the lCOFOU .6rprrpo-6-i.um 1985 .u, OJt-ig-i.rta aiui
-6Ub~tv.. -in 1lU6eum-6.

The p~ep~~on4, ~~~ed l~~ ~p~~ng, have up ~o nmv g~ven a' ve~y
good ~e~ul~:
29 b~~e pape~~ on ~e 60u~ ~ub~op~e~ ~n~o wh~eh ~e ma~n ~heme h~
been b~o~en down, 2 ~n~odue~o~y ~e6lee~0n4 and Il eomment on ~he
~de~ p~e~en~ed ~n ~e b~~e pape~~ have been eolleeted and, w~th
the ~uppo~t 06 ~e M~eum 06 N~onal An~qu~~e~ ~n Stoe~holm,
Sweden, ~ep~odueed ~n the Comm~ttee'~ p~ep~~n~, ICOfOM study S~~e4
N0.6 g & 9.

The ~o ~ue4 06 ISS ~ep~e4e~

valuable eon~~bu~on 06 ICOfOM

b~~ 60~ eon~nued d~e~on4.

w~~ ~e 370 page4 ~n aU a

~o ~e ~eolog~eal ~e~e~eh and

ISS No 8 tIXL6 ~n ~e m~ddle 06 ALLg~~ d~~~bu~ed ~o aU ~e w~de~~

and ~o ~e p~~e~panu ~eg~~e~ed 60~ ~Ii. ~ympM~um.
ISS No 9 w~U be d~tlt~bu~ed to aU ~e p~~e~pan~ ~n Zag~eb and
ma~led to ~o~e ~~te~~ who eannot be p~e~e~ ~e~e.
Bo~ ~e ~~ue4 have been ed~ted ~n 250 eop~e4 and ~e av~lable
on ~eqUe4~ to o~e~ ~nte~e~~ed ~e4e~ehe~~ un~l ~e ~~oe~ ~ out.
Up to now only ~e6und 06 pae~~ng and po~:tage eo~~ h~ been ~~ed 60~.
The p~ep~~on4 6ul6~lied ~ above, ~e d~e~~~on ~n Zag~eb ean
eoneen~a:te on exehange 06 Op~~On4. Be4~de4 ~e membe~~ o~ lCOfOM
and Yugo~lav~an m~eoiog~~, ~ep~e~en~ve~ 60~ o~e~ ICOM ~nte~
~onal eomma.:tee~ have ao been ~nvded ~~ time, and t.h~ee o~
~em - IC 60~ COn4e~v~t(on, 60~ ~e T~a~n~ng 06 Pe~~onnef, 60~ t.he
Collee~on4 and M~e~ 06 A~ehaeology and H~~o~y - w~ll be p~e~ent.,
and 6u~the~mo~e ~ome wo~ld ~nown ~n4~~0n4 and o~gan~z~on6
mu~eum~, ~eum ~hop~, "~ouven~~" p~oduee~~, expe~~eneed ~n ~~ng
p~odue~ng ~ub~~:tute4 - have been eont.aet.ed and have p~om~ed
~o ~e p~~ and meet ~ ~n a panel d~e~~on.

. and/o~

fou~ ~nte~~oga:to~~, Ro~~~o C~~~llo, Jud~~ K Sp~elb~(e~, H~~~e

Leyten and Tom~lav Sola, have aeeept.ed ~e eomm~~en~ t.o p~ep~e
and lead, toge~e~ w,(~ ~e Ch~~man 06 ICOfOM, the h~~g ~
Zag~eb, a new ~ympo~~(un 60~m developed by ICOfOM, and ~ee t.o ~t. t.hat.
~e mo~t 6avou~able 6ene6~~ to ~e m~eolog~eal ~e~e~eh w~ll be
~eaehed.

The membeMh'<'p 06 ICOfOU

~ eo~nuo~ly

~nNe~~ng.

At. ~e mee~ng ~n.Leyden .<.n 1984, ~e 6.<.nal 6.<.guAe tIXL6 134 membe~~ '<'n
ail, 94 06 ~em vo~ng membe~~. They ~ep~e~ent. 41 eoun~'<'e~ 6~om ail
~e eon~nenU 06 ~e WMld.
Le!fden, appl'<'e~on4 j~t. ~~eamed '<'n. The l~~ 06 the appUeanU
have been publ~hed .<.n M~eolog~eal N~ No 7 ~ weil ~ .<.n ~~ ~~ue.
65 m~eum wo~~e~~ 6~om 22 eOU~~e4, 7 06 wh'<'eh have not. be60Jte been
~ep~e~ent.ed ~n ICOfOM, w'<'U beeome membe~~ 06 ~e Comm~ttee, 24 06 t.hem
vo~ng membeM.
A6t.e~

Th~ tltend ~ ve~y eneou-J[ag.i.ng, be~ng an '<'nd~e~on ~a:t lCOfOM ~

~e ~'<'ght. ~aek and .i.u wo~k app~ee'<'ated by ~e m~eum people.

Ail

~e

new

membe~~ ~e mo~t.

weleome t.o

~e

wOkk .<.n

on

~e Comm'<'~t.ee.

Anothe.Jt ac.v-i:ty, wh-ic.h a6te.Jt the. f.Mt ye.aJtJ.> , hMd woJtk c.a.n pJte...6e.nt a
pe.Jtma.ne.ntly -inc.Jte.M-ing and -6a.t.U.6y-ing Jte...6uU, Me. the. ICOFOM publ..i.c.a.t..ioru..
Look jMt a.t the. t-i.-6t -in th-i.-6 -i.-6-6Ue. 06 MMe.otog-ic.at New-6:
OUJt the.oJte.c.at-me.thodotog-ic.at Jte.v-ie.w MuWoP - MMeolog-i.c.al WoJtk-i.ng
Papev.. hM up to now appe.Me.d w-ith two -i.-6-6Ue...6. Ma.nMc.Jt-ipU to the.
til-iJtd -i.-6-6ue. have. be.e.n c.otte.c.te.d - the. pJtobtem 60Jt 6ut6-itme.nt be.-ing
ta.c.k 06 6und-6, and 6-iJt-6t 06 att a tong dJta.wll out a.nd a.t the. e.nd abno-6~
Jte.-6utte.e...6-6 ha.ndt-ing -in rCOM 06 oUJt Jte.QUe...6t 60Jt c.ompteme.ntAAif Jte.-6ouJtc.e.-6.
The. PJte.PJt-int-l>, ICOFOU Study SeJt-i.~, !la..: de.ve.tope.d to a Me.6ut toot
w-ith a -6ta.b-it-ize.d pJt06-ite.. N-ine. ~Ue...6 Jte.pJtoduc.e.d up to now Jte.pJte...6e.nt
toge.the.Jt w-ith the. two rCOfOM vc~'me.~ 6Jtom the. ye.M-6 06 1978 and 1979
an appJte.c.-ia.te.d c.ontJt-ibuon 06 rCOfOM to the. mLwe.otog-ic.at Jte.-6e.Mc.h.
The. a.-i.m-6 06 the. -in6cJtma..on butte.n MMeolog-i.c.al N~ -i.-6 ta ke.e.p att
the. rCOfOM membe.Jt-6 -in tOLlC.h w-ithtire. Comm-itte.e.' -6 woJtk. The.Jte. Me. e.-ight
-i.-6-6ue.-6 at d-i.-6po-6at, the. ne.xt one. w-itl appe.M a6te.Jt the. ZagJte.b me.e.ng.
Tha.t wa.-6 the. la.te...6t n~ -in -6hoJtt. Vo you wa.nt to know moJte., go on and
Jte.a.d the. 60ttow-ing doc.ume.nU. The.n, ~-ite. down ljouJt v-iew-6 and pJtopo-6a~.
Be. -in touc.h w-ith ljouJt Comm-itte.e., take. pMt -in ~ woJtk! You Me. we.lc.ome.!

V-ino.6 S06ka
Cha.-i.Jtma.n 06 rCOfOM

Meeting Documents

Agenda of the meeting, Zagreb 1985

hrs

SUNOAY

MoNoAY

TUESoAY

WEoNESoAY

THURSoAY

FRIoAY

2919

30/9

1/10

2/10

3/10

4/10

EXCURSION
to the National Park
PLITVICKA JEZERA

_ 9,00
_10,00

Ordre du jour de la runion lCOFOM, Zagreb 1985

ICoFoM
EXECUTI VE
BOARD

SYMPOSIUM
Invited institutions'
presentations

z
a
H

f
C(

a:

SYMPOSIUM
Sub-topic No 1
Originals versus

substitutes

f
li]

Attention:
oeparture 8,30 hrs

_ 11 ,00
_12,00

Panel-discussion

LUNCH

12,00 _

LUNCH

1 LUNCH

1 LUNCH

13,00_

1 LUNCH

14,00_

======================~=======================k======================~=======================
15,00_

ICoFoM
ANNUAL MEETING

ICoFoM
ANNUAL MEETING
Meetings of
Working Groups

1-17,00

LECTURE
The museums
of Yugoslavia

1- 18 ,00
1

1- 20 ,00 1

free

CoMMoN SUPPER

VlSIT To
THE MUSEUMS
OF ZAGREB

ICoFoM EX.BoARo
16,00_

CLoSING SESSION
of ICoFoM ANNUAL 117,00
MEETING
1-----

CoCKTA l L by Yugosl.
1 Ass.of museum workersl
free

SIGHTSEEING TOUR
OF ZAGREB

COCKTAIL
by the City of Zagreb
Assembly

LECTURES
New Museology 1985
Project Muse arabe
1

CULTURAL

EV~NT

free

and an internaI

or

"GET ACQUAINTEO PARTY'

meetings of WGs

__

18,00_

Farewell-drink

119 ,00

1
& DRINK
Meeting hosted by
the Museum Ass.of
Croatia

1 CHAT

Reserved for
-meetings of WGs

'"

11,00_

CONCLUSION
OF THE SYMPOSIUM

~======================~=======================k======================~=======================

=======================1

_16,00

1- 23 ,00

10,00_

the work of museums

Typology
of substitutes

,_15,00

1- 22 ,00

9,00_

================~======

,_14,00

1- 21 ,00

SYMPOSIUM
Sub-topic No 4
Substitutes and

subs~itutes

'-'
W
a:

_ 13,00

1- 19,00

SYMPOSIUM
Sub-topics Nos 2&3
JustiFied and
unjustiFied

hrs

-ICOFDM Executive
Board

free
20,00_

OINNER
by the Yugoslav
National Committee
of ICOM

21 ,00_
22,00_
23,00_

10

ICOFOM Activities 1984/1985

Annual report to the Advisory Committee and
Executive Council of ICOM, July 1985

ICOM International Committee for Museology - ICOFOM

Annual Report 1984/1985
1

Present composition of the Committee

(a)

Chairman

Vino!: SOFKA
Stockholm, Sweden

(b)

Secretaries

Mathilde BELLAIGUE-SCALBERT
Le Creusot, France

Tomislav SOLA
Zagreb, Yugoslavia

Judith K SPIELBAUER
Oxford, Ohio, USA
(c)

Executive Board
Chairman and Secretaries as above in 1 (a) and (b)
Vice Chairmen

Andr OESVALLEES, France

Pascal MAKAMBILA, Congo
Klaus SCHREINER, GOR

Members

Rosario CARRILLO, Spain

Andreas GROTE, FRG
Flora S KAPLAN,USA
Peter van MENSCH, Netherlands
Waldisa RUSSIO, Brazil
Soichiro TSURUTA, Japan

Working Groups(WG)

Coordinators

(d)

Programme WG
Co-operation WG
Pu b1i ca t i on WG
Treat i se WG
Information WG
(e)

Villy TOFT JENSEN, Oenmark; R CARRILLO, Spain

Andreas GROTE, FRG
Vino!: SOFKA, Sweden
,Zbynek Z STRANSKY, Czechoslovakia
Peter van MENSCH, Netherlands

Number of members
as of April 30, 1985: 134 in all
94 of these are voting members
40 of these are non-vot i ng members ,
Number of app 1i cants:

26 in a11
7 of these approved by ICOFOM on the
condition of confirmation of ICOM
membership by the ICOM Secretariat
11

Activities
(al. Meetings
ICOFOM's Seventh meeting was held at the invitation of the Reinwardt
Academie on October 1 - 6, 1984, in Leiden, the Netherlands. The
agenda of the meeting was :
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)

ICOFOM annual meeting

ICOFOM symposium
Joint se~s;or.
Lecture programme
Excursion~ and visits

The annual meeting approved the report of the Chairman on the Committee's
activities 1983/1984, discussed Committee matters, in particular the
draft basic documents on ICOFOM aims and policy and the ICOFOM long
term programme, and accepted the revised Internal Rules of ICOFOM and
the Rules of Procedure for ICOFOM meetings as well as the ICOFOM working
programme for the year 1984/1985. Twenty-two participants from
15 countries attended the meeting.
Within the framework of the Committee's scientific activities, the
symposium "Collecting today for tomorrow" was arranged. The topic,
divided into four sub-topics, was discussed in 26 papers in all, 19
of which were basic papers and 7 comments on them. All of the papers
were published in the Committee's preprints ICOFOM Study Series, n. 6 & 7
distributed in advance to the writers and participants, with the ex
ception of 1 basic paper and 3 comments which were distributed at the
beginning of the meeting. The symposium was organized in the form of
a hearing with the writers, led by four interrogaters. The auditory
participated in the symposium.
Collaboration between different ICOM bodies and museum organizations
was furthered by a one-day joint session on "Museums in society and
their role in the cultural politics of the country: Case study
the Netherlands", arranged bj ICOFOM together with the ICOM Interna
tional Committee for the Training of Personnel, the Dutch National
Committee of ICOM, the Dutch Museum Association, and the Reinwardt
Academie. About 60 pers ons participated.
Lecture programmes, devoted to current museological problems were
also joint activities, arranged principally with the Reinwardt Academie
and their students and teachers. They comprised questions concerning
ecomuseums and the new museology movement, ICOM and museological re
search, and the Reinwardt Academie's concept of museological training.
Excursions to Amsterdam's and Leiden's museums, and to the Zuyder Zee
Project and the Rijksmuseum's Zuidersee Museum completed the programme.
(b)

Other activities
The Committee's publishing activities have been continued. The semi
annual bulletin Museological News n. 6 appeared in August/September
1984 and n. 7 in April/May 1985. Two new issues of the Committee's
preprints ICOFOM Study Series, n. 6 and n. 7, have come out in connec
'tion with the symposium "Collecting today for tommorow".

12

The editing work on Museological Workin Papers n. 3 has been

continued by linguistic checking, trans yatlons and some completing
of the manuscripts received. The final decision on ICOM's financial
support was delayed because of pending budget discussions, and since
less was received than is needed, endeavours have to be pursued to
find complementary funds for the publication of issue n. 3.
Negotiations concerning the realization of a yearly Museology Work
shop in Yugoslavia have been continued. Funds concerning the payment
of travel costs for the experts invited have to be found.
3

Relations with other organizations

(a)

Relations with other International Committees

Information about the Committee's activities have been disseminated
by sending Museological News to all the International Committees.
Efforts have been made in order to deepen the collaboration with them.
A joint session was organized with the ICOM International Committee
for the Training of Personnel in connection with ICOFOM's annual
meeting.

(b)

Relations with other National Committees

Efforts to establish contact and develop collaboration with ICOM
National Committees was made when organizing ICOFOM's annual meeting.
A joint session was arranged with the Dutch National Committee of ICOM
in connection with the annual meeting in Leiden.
The Chairman of ICOFOM has been in close personal contact with the
Swedish National Committee of ICOM by participating in fts meetings
and in the meetings of the board. Recently exchange of ideas has
been established also by participation of the Chairman in the common
meetings of the Boards of the Scandinavian National Committees of ICOM.

(c)

Relations with the ICOM Secretariat

The good relation with the ICOM Secretariat and Unesco-ICOM Documen
tation Centre has been maintained and developed further. The assis
tance of the Secretariat with publishing MuWoP and the bulletin
Museological News by linguistic checking and translations has been
continued.

(d)

Relations with the Advisory Committee and the Executive Council

Participation at the yearly meetings of the Advisory Committee and,
if possible, at. the meetings of the Executive Council facilitated
updating information for the Committee and also provided the oppor
tunity to inform the directing bodies of ICOM of the intentions and
activities of ICOFOM.
Since the decision in July 1984, the Chairman of ICOFOM participates
in the work of the Working Group of the Advisory Committee ICOM on
the structure and policy of ICOM.

13

Future prospects
(a)

The ICOFOM Ei~hth annual meeting will take place in Zagreb, Yugoslavia
on September 9 - October 4, 1985. The meeting is organized in colla
boration with the Yugoslav National Committee of ICOM.
In the framework of the Committee's scientific activities, and in
accordance with ICOFOM's long term programme, a symposium on the topic
"Originals and substitutes in museums" will be arranged. In addition
to experts from inside and outside of ICOM, five International Com
mittees have been invited to participate : Conservation, Documentation,
Education, Training, Archaeology & History, and four specialized
museums from Berlin (West), Madrid, Mainz and Paris.
Lecture programmes on Yugoslav museums policy and organization, in
collaboration with the Yugoslav National Committee of ICOM, on the
Nouvelle Museologie movement,and on the project for the Muse arabe
currently being carried out by the Institut du monde arabe in Paris,
wi 11 be he1d.

(b)

Publishing of two numbers of the bulletin Museological News, two issues

of ICOFOM StUd* Series (papers for the Zagreb symposium) and of MuWoP
n. 3 is planne for j985/1986.
.

(c)

Work is ongoing to prepare and organize the first Museology Workshop.

(d)

Preparation of the ICOFOM annual meeting in 1986, in connection with

the ICDM General Conference, has been started. A symposium on the topic
"Museums and cu ltura 1 i dent ity" wi 11 be arranged on thi s occas i on.
Endeavours to improve the participation of ICOFOM members from Latin
America in the work of the Committee, especially in the preparation of
the meeting in 1986, and to increase the membership by promoting the
work of ICOFOM in the area, are intended.

Suggestions concerning the functioning of ICOM

Views and proposals have been presented by sending in answers to the
Secretariat's inquiries on medium and long term programming, on the ICOM
triennial programme 1987-1989, etc., as well as in connection with the
participation of the Committee in the Working group of the Advisory Com
mittee of ICOM on the structure and policy of ICOM.
The proposals on the revision of the Or9anization's aims and policy as
well as on the introduction of new structures of planning with long term
perspectives and, on this occasion, of further democratisation of ICOM,
have the full support of ICOFOM. With respect to the time needed for
working out the new documents, the Committee recommends that the Triennial
programme for the period 1987-1989 be a change-over programme, incorporating
the short term needs of ICOM, on the basis of the assessment of the
Triennial programme 1983-1986, without anticipating the long term aims
and tasks to be formulated by the new planning system.
Stockholm, May 1985

/LLl~G~/

Vi nos Sona .
Chairman of ICOFOM

14

ICOM Triennial Programme 1987-1989

ICOFOM views on the medium-term activities of ICOM 1987-1989
and a long-term programme to 1995, February 1985

To
the Secretary General of IeOM
PARIS

Preparations of the Triennial Programme 1987-1989

Referring to the demand of views on the medium term
activities of IeOH 1987-1989 and a long term programme
to 1995, l want to present the following notes and
reflections.
IrOH

The medium term as weIl as the long term programme of

IeOM must proceed from and be based on a stated policy
of IeOM.
A formulation of the aims of the organization is to oe
found in the Statutes. The need of a revision,. updating
and completing of the policy of IeOM has, however, heen
stated by the directing bodies of IeOM and a special
working group of the Advisory eommittee constituted
for this purpose. Discussions in the group are ongoing
and the result should be taken into account when
formulating the programmes of IeOH.
A deep analysis of the present state of the museum alld
museum profession matters and the trends of develorment
should be worked out in order to create realistic con
ditions for the reflections on the matters above. A
follow-up of the prior triennial programmes of IeOM
should he available.

eOHMITTEES 2

Via the committees, the members of leOM should be given

the opportunity to particirate in the discussions on the
IeOM policy as weIl as its two programmes, before a decision
will be taken. This needs time. In order to facilitale lhe
working out of the documents, the discussions shouId he
separated and more time given to the policy and long term
programme. In principle, the medium term. programme has to
be based on the aims and long term documents. This time,
concerning the years 1987-1989, it could - I,ecause of
time shortage - be formulated aS a change-over programme,
developing and fulfilling ideas bf the Triennial Programme
1983-1986, adapted to the decisions taken afterwards and
adding new short term tasks and activities.

15

The result of the committees' discussions on the ICOM

policy as weIl as medium and long term programmes should
be compiled into a common document by the Advisory
Committee.
3

ICOFOM 4

As part of the above procedure concerning the planning

for ICOM as a whole, each committee should work out its
own medium term and long term programme. A concentration
on common high priority tasks and problems and co-ordinated
realization should be reached by collaboration between
the committees concerned, in the framework of the Advisory C.
ICOFOM has in its activities felt the need of a settled
policy and a long term programme and strived to work out
a document in these matters.
At the triennial meeting in 1983, the discussion bD th on
the aims and policy and longterm programme have been started,
and it is supposed that a final decision on the documents
in these matters can be taken at the next triennial
meeting in 1986.
The drafts presented to the meeting in Leyden 1984 have
been published in the bulletin Museological News No 6 and
are enclosed to this communication. Even if some ad just
ments can be expected, when the final decision shall be
taken, they give an account of the concept of the
Committee'smembers in this matter.
Other changes may be caused by the approvement of the new
ICOM documents on the ICOM aims & policy and ICOM long
term programme. The revision of the Committees' programmes
will aim to concentrating the sources of ICOH, which are
limited, to fuI filment of the agreed high priority goals.

Personally, as a member of the working group of the

Advisory Committee on the structure and policy of ICOM,
1 wa nt toI e a v e th e po s si b i 1 i t Y 0 pen t 0 dis c u s s my vie ws
in the group and in confrontation with other opinions
formulate my final standpoints there.

The model above presumes an inventory, analytical,

selective and compiling process, which should result in
a draft long term programme at first, in this way giving
a basis for the work on a draft medium term programme.
To draw up, at this moment, a change-over programme for
the next triennium, reflections of a brainstorming kind
could, however, be useful. Without any pre tension to give
a complete account of measures needed, 1 list below
completely spontaneously the following ideas:
- concerning the objectives to be ICOM's medium/long term
priorities:
- to strengthen and stabilize ICOM's economy, as one of
the most important conditions for the organization~
functioning, by deepening the use of activity planning
as a base for the financial planning and by studying

16

and applying aIl appropriate and eligible ways and

methods of budgeting and balancing the income and
expenditures, first of aIl by ensuring the increase of
regular revenues based on membership fees, further by
selling museum know-how gathered in ICOH and, additionally,
by fundraising to specified projects;
to increase the membership of ICOH, especially in regions
that are underrepresented in the organization, and that
not only to increase the income of ICOH bllt first of aIl
in order to connect to ICOH the knowledge and experience
that the museum community represents, and to build up a
base for dissemination of the results reached by the
investigation and research work of ICOH and its bodies
and in this way promote museology and the development of
museums;

to activate the members and increase their personal

participation in ICOH activities, especially in the
committees, national as weIl as international, by keeping
them informed, asking for views and collaboration,
decentralizing the responsibilities to working groups and
individuals, and by facilitating their possibilities to
be present at the committee meetings, seminars etc. or
at least get acquainted with the results reached at those
(symposia etc.);
to increase membership services, bD th such offcred by the
Secretariat and the Center and such given by the committees,
by further developing the existing and building up new
service systems, by increasing the dissemination of
knowledge through publishing activities supplying the
members without delay with new experiences in muscology and
museography carried out by the committees, mcmbers etc.
Publishing production for sale in the field of ICOH should
be considered (manuals, symposium papers etc.).

- to stimulate the work of the committees by securing higher

permanent financial subventions, finding out a system which
should facilitate, in collaboration with the national
committees, the planning of places for the annual meetings
of the international committees and eliminate coIlisi~ns or
competition, by increasing collaboration between the
committees and setting up common projects, and by developing
planning of the committees' activities and a coordination
of these in order to concentrate the available sources on
the subjects of highest priority.
concerning the subject of professional interest:
- to establish museology as a basic scientific discipline
in the field of responsibility of lCOH, and stimulate its
development, with the assistance of ICOH committees and
through them, by organizing symposia and conferences,
setting up common research projects, publishing the
results of the research activities and by keeping ongoing
a permanent dynamic discussion on museology on the pages
of Huseological Working Papersj
- to make an inventory of subjects of professional interest
to be studied, stipulatc the priority degrees and, in
contact with the committees, to secure the Implementation
of such studies;
17

- tD fDIIDw tlle results Df the research on the future

develDpment Df the human society, establish connectiDns

with tllis research and study the l'ole Df llle mlJDelJms

ill lhe expected fulure relatiDns, drawing IDng tel'"1

conclusiDns fOl" museum wDrk planned ta be dnne Dl" iJeil"J

dDne now;

- lD follow the introduclion and use of modern lechniqlJes

in the sDciety and make use of lhem in the wDrk Df Lh"
lIIuseums, bill 0150 sludy the inrJuencies Df lhese Lechniques
on Lhe human beings and lheir behavior and draw consequcnces
for the work of lhe museums;
- te ::l<;jy lhe inlerdisciplinary relalions in museDlogy and
analyse the mullidisciplinarily in the museum WDl'k, and draw
ln; conclusions from this, ta stimulate lhe exchollge of
idcas belween the muaeums and different branches of scil,nce,
which in the modern time have much ta give la the muueums
and their work bul, because of lhe postulates forlllulaLed
in the Slatules of IeOH, (which)are not given Lhe posaibiliLy
ta participate in the work of IeOH; furlhermore La sl,pport
supplying lile branches outside IeOH wilh orientatio/l Df
mUDeDlogy and,in lhe other direction, ta introduce
orienlatiDn of branches involved in modern mUueUI" wDrk, in
ltle training outlines for museum workers and oLtler
information activities of IeOH;
- ta study differenl subjects of professional interest,
proposed by the committees and olher bodies of ICoH, al'
by individuals, and strive ta reach a complex enlightening
of ttle problems by eonneeting aIl knowledge whicll can be used
by ICoH, including the museological rcsearch work Dn the
basic conditions of museums and museum work.

Stocktlolm, febl'uary 25, 1985

Vinoi\ Sofka

ehairman of IeofoH

P.S.

This summary of views could not, because of

shortage of time, be discussed either with the
Executive 80ard of rCofoM, or - as is desirable
with the Committee's membership.
More time should
be planned for the next steps of the preparation.

Enclosures:
Document 1: Aims & Poliey of rCoroM
Document 2: Long Lerm programme of IeoroM

18

ProposaI to the Editorial Advisory Board of Museum,

Unesco - Paris
Sorne reflections on the need for presenting theoretical
museological thinking to the readers of Museum, June 1985

Over the last yaers, the term MUSEOLOGY could be heard more and more
frequently. When speaking of Museums or related organizations, their

activities and the museum profession, it has appeared in very different

contexts and, more over, in varying concepts: in sorne instances as a

basic philosophy or theory of Museums, in others as practical advise

for their activities. Nor have changes in the world and new demands upon
Museums, stronger than ever before, 1eft museology uninfluenced. The
use of the ward has not been static. It has been discussed and deve
loped, and yet the basic concept of museology has not been clarified
that already another one of "musologie nouvelle ll came ioto being, and
other Museologies - ucoIJUDunautaire", "populaire Il , lI a lternative", Il popu _
listic ll , etc. - were launched, too.
Once the idea of a "museum science Il brought out in the open, speciali
zed institutions concentrating on museological research were founded
in various countries. Departments of museology or museum studies at
numerous universities, and also ather educational establishments - today
sorne hundreqs in the whole world - are now giving courses in museology,

and naturally participating in research, too.

On the international level the constitution of the ICOM International
Committee for Museology in 1977 was a marking by ICOM of a consciousness
of the importance of museology and of theoretical-methodological studies
on it. The Committee has since then, through its symposia (enclosure 1)
and publications, in particular Museological Working Papers and the pre
prints ICOFOM Study Series (enclosure 2) concentrated its activities
on investigating systematically museology through a world-wide inventory
of its concepts, discussion and assessment of them. This work, based on
a long-term research and editing programme, will be continued. Endeavours
are being made ta broaden collaboration with other international cammit
tees of ICOM, as weIl as with research and training institutions in the

world.
The Unesco review Museum has not remained outside af this ongoing deve

lopment in the museum field. When presenting museums and their activities
and discussing related problems, theorerical and methodological questions
of museology had to be approched. Moreover, sorne issues probed topics
which cancern museological reserch.

It seems to me that the time is now ripe for presenting in one issue of
Museum a report on museology as such - on the state of museolagy today,
its concept, use, and last but not least, the trends of development.

Such a survey should not be only an inventory of museology and informa

tion about it. It could also make a statement of the problems to be cla
rified and give an impetus to coordinated work for further development
of it. When promoting museology as a basic philosophy and th~ory of mu
seum work Museum would contribute to an improvement of it and, thus,
provide the Museum profession with a useful 'tool, which in conditions of
ecanomic difficulties and limited resources could make:its endeavours
towards reaching aims of comman interest easier and more effective.

19

An issue of Museum devoted to museology could present the topic in

different ways. The following draft outline is proposed as starting
point for the discussions on the issue about museology:

Editorial/Introduction
The need of theory - in general
- in particular,
i.e. concerning tpe heritage, Museums and the

museum profession and their role in the society

2

A glance at the past

Development of ideas concerning - the heritage and museums
- museology

Museology and its concepts

- as a theory (philosophy, study) of museums and related institutions,
or rather of humain activities concerned with preserving
the cultural and natural heritage, i.e. collecting,' research

on it and dissemination of knowledge about it:

theory of science and museology:
- as practical advise to such activities
3.1

Definitions

3.2

Problems to be clarified:
- the concept of museology
the subject / object of museology
the system of museology
interdisciplinary relations of museology
methodology of museology
terminology of museology

Museology today - research

- training

application in museum work

in America
Africa

Noth and Latin

Asia

Australia
Europe
5

New trends -

an answer to new demands upon Museums?

- in Museums and their work

- in museology
Today's development of society and its.demands not being observed
at all, or satisfactorily, by Museums

A glance at the,future
The conclusions by sociological and futurological studies on the develop
ment of society

The future of museums and museums of the future

The role of museology - to record and analyse experience and to draw
universally valid conclusions in arder ta make
them available for improving the work of Museums,
for teaching etc.

20

- to investigate, study and be in advance, in

order to be able to reply to questions which

ceuld arise in the future
7

In addition te the relections above on museology, a survey could be

given how museology research, teaching and application of it are spread

in the world.
By listing the research and training institutions, and by fine illustra
tions showing the museological ideas and application of them in time
and space.

This outline is to be seen as a rough d~aft, which - after being discussed

and adapted by the Editorial Board of Museum - could be further developed
by its author, in collaboration with the ICOM International Committee for
Museelogy and, if possible, aIse with other IeOM International Committees
and institutions of museology studies in the world.

Stockholm / Paris, June 1985

Vinos Sofka

Enclosures:

1 Symposia on museological topics held by the ICOM

International Committee for Museology
2 Publications of the ICOM International Committee
for Museology
21

"

22

ProposaIs for reflection

23

24

Working group on the Treatise on museology - aims and orientation

by Zbynek Z Stninsky

It has been planned to establish a Working Group for

Treatise of Museology within the ICOFOM. This group has not met
yet, in Leiden due to the absence of some of its members, but
also due to problems connected with the method of elaboration
and publication of this compendium.
As this situation has not changed much yet, we should
consider if the establishment of this working group would be
effective or if another working intention should be decided.
The working group should help the team of authors of
the Treatise of Museology, but should not elaborate it. In this
sense, the programme for the meeting in Leiden was prepared.
However, as soon as during the preparations it became evident
that within the framework of the ICOFOM this working group could
develop their own creative activities and in this way solve
topical museological tasks.
After a one-year lapse, we think that not only does
this possibility still exist but that it is even more of current
interest in immediate connection with the endeavours of the
whole ICOFOM.
l therefore propose a working group to be established
within the meeting of ICOFOM at Zagreti, but that its pursuit
would be largelY extended and its activities orientated to the
elaboration and

iss~ing

of subjects determining for museology.

This working group could be re-named

WORKING GROUP : THEORY

25

In the immediate future this group should concentrate

on the following topical tasks:

A: Met a the 0 r e t ~ c a l
fa.undat~ons
mus e 0 log y
a s
a
s cie n c e

o f

Thanks to ICOFOM's endeavours in solving the basic

probl.ems of the nature and virtue of museology through various
symposia and in the MoWoP, an extensive set of theoretical studies
is originating. I f to this we add the other museological literature
as well, wheresimilar studies are appearing more and more frequent
ly, we hve a very extensive and comprehensive material at our
disposal concerning this very important subject. Despite its
common aim, this material differs considerably, not only in its
conclusions but also in its methodological standard conditioned
both historically and socially. I f we are to advance forward and
fully utilize what has already been created, we must then try to
estimate this material and achieve the synthesis required.
The ICOFOM direction plans to summon a workshop to
estimate what has been published in MuWoP No.l and 2. This is a
very necessary and contributory step. In connection with this
intention we think that it would be very useful to elaborate the
required analysis of available material through the WG : Theory
and in this way to form a necessary base for the workshop itself.
Through this WG both the analyze materiBls and work of the group
could be estimated, providing material which could be published
separately.
This could alsobe a way of helping the group for
Treatise on Museology in their work.
In the outlook it would be very opportune to try to
devote one number of the MUSEUM/UNESCO periodical specially to
museology, possibly in connection with the forms of its instruc
26

tion on world-wide scale; no doubt, the International Committee

for the Training of Personnel with whom we closely cooperate
would be willing to prepare the underlying data.

B: His t

r y

mus e

log y

For purely methodological reasons, along with the know

ledge of the nature and social function of museology, we must

devote our attention to the development proper of museological

thought and museology as such.
We are as yet at the very beginning. Only some museolo

gists devoted their attention to this problem, or better, much

more knowledge can be found from authors of thepast generations.
It is my opinion that knowledge of one's own history is
a very important argument for every branch of science, when
defending its existence. But not only that. We could find that
our predecessors many a time knew much of what we are now fighting
our way to with great difficulties. They were not always able to
materialize their intentions, but that does not reduce the
importance of their theoretical considerations.
That is why we should contribute to a goal-seeking
devep~ent

of efforts aimed at elaborating the history of

museology on a world-wide scale, i.e. in the wider senQe of the

word to express allphenomena which have occurred

~n

evolution of mankind and which were demonstrably an

the present
express~on

of the endeavours trying to capture the museum phenomenon and its

theoretical explication.
The WG should contribute in many ways,

v~z.

1) the WG should contact the ICOM national committees and pro

fessional museological and training centres in the world and
call upon them to cooperate in this task; at the same time to
27

ask these institutions to name museologists interested in

such cooperation;
2) on obtaining the possible cooperators the WG would contact
them with concrete proposaIs for cooperation, i.e.
(a) to register aIl the studies and authors dealing with
museology in the past
(b) in order to do a graduaI elaboration of the history of
museology development in the individual countries
(c) to coordinate these endeavours on an international scale;
3) the WG would ensure the authors and the editorial taska of
the columri devoted to the history of museology within MuWoP;
4)

main fforts should be aimed at. concentrating important

museographical and museological studies from the past on a
world-wide scale and preparing their re-edition including an
introductory survey of the development of museological thought
and profiles of the individual authors. The study should b
issued either as an editorial series or as a two-volume
publication in English and French bearing the title FUNDAMENTA
MU8EOLOGICA.

28

Working group on terminology

by Zbynek Z Stninsky

In connectior. with the activities of the international

editorial board dealing with the pl'eparations f'or the multi
lingual DICTIONARIUM

~~SEOLOGICUM,

l submitted a classification

of terms to the participants of the Vllth meeting of ICOFOM.

This was an information about the results of' the activities of'
the Czechoslovak group which had in this way tried to coyer coth
)

the extent and the semantic structure of' the stock of words which
are used in present museum work. It was not an elaboration of' a
system of' museology, but merely a classif'ication of' a relatively
extensive set of words, concentrated by the Czeehoslovak group.
In no 'way was it our aim to evoke sorne kind of' working ef'f'orts
within the ICOFOM because any attempt at term classif'ication
with no link with the real solution of' terminological problems
of museum work and/or museology would only be a speculation and
would not lead to any

tr~

positive results.

At the same time, the activities of' the international

editorial board for the DM operating within the framework of'
CIDOC-ICOM, showed that the terminological problems of museum
work and/or museology cannot be solved without a theoretical
explication of the applied words and word connections. With
regard to this f'act the DM was draf'ted merely on the level of'
a word inventory used in the individual language circles in
museum practice and theory, viz from the viewpoint of' their
mutual equivalency. The extent of the selection of terms as well
as their mutual classification proved to b very problematic.

29

The ffiitorial board was not able to come to a univocal delimita

tion of the content of the classified words as their concept in
the individual languages differs very much. In spite of this
fact we consider the work of the international editorial board
to be exceedingly useful and generally beneficial for museum
matters and museology itself. The publication of a twnty-languagp.
DICTIONARIUM MUSEOLOGICUM will complete one of the fundamental
stages in the solution of the museological language proper.
No scientific discipline of
us~ng

the current language.

T~is

to~

can be satisfied with

current language has its own

specifie mission and advantages in the many meanings it has.

Howe7er, from the viewpant df science, this advantage becomes a
disadvantage. Science must operate with terms that have a clear
meaning and that are unequivocal. That is why it quite regularly
forms its own, professional, version of the language and aims
at its maximum rationalization, even direct formalization.
In this connection we must realize that in museum
practice and theor,y we have been mostly operating only with the
current language and only in some sections do we gradually work
our way to words with precise meanings which can, only then,
work as professional terms. A term "is a lexically semantic unit
of the professional function of the language which has an exact
meaning, given in the professional sphere by a definition,
convention or codification". The major part of the stock of
words does not fulfil this postulate. If we are to gradually
work out a museological language proper. then our attention must
fully concentrate on the solution of terminological problems.
This task cannot be done without the theoretical aspects, i.e.
outside the framework of museology.
It is therefore our opinion that it is the dut Y of
30

ICOFOM to deal with these terminological problems through its

own working group and thus help in further lexicographie efforts,
both within the framework of CIDOC and other circles where we
meet with such working efforts. This working group should not
replace or take over the lexicographie tasks. It should aim at
elaborating its own theoretical and methodological pre-conditions
of the rationalization and codification of museological termino
logy and thus create a necessary base for elaborating both the
general and specialized museum and/or museological dictionaries.
Without such an exactness of museological terminology we cannot

advance in our true museological endeavours. And that is the

present crucial problem.
It is my proposaI to establish a WORING GROUP FOR
TERMINOLOGY at the ICOFOM meeting in Zagreb which would:
(a) discuss the proposaI for the working intentions,
programme and methods of activities;
(b) consider the present problems of museological termino
logy and problems of their solution;
(c) create pre-conditions for the author's and editorial
column dealing with TERMINOLOGY within MuWoP;
(d) create pre-comditions for contacting the international
editorial board of the DM-CIDOC and/or national or
multinational editorial boards preparing or elaborating
museum and/or museological dictionaries.

31

32

Working group on information

by Peter van Mensch

Ta8k8 ot ICOTOH

eluster 1

Inform~tion

Working Group

information exehange ineide ICOfOH

aim

(1) to encourage participation of the membere in the

aet i.,i tiee 0 f t he organ ieat ion and t he continuation

of it;

(2) to provide a "base line" for the exchange of ideas

on mU8eological eubjecte.

polic;r

a
b
c
d

to inform the members regularly about present and

future activitiee of ICOfOH end its bodie""j

to inform the membere regularly about deoisione

of ICOfOH bodiee;

to give general information about ICOFOH, ite aime,

policy and acti.,ities to new membersj

to inform the members regularly about each others

acti.,itiee outside ICOFOH.

me ans

a
b
c

Huseological News;

a special leaflet for new members;

a I~arket of Ideas" like preaentation du ring meetings

(comparable with eimilar activitiee of ICOH/CF~A).

relations le
coop ation

ICOFOH Exeeuti.,e Board, especially Hanagillg Group

and coordinators of working groups;
members.

clueter 2

information exehunge ineide ICOH

aim

to strengthen the unique position of ICOFOH inside ICOH

aS centre of theoretical thinking.

policy

a
b
c
d

to inform board, council, secretariat end documentation

centre of ICOH about activitiee of ICOtOH;
to inform other ICOH committees about aime, policy and
activities of ICOfOH;
to collect informatiun about ICOH, iLs activities, etc.;
to collect information about aime, policiee and
activities of other ICOH com~itteeB.

meane

a
b
c

Huseologieal News;
correupondence and personal conLact6;
articles in other publicatione.

relations le
coop .ration

chairman of ICOfOH (as member of the Advisory Board of

ICOH) ;
ICOFOH Coop ration Working Group;
ICOFOH Publication Working Group;

b
c

33

d
e
cluster 3

ICOH secretariat;
IeOH documentation centre.

information exchange outside ICOH

aim

. 0 promote Duseology ftS 8 science and lo atrengthen th8

unique position ot ICOFOM as international centre of
theoretical thinking.

policy

a
b
c
d

to inform organisations and persons outside ICOH about

museology aS a science i.e. the present museology
discussion;
to inform organisations and persona outside ICOH about
ICOFOM, its aims, palicy and acti~ities;
to distribute relevant materials, like reports etc.;
to collect information about relevant de~elopments
in the museumworld.

means

a
b
c

Museological News;
correspondence and personal contactsi
articles in other publications.

relations &
cooperation

a
b
c

ICOFOM Executive Board;

ICOFOH Publications Working Group;
ICOM secretsriat and documentation centre.

cluster 4

preparation of ICOFOM meetings

ai

to contribut.e to the quality and effectiveness ot ICOFOH

meetings.

policy

a
b
c
d

to collect information about developments in the

museum world;
to collect information about interests and needs of
other committees;
to inform ICOFOM members about the organization and
subject(s) of ICOFOM meetings;
to collect and distribute pepers ot Key note speakers
and other contributors.

means

a
b
c

Museological News;
ICOFOH Study Volumes;
correspondance and personal contacts.

relations &
coopeartion

a
b

ICOFOM Executive Board;

ICOFOM Working Groups on Progra.~ing. Cooperation and

Publications;
ICOH documentation centre;
Reinwardt Akademie.

c
d

cluster

organisation of E.r. drives

yet to be developed

34

Septomber

7, 1983

Classification system of museum terms

by Zbynek Z Stninsky

~ithin

the framework of the international commission for do

cumentation ICOM-eIDOC there works the terminologieal 6rouP
that with the help of the Budapest Museologieal Institute hea
ded by Istvan ~RI has been involved sinee 1978 in the publi
c.'ltion of a ITIultilingual museum dictionarj' ealled DICTIONARllilvi
~~SEOLOGICUM. To date, the above group has published four work

ing versions of DM that were presented at the rCOM general Gon w

ference in ~exico City and London, and currently informs those
interested in these problems through the Kewsletter of ~useolo
eicsl Terminology.
Shen gathering and selecting terms there have been encountered
- UpHrt from complex problems of semantic nature - especially
t;~e prohlems of speeificity of museum terms, and eompleteness
or lack of eompleteness of the obtained set. Sinee the Czecho
slovak delegate pointed out at the February 1983 session of
the terminolooical Group that one cannot arrive at unification
...
l'
..
l
. ,the h
. l order an d
o~ se eetlon crlterla on y by uSlng's l p ahetlea
sucgested a solution to this prohlem, the abova group has de
cided to esk the Brno mltseologieal department to elassify the
SAt of terms puhlished ln the 4th editiJn of Dlil. ThE' i3rno de
p::lrt:!1cnt has accented the task, but :Jlready after tre bssic
6~bject classification has been earried Dut the fact was de
t0cted that the terms do not cover sufficiently individuel a
r~as. Therefore a new selection of terms from the pertin~nt li
te!'l1ture has heen carried out, which h,,,:; re:,ul ted in lJtherint:
!:lOI'" th:lll G,O t~r"ls. On this bas'is a detai1ed clAssifici1tion
w~s nerrormcd nnd in AEreement with the given criteria 0 select
ion h:IS heen done nroviding A set of 4,OJO tcrms. The lot ter
:;et. l"-,s becn puhlished under the name of DlC'J'lUliAHlUM ;,iU::iEOLO

35

n le Il ~I - P " 0 T' ",: il.; ""

C~t'l'h~,;lovl\ki"

1~1'4.

l, "" ') l, h v" l" li 0 n, Br no - Mi k u 1 0 V ,

ln t!Jat eclition the proposed set of

"0 l'

IrllSPum terms has been pu~lished on th.basis ~f the cl~s

"ification system. The material wos presented - accompHnied
hy ~ detHiled expl3notion of the head of the workinG team
at the Inst session of the terminolosical group helj iL
Veszprm in May 1984. The selection of terms has become a
0timulus for another intensification of selection work, which
task has heen set about by the ICOM nationol committee from
the FerleraI Hepublic of' Germany. At the incentive of this
committee the Irlstitut fUr i,iuse\lmskunde hos convened ::l meet
ing of a special working group from the German sneakin6 count
J'ies to take place at the begirining
of the month of ~ueust 1984
,
in ,i(>ll~ IJpr~in, hllClIlIl,H' t.hQ lH'PEll1nt9G rnRt.Al'l<ll has l'lelin pl'P
pored for the Key language, which in this case is German
.lt the Vesz"rm session also the droft classificBtion system
recAived wide ~ttention. The special wortin, group charged
with thot nroblem elaborated finally a variant of the initial
nr9ft that h'lS heen puhlished in the Newslettei' of j,useologi
cal Terminology IVoI. 5, No. 6, 1984/. At the same time, the
hPDd of that sroup suhmitted to the ICOFO~ chairman A request
askinR the internntionYl commission to give their opinion a
~out thn working version of the classification, since the se
cond edition of DM is ex~ected to be Duhlished not only in
the ~l"h~hetical order, b~t also in the systematic arrange
ment.
T\lerefore we toke the liberty of suhmittinG in this form to
Dll lCOFOM members, cver.t. to a wider circle of those concer
nad, the classification VArS10n as it has been elaborated at
the Ve~7.prm session.
':1I1cn eV'llu'-lting it, thn following facts shoulrJ be tuken into
oce

~Ilnt:

/1/ Tniti:l1ly, the cl~ssificHtion has been prepared on the ba

~is of concentrAted terms, i.e. no system constructect in
a4V9nce h8S bepn conceived. Thnrefore t~e classification

36

reflccts rnther in detail the whole structure of what

he denote as the museum pheno~enon.

c~n

/2/ Since th!' hierArcl'y of classification n'ecessitated the in

troduction of higher conce~ts, some ganeral museologicel
cl!lsr.ification asnects should have been considered. B;y no
m!'~ns this cl~ssification can be id~ntified, for instance,
with the mllseologicul system in its caracity of the theo
reticnl system of the broncho Here clearly the subject-o
riented classification is in question that .tries to ex
press in 3 comnrehensive manner - if possible - the museum
phenomenon, i.e. both its theoretical and practical aspects.
/3/

~hen

a certain arrangement of the classification system was

done in Veszprm, the ~roup has been confronted with some

ser'ious terminological issues that eventuall;y can leed to a
considerable confusion of asseasors. 'rhis refers, Cor in
tj~jHlllll, I.Q foQ

tollli Il'11''"111 "''''m

~ 1 ~I\JLi~lI.ofli'h:u~ILOI.OOI~,

The'German version usnd the term of MU~~UMWESEN, which has a

much wider meaning nn~ p~esumably ks ~nglish equivalent
should
be
thp term of MUSSUM;;,iHlp. ~imilar
problems hava also been experienced , c.g. with the term
oi' DOCUMENTATION/DOCUMENTAI'ION: can this concent be pla
ced hi~her th~n the conceot of COLLECTIO~ - as it follows,
rnr instHnca, from the ~A~DOK conceptio~ or,fr9m the so
.,
as 1 t lS'
c~lled museum documentatlon o~ the presance 1mplemented by
museums in the soci:ist community - or should, on the other
hand , the concept of documantation be subor~inated to the
concept o~ collection or can they stand one aside the Jther?
The presented draft reflects a sort of comrromise, which
finAlly disturbs the consistent aonlication of certain
clus~ification aspects~

\'Ie helievn tll.3t a reall;y riti ..:al examination of the dr'lft

t,kinC into nccount aIl the ahova foct~ - can not onlJ stimu
l!lte further work rnlotad to DM, but it can b~ Bener"lly Uge
ru] ror nro'wr "lp.vp.lon"1C'!nt of mIlG~ology, ~~ir.ce in tr'is case
A cl"s~iric"tion attempt haB been barried Ollt for the first
t ine, hased on tho f'Y: l~3t in/> nn actuGll;y U5l?d terminoloQ! from
tl~" fi .. ld or JnusC'!um ,ictivities.
July, 1984

37

DICTI(NARIUM

~ruSEOLOGICUM

CLAtll3I1o'ICA'1'lClN SYtl'l'.l:.'M - proposed to the 5th edi tion

by Stransky-Br~~a
revised by StrnskY/Ennenbach/WUtrich. Veszprm May 8/9th
1984

1.
1.1
1.1.1
1.2
1.2.1
1.2.2

:1..;1,.1

1.3
1. 3.1
1. ).2
1. 3.3
1.4
1.4.1
1.4.2
1. ... 3
2.

2.1
2.1.1
2.1.2
2.1. 3
2.1.4
~.1.4.l

2.1.4.1.1
2.1.4.2

2.1.4.3
2.1.4.4
2.1./,.5

38

MUSECLOGY Itheory and prectice/

Museology in general
Concepts and terms
Museology /theoryl
Theo~y in general
Disciplines
MI!!U\l~ll

Disciplines relevant to museology

Naturel sciences
Technical sciences
Social sciences
Auxiliary disciplines
Natural sciences
Technical sciences
Social sciences.
CCLLECTICN AND DOCUMENTATION
Selection
Aspects
Value
Forms of the sctivities of collecting
Museological collecting
Syntematic collecting

System o~ collccting

Technique of collecting

Finds

Acquisitions

Acquisitions by gift and request

Ceposits and confiscated objects

2.1. 5
2.1.5.1
i)111~'~

2.2
2.2.1
2.2.2
2.2.3
2.2.4
2.2.,
2.2.5.1
2.2.5.2
2.2.6
2.2.6.1
2.2.6.2
2.2.6.3
::l.)

2.3.1
2.3.1.1
2.3.1.2
2.3.1.3
2.3.1.4
2.3.2
2.3.2.1
2.3.3
2.3.3.1
2.4
2.4.1
2.4.2
2.4.3
2.4.4
2.5
2.5.2
2.6
2.7
2.7.1
2.7.1.'1
2.7.1.1.1

Research

Research methoda

P'htd J'U"lU''''''

Formation of the collection

Identification

Description

Identification factors

Forms and concepts of classification

Registration in genera1

Registration

Inventory work

Cataloguing

Types of cata10guing systems

Card catalogue

Regieter

t:elleotien
Objecte in the collection

Cbjects in the collection in general

Objects in the collection in particular

Copies and reproductions

Fekes

Collection in general

~orking with the collection

Types of collections in general

Special names of collections

Documentation
Documentation in general
Forms of documentation
Primary documentation
Secondary documentati~n
Operations with information
Information
Information technique
Research and scientific evaluation
Preservetion and protection
Conservation
Preparation
Procedures of preparation
39

2..1.1.2
2.7.1.2
'1,7.l-.il,1.

2.7.1.2.2
2.'/.1.3
2.7.1.3.1
2.7.1.3.2
2.7.2
2.7.2.1
2.7.2.2
2.7.2.3
2.7.2.4
2.7.3
2.7.4
FI~

2.l::1.1
2.8.2
2 .8.3
2.t:.4

3.
3.1
3.2
3.2.1
3.2.2
3.2.3
3.3
3.3.1
J.3.2
3.3.3
3.3.3.2
J.J.3.3
J.3.3.4
J.3.4
3.3.4.1
3.3.4.2
J.3.4.J

40

E(}uiplOcnt and technical aids

Conservation

Lah~al'V~"~h

in

.~nerHl

Laboratory equipment

Hestoration

Restoration procedures

Technical equipment

Storage

Storage in general

Storage factors

Storage measures

Storage techniques

Security and protection of tne collection

Losses

91~~Pl_~~S relFyent ~.i9~tection8

Or

tho col1eet1Qn
loen ectivities

Speci~~i~Q4 ~ee

Borrowing en~
Handling
Control of the collection

CCi,l1IalN ICATION
Museological communication
Education
Forms of education

Museum and schools

Means of educational work

Communication and exhibition

Exhibiticns in general
Types of exhibitions
Kinds of exhibitions
Place and ownership of exhibition
Goal of the exhibition
Exhibitions for a special occasion
Special forms of exhibitions
_ Realisation of an exhibition
:.lethods
Carrying out of an exhibition
Elements of composition.

3.3.4.3.1
3.3.4.3.2
J.J

3.3.4.4.1
3.3.4.4.2
3.3.5
3.3.6
3.3.7
3.3.7.1
3.3.7.2
3.3.7.2.1
3.3.7.2.2
3.3.7.2.3
3.3.7.3

J.J.7,J.l
-3.3.7.4
3.3.7.4.1
3.3.7.4.2
3.3.7.4.3
3.4
3.4.1
3.4.2
3.4.3
3.4.4
3.4.4.1
3.4.4.2
3.4.4.3
3.4.4.4
3.4.5

Concrete e1emente
Elements for the presentation of texts
Materiel Qna t.ahn~a.l magne

Technical means

Audiovision

Execution of sn exhibition

Running of en exhibition

Effect of the exhibition

Recipient Ivisitorl
Reception

Prerequisites for reception

Appeal end reection

Intellectuel profit

Animation of the recipient

Animatian ift ~pssiBl

Feedbeck

Testing the feedbeck

Reaction of the visitor

Testing the success

Other forms of communication

Cultural programming
Excursions
Leisure activities
Publications
Production of publications
Forms of publications in general
Forms of publications in particular
Types of publications
Public relations, marketing
OF THE INSTITUTIONS

4.

FO~~S

4.1
4.1.1
4.1.2
4.1. 3
4.2
4.3
4.3.1
4.3.2

;,luseum c.:ncept
Museum as an institution
l!iutorical names of museume
Museologicsl institutions
Types of museums
Kinds of museums
Museums of natural science
Historical museurns

41

4,). ]
4.3.4

Uuseums of economy'and production

~useums of ethnogrephy and aoc~al hietory

4 .J. 7

f';lIf"'umA of lI11ienlll and t.lchnololiif

4.3.6
4.4
4.4.1
4.4.2
4.4.3
4.4.4
4.5
4.5.1
4.5.2
4.5.3
4.5.4
4.~.5
" 1

:t 11\

Art museums
Legal aRpects
Legal norms
Property
Bylaws'
Insurance
Organization and administration
Conception and planning
Administration
Elements of the administration
Organizational structure
Financss
~\~~~~~~~~ ~R ~~MM'.

4.6

Personnel

4.6.1
4.6.2
4.6.3
4.6.4
4.6.5
4.6.5.1
4.6.5.2
4.7
4.7.1
4.7.2
4.7.3

Museum professions
~useum employees
Specialized collaborators of the museum
Associate collaborators of the museum
Training of the museum personnel
Training in general

~uscological trainir. b

Euilding
~useum buildings in general
Administrative and service area
Public aree
Technical eguipment of the museum
Technical equipment for the building
Protection against burglary and theft
Protection against fire and natural disasters
Reprography
ether technicsl equipment
Heloted activities and ~ervices
::-;ervicl's
Activities
i.:useum organizations

4.8

4.8.1
4.8.3

4.8.3
4.8.4
4.f;.5
4 ')

42

4.10.1
4.10.2
4.1001

Museum associations
International orgBnizBtions
HelBted r~aniBations

XXXXXXJCl.

43

44

Classification system for the field "Museum/Museology"

by Klaus Schreiner

1.

~~~Mm=gg~~~g=~g=~~g~g~

1.1.
1.2.
1.3.
1.4.
1.5.
1.6.
1.6.1.
1.6.2.
1.6.2.1.
1.6.2.2.
1.6.2.3.
1.6.3.
1.6.4.
1.6.5.
1.6.6.
1.6.7.
1.6.8 .
1.6.8.1.
1.6.8.2.

Concept

Juseum phenomena

Blbl10graphy

TermlnololiV

Museum dOU1ain and cultural herita"e

lliluseoloB;l

Researc~ subjeot

Conoept

general

speoialized

appl1ed (museography)

Museum theory

Museum methodology

Museum teohnique

Classification/systematics

Tasks

Place in the system of sciences

Cultural scientific discipline

Interdisciplinary cooperation and intoGration
Relations to the academic basic disciplines
Social sciences

Technical sciences

Natural sciences
Relations to nei~hbourhood dit;ciplinos

~hive science/archivology

Library science

Infor~ation science

Theor,y of the ~onument con6~rvation

Theor,y of the proteotion of llature

Historical study of sources

Taxonow;y

Ot~er (partial) disciplines

1.6.8.3.

1.6.';';.3.1.
1.6.d.3.2.
1.6.1.J.3.3.
1.6.8.4.
1.6.8.4.1.
1.6.b.4.2.
1.6.u.4.3.
1.6.b.4.4.
1.6.8.4.5.
1.6.0.4.6.

1.6.0.4.7.
1.6.0.4.o e

2.

g~~~g~=g!=~g~=~M~~~=ggm~g

2.1.
2.1.1.
2.1.2.
2.1.3.
2.1.4.
2.1.5.
2.1.6.
2.1.7.
2.2.
2.3.
2.4.
2.5.
2.6.
2.6.1 .

in general/universal
From the beglli01ngs to 5 th century
6 ~h - 14 th century
15 th - 16 th century
17 th - 1789
1789 - 1917
1917 - 1945
sincs 1945

R
if
SI?: ons
0 theearth

oun r1.es/slialies

err .tories (within the states)

i1.DfJj e museums
.,,,useum
organlzations
tfueeum assocIatIons
International federations and orGanizations
ICOM and ICOM-committees
Persons

2.6.2.

2.6.2.1.
2.7.

45

~useum

stock formation

==============-==~-===

3.1.
3.1.1.
3.1.2.
5.1.3.
3.1.4.
3.2.
3.2.1.

3.2.1.1.

3.2.1.2.

";.2.2.

3.2.3.
3.2.4.

".2.5.

3.2.6.
3.2.7.

;$.2.6.

3.2.9.
3.3.
3.3.1.
3.3.2.
3.3.3.
3.4.
3.4.1.
3.4.2.
3.4.3.
3.4.4.
3.4.5.

(collection

forill~tion)

Selection
Concept
Evaluation of objects
Evaluation criteria
Selection for the museum stock (collection selection)
Formation of a stock
~seum collection, concept
Llusoalia/museum objects
Collection documentation
Collection activity, principlea
.Gtock profile
Stock prog;rlilllllle

Stock systewatics

Collection programme

Collection plan
Methods of collection/forma of acquisition

Acessioll doc~entation

Inventorization takin to invento

/ registration
SOI'
g 0
ema c groups a r u ion)
Inventories (inventory registers/booka)
iJarking
stock changes
Transfer or sals
Sorting out (discarding)
Loss
l!lxchange

Stock-takings

~~~~=~gg~;g~~~~~~~!g~ (collection preservation)

4.1.
4.2.
4.2.1.
4.2.2.

4.2.3.

4.2.4.
4.2.:';.

4.2.6.

4.2.6.1.
4.2.6.2.
4.2.6.;.
4.2.7.

4.3.

4.".1.

4.3.2.
4.3.3.

4.3.4.

4.3.5.
4.4.

4.5.

4.6.
4.7.

4.8.

4.9.

46

Concept
Conservation and care
donservation
Preparation
Restoration
Reconstruction
Docuwentation of the realized measures
Storage
Store-room structure (fundamentals)
Storage methods

Store-room equipment

Cl1matization
Protection and security
Fire, flood (water). natural diBaste~s
i~litary conflicts
Theft
Damage/destruction
iUicit export
~stems of securit
installations
ac ng
Transport
Insurance
Secur
Sa v '" n

5.

~~~~:~~gg~:g~ggg~~

(collection decoding)

Documentation in general
CatalogInr,
Concept

Card catalogue (card index)

Desc:::'ipt.ive documentation

!,elational documentation

l:-'1cto.l'ial documentation

Determilmtion identification
JiO l'IiL6

Ca

0 ffi:!

n{~

nI'ormatIon technique
generl

Co~puter/electron1e data

processing/thesauri

collection-related
~pnere 0
e spee
ze
ranch of acsdemic knowled,
$pllere of' museology

iesearch

~~~~-~~gg~:~~~~~gg (collection utilization)

)

6.1.
6.2.
6",2.1.

6.2.1.1.
6.2.1.2.
6.2.1.3.
6.3.
6.4.
6.4.1.
6.4.2.

6.4.2.1.
6.4.2.2.
6.4.2.3.
6.4.2.4.
6.4.2.5.
6.4.2.6.

6.4.3.
6.4 .3.1.
6.4.3.2.
6.4.4.
6.4.4.1.
6.4.4.2.
6.4.5.
6.4.6.
6.4.G.1.
6.4.u.2.
6.4.0.3.
6.4.7.
6.4.7.1.
6.4.7.2.
6.4.7.3.
G.4.7.4.
6.1.t.7.5.
6.4.7.6.
6.4.7.7.
6.4.7.6.

Forms of communication
EducatIon {educationI process)
~usewn pedagogIcs

Concept

Principles

~lethods
Mus~um forma

of presentation
Exhibition communIcation
Museum eiflibitlon, conoept

Classification

Type/kind

Porm
General education exhibition
Study extlibition
Pe~~anent exhibition
. Special (temporary) exhlbition
Meana of' the exhibition
Exhibits (objeots on display)
Tecbnical aida
Classification ot the exhiits

~:usealia/museum objecta

Auxiliar,y materials (iwitations, copiee, charte

Utll1zation selection (s~lection oi th~ exbibits3

Reception ot tbe exhibition

Exhioition vieitor

Goal of the exhibition/alm

Heception of the exhibition contents

Exhibition production

ProgrSlflille

Th:lle
.

Ai~ (purpose) of euucation

Planning/net-plan-teohnique

~xpoe~,(etailed prograillme)

tns~~ble oo~position

Script (scenario)
sketoh plan,

s~etch plan of tbe wall

surfaces, room mode l,
Artistio and teohnical arrangeuent of the exhibitio:
Utilization programmes
~xhlbltion

, 47

Research into the effact of tho exhibition/analysis

Visitor structure

Vi~itor observation

Visitor survey

Intelv1ews with experts

I,eports/revieVis
Further forlJls of coulnlun1cation
Otl11zuhon 01' tl.e co.tIectlons for apecialized rel:loarch
Loan uctivity
Utll1Eution for public education
Direct cODlnlun1cation
Guided tours for visitora
In1ierest groups
Lvanta
l:urther public relations work

l'UblicEl.liiona

!lurketing/public relations/publicity

~ggE!~~~~g~=mMg~~m

7.1.

7.2.
7.2.1.
7.2.1.1.
7.2.1.2.
7.2.1.3.
7.2.1.4.
7.2.1.5.

Museum... concept
dla13siiication
~7Pes7kinds of museums
hlstory museums
Natura1 history museums
art museWllS
~echnology musewns
:;lulti-discipl1nary museums (a.g. reGional- and
looal museUlUs)
Forms of museums (e.g. national mUDeum. town musel~)
Llusewc. groups
Museum profile
;,fis,}Unt net\,ork
Basic nmctions of museums
Collection actlv~ty
Freservation activity
Decoding lind research activity
Educational activity. especially exhibition activity
Museum buildings/museum architecture
ROOUlS

equipment
Management, ~lanning. orFanization. administration
Jusaulli dOi8J.n
Museum
Personnel
Stf'l' structure
1'raining
'.rraining places

Training programmes

rrotessional/special

l!luseological
t~seum legislation
~echnical

21. 1. 1ge5

48

Cornrnon theses on rnuseology

An atternpt to surnrnarize standpoints on the fundamentals of rnuseology
by Klaus Schreiner

During our VIIth meeting of ICOFOM in Leiden/TTollund in

October 1984 there was stated, at the closing of the inter
national symposium, that the discussion of theoretical, mu
seological ~roblems on the one hand showed Il series of differ
ent opinions, but that, on the other hand, predominantly and
in increasing degree conformities were achieved betweon the
participators of the different countries and regions. ICOro:.':
has been existing since 1977, and after numerous international
discussions at meetings and in publications it is possible and
necessery to summarize correspondent positions on fundamentals
of museology that have already been achieved.
'.~ith the consent of Vinofl Sofka, chairman of ICOrot1, and
Judith Spielbauer, secretary, Klaus Schreiner, vice-chqirman ,
took over the task of formulating important confor~mities, which
have been achieved, in form of "Common Theses on lJuseology" in
order to be able to transmit them to the mombers of ICOFOM for
their giving opinion,
1. ICOFOM "shall aim to establish museology as a scientific

discipline and stimulate the museological research". (Inter

> nal Rules of ICOFOM, Article J (e
2. It is an international trend that the social necessary
increases to elaborate theoretic bases for museum work and
to make practical use of them, to advance level, quality,
and effectiveness of the museal activity for a developing
world.
J. ~part from the aIl-important knowledge of the special academic
subject of their particular Museum (a knowledge of history in
the case of a history Museum; of zoology in the case of Il
zoology museum; of art in the case of an art musewn; etc.),
museologists must also have a knowledge of museology as such.
Just as a teacher of history, physics orbiology should not
only be a historian, physicist or biologist respectively,
but also an expert on education, a member of the academic
staff of a museum should not only know his special subject,
but also museology.
49

4. At the formation of a scientifically established museology

one must not proceed from speculations, wishes, or dreams,
but from objective scient1fic criter1a, wh1ch are generally
va11d for aIl scientific disciplines, i.e. from the
theory of science. Science 1s a specifie kind of soc1al
act1v1ty, which is directed to product10n, reproduction,
communication, and the use of right cognitions.
5. Dy the generalized and systemat1zed practical experiences
the museology produces the particular theoretic bases for
the museum work and the Museum domain. In the context of
the rapidly advancing differentiation and ramification of
sc1ences, the forming process of the museology has advanced
quant1tat1vely and qualitatively more and more and is, at
present, 1n the phase of constituting.and working out; it
1s in its status nascendi.
6. Museum work, views, theories, methods, materials, institu
tional forms (especia~ museums), and organizations - in
brief aIl phenomena belonging to the Museum domain - have
formed in the course of history and have changed corresponding
to the character and stage of evolution of the mankind.
7. The contents of the museology are the-principles of collec

ting, preserving, making accesstble, exhibiting and further

forma using museum objects - which are part of the cultural

and natural heritage - for the education of the public and

research.

8. Museology is the only field of knowledge, respectively the

only scientific discipline whose subject of research is the

complex sphere of the collection, preservation., decoding,

exhibition and further communicative utilization of Museum

objects. Museology belongs to the cultural sciences.

9. Museum objects (musealia) are an imnortant part of the cul

tural and natural heritage. They aet as important menns of

work and represent the basis of work as objects of research

for various technical, social and natural sc1ence branches,

such as botany, zoology, palaeontology, mineralogy, geology,

history, history of art, archaeology, ethnography, etc.

10. Museum objects are specifie authentic objects which, as

Irrefutable evidences, exempli1y the development of nature
respectively society for a long time, are set to a fixed
50

state, and were selected and acquired for the collection

stock in order to preserve, to decode, to exhibit them resp.
for further use in research, teaching, education imparting
emotional experiences, and recreation.
Il. According to their sort, state and function Museum objects
are conserved, prepared, restored, looked after, inventorized,
decoded, researched, storaged, exhibited in different way
and intensity resp. they are communicated and cat6gorized
(classified) according to their scientific, historie, and
cultural importance.
12. There are different forma of Museum objects: material (phy
sical, so-called "three-dimensional" -the Most important
form -), written, pictorial and acoustic (that means sounds
preserved on sound-carriers). Museum objects often appear
in combination, for instance a paper illustrated with pictures.
13. Museum materials comprise a) musewn objects, which are
authentic sources of knowledge and emotional experience,
and b) auxiliary materials, which help convey this knowledge
and emotional experience. Auxiliary Materiels are substitutes,
imitations (copies), illustrations and/or means of abstrac
tion (charts, tables, labels ete.), and serve to impart
knowledge and emotional experience by explaining facta and
the relations between them, and generalizing, or adding to,
the messages of Museum objects.
l4.A Museum collection is a group' of Museum objects iri) a certain
field - plua their related documentation files (collection
documentation) - which has been gathered together in accord
ance with academic criteria and given in Il systematic arrange
ment. Necessary is a kind of collecting that takes account
of social needs and is organized in aecordance with academic
criteria, but not accidentaI, haphazard collecting.
15. Museum collection activity is an indispensable condition for
every other appropriate and useful activity et Museums,
especially for exhibition activity. Tt includes the activities
involved in tracing, salvaging and acquiring certain selected
authentic objects for addition to the museunl property (stocks).
16. Modern Museum collection aetivity includes the forro of a
differentiated division of labour among the staff and estab
lishments involved, subdivided in accordance with the Many
exiatisting geographical and specialized areas.
51

17. The constant extension (augmentation) of Museum property

is necessary, for new periods are constantly being added

to the development of nature and society, and the omount

of our knowledge of the entire past never censes extending

and deepening. This development does not stop at sorne time

and some place, and fUture Museum documentation can only

be gunranteed through the collection of

objects re

lating to"the present day. Therefore: co11ectine today for

tomorrow!

18. The faultless registration (inventorization) And categoriza

tion of lnuseum objects is an important element of academic
museum activity.
19. Any activity 1aunched to co11ect Museum objects would be
uselesa if the objects were not subsequently preserved. The
present-day intensity, qua1ity and efficiency of the collec
tion and preservation of Museum objects are some of the fac
tors that will decide whether fUture generations will be
able to use intact, conclusive authentic pieces of evidence
of the historica1 deve10pment of nature" and society in fUture
research, education, teaching, imparting emotional experiences,
and recreation.
20. The preservation of Museum objects is the conservation and
care, the protection and security of museum objects by means
of conservation, preparation, restoration, proper accomoda
tion, constant maintenanceJshe1tered storage, continued
supervision, and the prevention of loss, destruction and
damage.
21. The academic decoding of Museum objects is an Integral part
of Museum activity. What society benefits from is not a mere
conglomerat ion of Museum treasures but the academic decoding
of Museum objects and collections. This decoding (making
accessible) takes the form of cata10guing and serves as a
b~sis for any fUrther research and education. The cata10guing
of Museum objects is the creation of an academic doc~~enta
tien of Museum objects in the form of catalogue
22. Research activities penetrate aIl the collection, preserva
tion and education o.ctivities carried on by Museums. The;,
are based on, and connected with, the Museum abjects and
collections, and they are multi-disciplinary. Museum object
research takes place in two spheresl
52

1) the sphere of' the specialized branch 0:1' academic lcnowledge

concerned and
2) the sphere of museology.
Researeh lnto the speeiallzed braneh of aeademle knowledge
eonccrned investigates Museum objects and thelr mutual rela
tions in the context of' the new knowledgc gained in the par
ticular branches of' academic knowledge and thcir c1evelopment.
23. The museum-specifie educational process is a mayor element
of Museum activity. The princlpal alm of muset~ pedagogies is
the best possible peJagogical utilization of' Museum objects
f'or educating personalities. Elements of' musel~ pedagogies
penneate, - to varying degrees - aIl spheres of' Illuseum aeti
vity.
24. The basis and Most important fonn of' the eduentional activlty
of' muset~S is the Museum exhibition. The essence of' Museum
exhibitions is that Museum objects are presented.
A Museum exhibition is a thematic display of Museum obje~ts
and explanatory auxiliary materials that is scientif'iclJ.lly
fOlUlded, well~arranged, didactically processed, aesthetically
lnidout and accessible to the public. It serves the purposes
of education, emotional experience imparting and recreation,
constituting the principal fonn of Museum cOlnmtU1ication, The
simple display of' Museum objects diff'ers f'rom the presenta
tion of Museum objecta.
25. Modern Museums belong to the public, cultural and scientific
institutes respectively institutions. The basic functions of
a~l Museums concern the collection activity, preservation
activity, decoding and research activity, and eucational
activity, especially exhibition activity.

12. 3. 1985

53

54

Lecture Programmes 1985

55

56

New Museology 1985

Report by Andr Desvalles

1.

New museology developed at the beginning of the 70's - the years 1972
and 1973 were particularly fruitful. It was perhaps developed in
reaction ta an official museoloqy, but at the sarne time one can say that
it ooly appeared

50

from the outside sinee its starting point seems ta

have been the cry of alarm launched on September 5, 1971, at the ICOM
General Conference in Grenoble, by the representative fram Dahomey,
Mr. Stanislas Adotevi, who ended his paper on behalf of the third
world countries in these terms: lIMuseology will be radical, or it will
not be ll

This paper was aiso the subject of a note by Georges-Henri

Rivire on the following September 13th, during a meeting of an official

working group. This text is available. Later, two directors of ICOM,
in succession, Mr. Georges-Henri Rivire and Mr. Hugues de Varine, teok
up the ideas presented at Grenoble and developed them, and the se are
the ideas that are the theoretical basis of ail the new claims, in particular
llecomuseology' .

It was, in fact, between the 25th and the 30th of September 1972, in
France, at Istre and at Lourmalinduring a symposium organized by ICOM on
"Museums and environment", that content was given te the term llecomuseum"

officially pronounced on September 3rd, 1971, by the French Minister of

the Environment (the first title of this ministry) as he welcomed in
the city of Dijon, where he was (and still is) mayor, the members of
the ICOM Congress who were on their way to Grenoble for the second part
of the General Conference begun in Paris.
Extracts from the conclusions
were published in 1973 in an annex ta a special issue of Museum (no. 1 & 2,
1973) devoted ta the theme "Museums 'and environment".
Among the articles
in this issue one, by Georges'-Henri Rivire, defines the raIe of IlArt
museums and Museums of huma". and social sciencesllin the environmen~

Continuing the appeal by Stanislas Adotevi, a Unesco round table was held
in 1972 which gave the substance for another issue of Museum (no. 3, 1973)
on the Role of Museums in Latin America.

The concern was no longer

solving only the questions of natural ecology but also of defining what
raIe a rnuseum could have in economic and social development~

At the sarne

time it underlined the claims of Museums of identity (territorial or thematic).

Mr. Hugues de Varine used the occasion to give a social - conununity
scope te the concept of ecomuseums, which were under development in the
urban community Museum of Creusot Monsot-les-Mines.
He presented a paper

in the following issue of Museum (no. 4, 1973) before develoPing his

ideas on ecomuseology in a long article in Gazette, published by the
Canadian Museums Association in 1978. But in between time (and not counting
his editorials in ICOH News)

in issue no. 3, 1976, of Museum, he even went

further in his query of the

future prospects of Museums to forseeing that

while facing the danger of the over abondance of collections, the difficulty

of conserving them and the demands of reappropriation by different populations

themselves, Museums could ooly the managers of computerized data banks of

cultural witnesses which would remain in-situ. This idea has been develo.ed

57

at length by another French author, Bernard Deloche.

One can see by thishistorical reminiscing (and please excuse the details)
that it 1s not surprising that once again the scandaI came fram France.

2.

To continue.

In 1980, l was asked to write an article on Museology

for the supplement of the Encyclopaedia Universalise An article with

the sarne title had appeared ten years earlier under the signature of
Germain Bazin, the former keeper of the department of paintings at the

Muse du Louvre.

Much shorter than the one published in 1974 by Hugues

de Varine in the Encyclopaedia Britannica, the article by my former colleague

mentioned the calling into question r"e <]1 ln, :i.n 1968, wi thout giving an answer.
This was the task that l gave myself : ta summarize the movement for renewal
which was born sorne 12 years earlier; whose main dates l have just mentioned.

But right at the start there was the problem of the title. It was difficult
to take unchanged the one that had already been used by the previous author
on the same subject. 50 l thought that l would take advantage - as a
parody, and for provocation too -.of the fashion of using to excess all
the "new" doctrines: we had "new" philosophyll

"new economyll, " new history",

etc ...

But as l did not want particularly to publish a manifesto, l

inverted the terms and settled for putting new " behind "museology", in
parenthesis. This initiative had the advantage of suiting the publisher
II

But it is not always easy ta be modest;

50

please excuse this involuntary

self-congratulation, which moreover was rewarded by my being invited among

you today to sing my own praises!
In fact my article, which recapitulated the different museographical
methods that had been put ta use sinee the war, in France and in the world,
ta open up Museums, ta enliven them, ta give them a mass language, and

to involve the local populatin, recalled

this population's claim to

exploit -its own cultural heritage, while at the same time new methods of
inventory are being born with computerization.
The article was not a
stroke of genius.
But nevertheless, it served as an anchor for severai

French colleagues, and friends anthropologists or amateurs of contemporary

art, who felt ill at ease with their colleagues in classical art and with
administrative structures which gave the impression of favouring aesthetics,

and of directing professional training only towards this particular part

of a museum's collections.At that time l was Secretary General of the General
Association of Museum Curatars (please excuse once again the 1l1 1I ) .
RevoIt
had been brewing for sorne time, and with my friend and President, Philippe
Jessu, we tried ta Iead as Many of our colleagues as possible towards
change. We even managed ta have texts voted which could promo te sorne

progress. In their impatience my young friends could not be satisfied

with only hoping for change, and they decided to cross the Rubicon
by creating a new association which they caIIed "New Museology", adding
intentionally ltand Social Experimentation" sa as not ta plagiarise, and

to announce their intentions clearly (M.N.E.S. - Museologie nouvelle

et exprimentation sociale) - and to top it off, they named me their
Vice President.

3.

What follows becomes international, withthe meeting of the International

Committee of ICOM for Museology (ICOFOM) in London during the ICOM General
Conference in 1983.
Its main theme was "Museum - Territory- Society!
New practices, new tendencies ll

chosen during the Paris meeting October

21-23, 1982.
The same process was repeated at another level, with the slight difference
that the question was complicated by the problems of language, or even more
o'
mentality, and the French found themselves supported by the French

58

canadians, the Belgians, the Spanish and more generally what one would
call the "Latins", and facing perhaps even against ... l let you make

the substraction.

Is it a problem of civilization?

Or a political

problem?

In any case, l believe that it is a problem of language.

The Anglophones

did not understand, or rather, misunderstood the Francophones, and refused

the creation of a sub-committee for ecomuseums within the Commit tee for

Museology; a sub-committee which the Qubecois had proposed.

Then the

Qubecois, who had just adhered to new museology, took th~ initiative of
organizing, one year later, the first international meeting of this theme.

It was at this meeting, held in Qubec and Montral between October 8

and 13, 1984, that the above request was made.
After many discussions to grasp whether or not new museology should be

limited to ecomuseums and to see whether or not it wou Id be possible to

have newmuseology evolve within the framework of ICOM, it was asked
(see the text of the declaration):

1.

That the Executive Council of ICOM be requested to accept the

creation of a special committee for ecomuseums, sinee they

are a particular type of museum.

2.

That an international association or federation for new

museology be created, and to ask ICOM or ICOMOS for its

recognition as an affiliated association.
4.

Conclusion and observations

4.1

The declaration of Qubec is a compromise between passion and reason.

Between those who feel that new museology is a radical change and who admit
no compromise with traditional museo~ogy nor with the structures that
support it, and those, of whom l am one, who feel that there isno old

and no new museology, but simply good or bad museology.

In other words,

that new museology is no more than a greater demand on what a Museum

should never have stopped being. In opposition to the traditional museum,

in so far as this museum is avoided by the public who feels that' it is
too far from them by its location, its architecture or its contents, the

principal claim is that museums should be so close to the public that

the public itself should conceive it and ensure its activities. This
implies that there should be a greater social proximity paraI leI with a
geographical proximity, and that the contents should interest the public.
The ecomuseum i5 one of the forros of museums which could solve the se
problems, but it is not the only one. Other outreaches'for traditional
museums have been found here and there in the world. But it is true that
it is in the countries where there isthe greatest museological conservatism

that new museology has found its echo.

4.2
4.2.1

Is this a reason for creating a specifie committee for new museology?

The first reason, referring to my remarks above, is that when recognizing
that new museology must be handled in a particular fashion, the rest of

museology must either be buried or be considered too old to be of any

interest - when in fact there is only one museology which must seriously
approach aIl the problems.

59

4.2.2.

The second reason, and it is the Most astonishing in this debate, is

that Many of those who are seeking autonomy in relation to ICOM, or
only in relation to the Committee for Museology, lean on the work of
Georges-Henri Rivire, trying to pit his thoughts against the present
structures. Anyone who has known Georges-Henri Rivire can be certain
that even if he was an innovator in many fields, he was always very
careful towards institutions and if, as Director or as Permanent

Advisor ta ICOM, he could always draw one and another ta more progressive
positions, he almost never provoked a rupture.

Ecomuseums are the only

pretext where, towards the end of his life, he almost broke off
relations with the Direction des Muses de France. And yet a large
part of what is called "new museologylt in France, including ecomuseums,

is owed to him.
When the International Committee of ICOM for Museology was created in
1977, he was quite naturally at the side of its founder and first Chair
man, Dr. Jan Jelinek, and continued ta be active until the very end,
not only taking care of the first issues of "Museological News", but,

also of the organization of the meeting in Paris on 21 ta 23 October

1982, on "Interdisciplinarity ll, where he introduced three papers on
ecomuseums, in France'and in Canada.

For him, old and new were the same discipline and, in the Committee
for Museology there could only be one museology - neither old nor new
the real one.

AndJr.. VESVALLEES
~ Ch~e6 CukatOk and D~eetok 06 the
He ~ V~ee-Ch~man 06 ICOfOM
Th~

kepokt

h~

been

pk~ented

Tka~~~on ~nto Eng~~h

60

M~.e n~ona~ de~ teehn~que~, Pak~

to the Adv~Oklj Comm~ttee 06 ICOM on

blj Suzannne NASH-POMMELLET

JU~lj

1,1985

Additional note from the Chairman of ICOrOH

Note d'information du Prsident de l'ICOrOH

Andr Oesvalles has asked me ta add sorne lines about ICOFDM and New Museology.
Let's start with the Committee and its main tasks. The internaI rules of ICOFDM say, that
the Committee shall aim ta

establish museology as a scientific discipline and stimulate the museological research,

follow the main trends of museology and encoorage critical analysis of them,

assist in the development of museums and the museum profession, and for this reason
study their raIe in society, their activities and their functions.

In other words, but in principle, the Advisory Committee stated the same in 1976, when
deciding on the establishment of ICOFDM. The observation that
"every branch of professional activity needs ta be studied, developed and adapted ta changing
contemporary conditions", not least 11the field of museologyll

was declared ta be the raisond'tre of ICOFDM.

Looking back ta the year of 1977, when ICDFDM came ta the world, we can state that the Committee
did its part ta fuI fil the tasks. This especially when considering the limited possibilities ta
act, that the international committees of ICDM have, and the fact that a common consensus on
the most basic question and starting point for aIl other work of ICOFDM, that on the concept
of museology, is still being aired and not univocally agreed.
The annual reports of ICOFOM present a number of scientific activities and publications, which
have dealt with basic as weIl as current museological problems. New trends and ideas in the
museum world have always been given attention and great interest. Ecornuseums and the New
Museology Mevement have not been an exception. The Committee's follow-up of those museological
phenomena can in fact be tracked back as early as to 1979 and the symposium then. From 1982,
they had their permanent place each year on the agenda of ICOFDM meetings, the greatest
scientific event on these topics having been the symposium Museum - Territory - Society/New
Tendencies - New Practices in London 1983.
A Oesvalles mentions the London meeting in another connection. Commenting the discussions on
the motion, initiated by Pierre Mayrand and the Qubec group on ecomuseums (Group qubcois
des CCMTlJses), ta establish in IC('FCJ.t a 5ub-corrmittee for the "rrusologie coomunautaire", and
the refusaI ta do so - as he is interpreting the result - he thinks that here, on the inter
national level, IIthe problems of language, or even more of mentality" were of crucial and
determinating importance. He means that the anglophones did net understand or understood badly
what the francophones wished, and concludes that this was the starting point for the ecomuseo
logists' idea that they must take care of themselves alone.
Bath as Chairman and Editor of ICOFDM publications 1 have learned what a lot of troubles
languages and translations can lead to. 1 agree with A Oesvalles in this matter, but only to
a certain degree. What happened in London was net only a question of language, it was more a
question

of communication

in general. First of aIl, the misunderstanding was mutual, secondly

the discussion on the motion was a part of very important discussions on the future of ICDFOM
and has to be seen in this context, and thirdly, there was no deeision on the motion at the

plenary meeting and no final refusaI of it by the Executive Board aFterwards. Should the London
meeting be the cross-road for the ecomuseologists' decision to go their own way, then the role
of ICOFDM in it should be judged on the basis of the facts, even if emotions cannot be
excluded. ICOFDM has ta bear its part of the responsibility, but not aIl of it.
Let me shortly summarize what happened: ICOFOM was in a crlS1S since 1980. The most important
matter of the annual meeting in London was how we couId turn around the situation that would
have inevitably led te the fall of the Committee. In an analysis, presented in Museologieal News

61

NO. 4 too, a number of strong measures were proposed in order to set ICOFOM on its feet

aga in. Concentrated and coordinated handling of the Committee and its members was

recommended and supported by the participants. To establish a strong and solid base For

the work was the first priority task.

The proposaI of constituting a sub-committee came thus in an unfavourable time for

the Committee. We needed a concentrated action. We discussed much and loudly - this is
what the meetings are for, aren't they? - but came ta no decisions. The motion was

neither approved, nor rejected, and the decision on working groups of ICOFQM in genersl,

i.e. the proposed sub-committee included, was submitted to the ICOFOM Board. This is

evident from the minutes of the meeting (MN 5/1984, page la, point 3.3). Th~ Board

which met immediately after the annual meeting, took up the question, and, according

to the minutes (MN 5/1984, page 17, point'3.2.1) decided as foilows:

"In the present phase of building-up IC'OM, the EB decided to establish only function
oriented working groups and not constitute any permanent working groups to deal with the
different problems within the field of museological research. The EB considered that in
a situation, where the principal matters concerning museology, as such, are still being
studied and discussed, and where the justification of museology - and consequently of
ICOFOM - is even called into question, constituting working groups for detailed museo
logical matters, and especially for different ll/TUseologies", could cause nat only a split
in limited personnel resources but first of aIl interference in the Committee's work
in its entirety. Establishment of function-oriented working groups is the best way ta
meet the Committee's Immediate needs and support its united work. Issues concerning the
field of museological research must, for the present, b~ referred ta sympasia,

colloquia, lectures etc. organized by the Committee.

In the light of this view, the EB has been hesitant about the proposaI ta constitute
a temporary working group on I1musolog1e conmunautaire U , presented by Pierre Mayrand and

some of nis colleagues, and postponed this proposaI. In connection with the discussion
about the program for annual meetings and the meeting place for next year, however, the
EB considered that if the 1984 annual meetIng is held in Qubec, an agenda item on the
"~luse CQlTYTIunautaire Haute-Beauce", including a lecture and a visit at this museum,
wouid be of great interest. The EB agreed, therefore, ta ask Prof. Pierre Mayrand and his

colleagues to prepare this feature of the meeting programme of 1984 by working out a
report on the museum of Haute-Beauce and the concept of "musologie comnunautaire

ll

and

planning other actlvities (excursions etc.) in connec tian with this. The task should be
accomplished in the form of a temporary subgroup under the Programme WG, and with Pierre
Mayrand as co-ordinator."

These are the facts. What to add more?

Unfortunately, the next meeting of ICOFOM after London did not take place in Canada,'
and the temporary subgroup had thus nothing to prepare, nor did it take any other
initiatives in ICOFOM.
The Committee's interest in ecomuseums and new museology was, however, always alive. The

theme was on the agenda in Leyden 1984 - lecture by A Desvailes and MBellaigue-Scalbert
_ and is also on the programme of the coming meeting in Zagreb 1985. Several eminent and
Ieading eco- and

newmuseologi~ts

are members of ICOFOM, A Oesvalles in the position of

Vice Chairman and MBellaigue-Scalbert as Secretary; the Qubec group on ecomuseums is

represented by P Mayrand, R Rivard and some others. Thus, we have the best conditions
ta follow close at hand the development of the ecomuseums as weIl as the New Museology
Movement. We will do this, because the study of aIl new trends in the museum worid is
one of our main tasks and, what more, it is interesting aIl of us.

62

Thus, ICDFOM - and also ICDM, concluding from the Advisory Committee meeting in July
1985 - will keep in touch with the development in new museum thinking and practice,
and the museum people behind them, irrespective of whether they belong to ICOM or not.
What will happen now? Immediately after the Advisory Committee meeting, three
representatives of a working group which was set up in Qubec in 1984 by the First
International Workshop for Ecomuseums and New MuseologYJ informed the Executive Council
of ICOM about the stage of matters and modified the request concerning the status of
ecomuseums and the New Museology Movement, formulated in the Declaration of Qubec 1984,
as reproduced in point 3 of A Desvalles' report above. The final decision will be
made by the Second International Workshop, which will take place this fall in Lisbon.
First then, a formaI request will be submitted to ICOM either for the creation of an
international committee or for affiliation ta ICOM of an international association.
So we have to wait and hope that a solution be found which will be beneficial to
museums, the museum profession and, last but nct least, museology, too.

Stockholm, September 20, 1985

Vinos Sofka

Project Muse arabe - Paris

by Christiane E Naffah

THE MUSEUM OF ARAB-ISLAMIC ART AND CIVILIZATION

OF THE INSTITUTE OF THE ARAB WORLD, PARIS

The Institute of the Arab World wasestablished in 1980

by France and 20 Arab states for the purpose of familiarizing
the French public with Arab culture and civilization.
)

The Paris headquarters of the Institute, currently

under construction on the left bank of the Seine,at Quai Saint
Bernard, will include:

- a museum of Arab-Islamic art and civilization (which is the

main focus of this paper),
- a library and multimedia documentation centre on the contem
porary Arab world,
- a cultural activities section, with exhibits in ihe fields of
music, theatre, films, literature etc. ta be shawn throughout
France,

- a gallery for temporary exhibits, attached ta the museum,

- a current events hall, attached ta the library,
- a 300-seat auditorium.
The founding member states of the Institute are ta
partlclpate jointly in financing the construction as weIl as
the day-to-day administration and activities of the Institute.
The museum plays a key role within the Institute of the
Arab World by illustrating the various features of Arab-Islamic
art and civilization. It will consist of:
- permanent exhibition halls covering 2800 sq. metres,
- a 700-sq. meJ:t:es temporary exhibition gallery,
- a documentation section of interest to specialists, including
a multimedia data bank of Islamic art objects,
a children's

worksho~geared

to awaken the curiosity and creative

instincts of younger visitors,

63

- additional premises such as storerooms for the reserve collec

tions, a restoration workshop, a workshop for mounting exhibitions,
-a photo lab, offices, a meeting room, etc.

This paper will concentrate on three broad topics:

1) the scientific programme for the permanent collection,

2) the museological options underpinning the presentation,

3) the multimedia data bank on lslamic works of art.

o
1. The scientific programme

was conceived on the basis of a

global, synthetic approach to Arab-lslamic civilization. This

means that historic and social as weil as artistic achievements
must be taken into account. The pluridisciplinary approach we
have chosen, suggested by the very tenets of the civilization
to be presented, constitutes a first in museology.
The programme revolves around three major themes:
- art and civilization in lslamic lands from the 7th to the
19th centuries, over a geographical domain extending from Spain
to India,

- traditions of the Arab past and present (urban, rural, and

nomadic life, kinship and social patterns),
- contemporary Arab art: creativity expressed through ail the
trends and :orms of the plastic arts.
These themes find their natural setting in three distinct
departments of the museum: the first through the classical art
department, the second in the ethnographic department and the
third in the department of contemporary art. Each department
is staffed with specialists: art historians, epigraphist., an
thropologists, experts in the plastic arts under the supervision
of the curator and project chief.
Because the subject matter of !~~_!~l~~i~_~E!_~~E~E!~~~!
covers such a vast domain, this section has been developed more

thoroughly than the others and has both a larger staff and more
extensive exhibition space. lt covers three of the five floors

64

of the museum.
The" first floor combines the functions of a lobby,
information and orientation centre with that
area.Two large maps showing the geology and

of an exhibition
geography of the

Arab-Muslim world provide an environmental setting for the visi

tor, which begins with a survey of some of the civilizations that
preceded Islam in these territories. The little-known pre-Islamic
art of the Arabian peninsula, revelatory of a well-defined king
dom, gets special attention. Byzantine, Coptic, Parthie and
Sassanide art objects provide illustrations of the civilizations
antedating Islam in the west and east. Small in number, these
works act as points of reference for techniques and motifs that
will reappear in Islamic art objects, showing the permanence of
an artistic and decorative tradition which artists and craftsmen

adapted to the demands of new rulers.

The second floor presents "Islam and its Historical
Developments." Through works of art backed up by audiovisual aids,
the min features of Islam are introduced: the birth of Islam,
the rites of the faith, the histry of the reigns and territorial
expansions following the death of Mohammed (the first four caliphs
and the two"major Arab-Islamic"dynasties, the Ommayads, 661-750A.D,
and the Abbassides, 750-1517 A.D.). Islamic literature, philosophy,
mathematics, and science of this period are accorded a special

emphasis to demonstrate the major contributions they made to the

world sciences.

The purpose here is to supply the keys opening up this

civilization so that the visitor can more easily grasp the tenets
of an artistic production so different from

tha~

found ln the

West. The religious, intellectual and historical features of this

period are explained simply and concisely, always in direct rela
tion toparticular works of art. A visitor seeking fuller knowledge
on any particular detail of this period can consulr the multimedia
documentation centre.

The third and last floor of the Islamic art departement

is the largest in the museum. It encompasses the patio and covers
the whole length of the building from north to south. The art
objects shown on this level illustrate lslamic artistic develop7
ment from the 9th to the 19th centuries and are displayed in a

65

chronological and geographical order. The visitor can pick one

particular region and follow its evolution through the centuries,
or concentrate on one century and view its art works from Spain,

through the Maghreb and the Near East to Persia and India. Or
he can follow the two circuits simultaneously.
The presentation here brings out the fundamental unit y

that is a main fature of Islamic art, despite the fragmentation

of political power; hence the title of the collection, "Unit y and

Variety of the Muslim World." Given the very large number of
works of art on display, including textiles, carpets, books,
glassware, ceramics and metallic objects, detailed explanations
on the techniques of fabrication and decorative design will
accompany the display. This technical background is, in our Vlew,
an

indispensable complement to an

~esthetic

presentation of the

collection.
For analogous reasons, each object on display will
have been subjected to laboratory analysis and the composite ma
terials will be listed in detail in the catalogue and more brief
ly on the labels.
The Islamic art department covers a geographical area
far more extensive than the arab world as it is known today.
But if the mission of the Institute, and within it the museum,
is to bring knowledge of the Arab world to the French public,
the programme of the museum is necessarily based on hitoric
currents and cultural facts and not on the present-day map of
the Arab World. Because of the interpenetration through the ages
of linguistic (Arabic), religious (Islam) and political concepts,
the scope of the Islamic art department was broadened to include
the "Islamic world" in its historic limits. In contrast, the ethno
graphic and contemporary art departments. will limit their displays
to the present-day Arab world, that is, to the member states of
the Arab League and Egypt.
The objective of !~~_~!~~2gE~2~i~_2~2~E!~~~Ediffers clearly
from that of the other two: here objects are selected not accor
ding to historic or aesthetic. criteria but rather for their ability
to document a way of life. Their purpose is to illustrate the

66

specific character of human relationships in Arab society. The

features of urban, rural and Bedouin life will be suggested not
through the usual lineary progression but by using a focal point
both as a point of departure and convergence: the interior of an
Arab dwelling. The visitor will be welcomed according to the
special rites of Arab hospitality and allowed to penetrate into
the private universe of the home. From there, being now a par
ticipant in the presentation, he will discover, a series of ope
ningsand:anetwork of successive waves, the city with its social
life and the institutions it generated; its economic relationship

with the countryside or the sea; the nomadic settlement and its
organisation etc.

!~~_2~2~!~~~~~_2~_~2~~~~22!~!_~!~~_2!~'the first of its

kind, proposes two types of exhibition

1) a permanent collection are a where

areas.

current artistic tendencies

will be shown according to styles including:

- the calligraphy-based school

- abstract art

- popular art

- figurative art

- avant-garde art

2) a gallery area to complement the permanent collection and add

a changing and livery character by exhibits arranged by :

- themes

- retrospectives

- groups of artists
- one-man shows

illustrating through the sustained pace of changing exhibits

the vitality and experimentation of contemporary Arab artistic
creation.

While clearly distinct, the programmes of each department

complement and balance each other. The variety of the resulting
presentation is not incidental, nor is it merely intended to
enter tain the visitor. Above aIl, this variety is indicative
of the richness andcomplexity of the arts and civilization portrayed.

67

The specialists on the museum staff will not be rigidly

confined to a single department. Anthropologists will contribute
their unique insights to the artistic and historical displays,
as will the art historians or plastic arts expert theirs to the
ethnographic collection. This pluridisciplinary approach will
rernind the visitor of the necessary convergence of such views

for a full understanding of this little-understood world.

Those features of Arab life for which no space could
be found in the permanent collection will make up the offering
of the temporary exhibition gallery, where at least three exhi
bits a ycar are planned. (Examples: a prestigious exhibit, a
"dossier" exhibit on a particular tapie, an exhibit illustrating

sorne aspect of everyday life.)

0-----

TI. How is the programme of the museum to be carried out? What

are the mllseolof!ical options underpinning this prograllll!1e ?
As we have already seen, the permanent collection of
the museum is displayed on five superimposed levels; these
are connected by staircases and a battery of elevators. We have
organized the visit from top to bottom, with the ground floor
containing aIl the reception facilities, including cloakrooms,

ticket office etc.

The vertical disposition of the museum spaces has been
utilized to underline the diversification of the museological
programme. The latter has been divided into five

sta~es,

with

each stage or sector corresponding to one of the huildinp, levels.

Each sector has a specific function and to it corresponds a
particular type of presentation.
The first level is geared to the reception, orientation
and

se~sitization

of the visitor.

The second level hRS a pedagogical, didactic functicn,

to provide the visitor with the basic tenets of Arab-Islamic
civilization.

68

The function of the third level is purely aesthetic. Here is art

for art's sake, where delight and pIe as ure are the principal objectives.
The four th level calls on the senses as weIl

as the intellect.

The displays, integrating audiovisual material with reconstituted

scenes of social and economic life, stimulate the interest of the
visitor.

The fifth

level i. very "plastic", presenting a sober and

spare review of contemporaryart production.

The distinctive nature of each level does not preclude a
general harmony of the whole based on constant interaction between
the various sections of the museum. This objective has led us to
adopt sorne very. clear guidelines:
- first, to selecta form of presentation and organisation encouraging
direct relationship to the object on display

- second, to differentiate the object in itself from the accessories

(props) aiding in its comprehension.
Thus the video consoles containing the bulk of the audiovisual material
accompanying the collection are grouped around the patio area. This
spatial disposition both enhances the architectural lines of the
building and permits an uncluttered view of the objects on display.
The works of art making up the permanent collection have been
subjected to a detailed typological analysis (see appendix 1).
Each work of art has an analytical index card identifying the nature
of the object, the type of display, the type and depth of vision, the
morphological characteristics (material, weight, dimensions, shape),
the required type of presentation etc.
Because each object has been assigned to a unit or entity of the
museological programme, it has been possible to put together a document
of the whole, thus giving concrete form to the theoretical programme.
The analysis of this document enables us, on the one hand, to set out
the means and mode of display for each object and, on the other, to
quant ify the display elements accompanying the presentation.
Finally, taking as its point of departure the analysis of the
museologist,a continuous dialogue between the architects and the
museum staff prior to the installation and mounting of the display

69

cases and walls has ensured that these are perfectly adapted to the
art objects and satisfy the requirements of flexibility and mobility
essential to the display and eventually to the enrichment of the
collection.
Careful study by the museum staff, assisted by the museologist

P:.O' Byrne, went into the question of how to transcribe the scientific

programme of the museum in a way as to be of immediate use to the

museum's architects. Each of the five sections was subdivided inta

sub-sections, and then inta entities made up of one or more units.

Concretely this means that to each unit of the museological programme,

there corresponds a display element, e.g. a display case or wall. Each

section, sub-section, entity and unit has been assigned a number, thus

making it possible to register and locate each object in the collection.

By way of example, the unit S.32.5.7 stands for the 7th display case
containing 5 objects, textiles; belonging to the entity S.32.5, Fatimids.
Egypt, IOth - 13th century; of the sub-section S.32, East 9th - 12th
century; of section 3, Unit y and Variety of the Muslim World (see
appendix 2). This location grid makes it possible to inscribe the
programme on plans and to ensure that th objects of the collection
are correctly placed in the different sections of the programme.
The complementary audiovisual equipment located along the circuits
of the visit will form a discreet backdrop for the art objects and be
integrated in the architects' design of the interior.
Some examples of how this equipment will be used:
On the first level, close to the reception area and surrounding the
patio, there will be interactive video programmes supplying information
on:

-how to visit the museum, including suggested alternative circuits

(rapid, selective, complete);

- the place of the museum within the Institute of the Arab World,

explaining the complementarity of programmes, describing the Ins

titute's other activities, providing information on opening hours

and degree of accessibility;

-other Museums in Paris,

- other Museums in France with collections of Arab-Islamic art.

70

Still on the first level but next to the exhibition area entitled
"Maghreb and Mashreq before Islam", will he found luminous maps of

the regions covered in the exhibition.

On the second level portraying "Islam and its Historie Deve
lopments". the visitor will be greeted by a wall of images and sounds
setting the social and geographical scene for the rise of Islam.in
cluding elements from the life of the prophet Mohammed. After crossing
through a prayer hall reconstituted with original works of art, he
can peruse a collection or Korans while listening to chanted readings
from the sacred text through headphones. Brief video clips, one and

a half or two minutes long, provide a concise overview of the five

pillars of Islam. The visit continues in the midst of work art, but
longer films (6 and a half minutes) on the intellectual and scientific

achievements of Islam cao he viewed on video screens grouped around

the patio opposite display cases of scientific instruments.

On the third level. video films (5 or 6 minutes long) explaining
fabrication techniques relevant to the production of the objects on
display are shown on video consoles grouped around the patio. Others
survey briefly the history of the dynasties, with maps and dates. The
visitor can in this way situate any given work of art in the time and
place of its creation.
The fourth level. presenting "Traditions of the Past and Present",
is unique in the sense that the original audiovisual aids do not just
back, up but form an integral part of the museological presentation.
Fixed and moving'imags. special light and sound effects are used in
combinat ion with the artifacts on display in a way geared to communi
ca te to the visitor an immediate sense of the interconnections of
Arab society.
The fifth level. covering contemporary art. is to make more
modest use of audiovisual props. Slides and films will be projected,
in the appropriate space. to illustrate the themes of exhibits shown
in the gallery area.

----0

71

III. The Multimedia Data Bank of Islamic art objects, the first
computerized catalogue of a permanent museum collection, is a naturai
extension to this collection and ta the specialized documentation in
the museum.
lts chief feature is that it serves simultaneously as a docu

mentary data bank and a highly flexible tool for displaying and com
paring images - photographic reproductions of works of art.
The languages for textual research and image manipulation are
perfectly integrated. The Multimedia Data Bank will give the user the
impression of holding the art object in his hand and being able to
find out everything he wants to know about it.
In order to achieve this result, we have aimed at ensuring
the quality of:
- the textual scientific information,
- the friendliness of the service interface,
- the technical options,the data bank will use the latest
technologies in the field of data processing and videography.
The Multimedia Data Bank assembles textual and photographic
data in three different Data Bases:
- .s!!!:_!!!!~!l!:_!!!!~!:_.!~) including the photographic coverage
of every work of art (overviews and details),
- .s!!!:_!~f~!!!!~.si~~_!!!!~!:_~~~~.s_~E.s_Q~i!:~.s~_i!!!Q)consisting of
descriptive forms of the works of art,
- .s!!!:_!~f~E!!!!!.si~~_!!~~!:_~~_!!!!!!~!:~_i!!!!)supplying textual
information about sorne particular images.

!!!!:_i!!!!!!l!:_~~~!:_i!!!~l_i~~l~~!:~_.s!!!:_E!!~.s~~E~e!!i~_~~~!:E!!~~
~f_.s!!!:_!!E.s_~~i~~.s~
A specific procedure has been established to take sequential

pictures.lt de termines the taking of photographs according to the

scheme based on a shapes typology of the works of art, as described
in the figure below.

72

1 SHAPES

TYPOLOGY

AND

VARIANTS [

(
\

~
.:,.

Sphere

~t

Uneloulflobl..

Monuscripts

Jewels

Oalligraphies

Wecpons

Pointings

U tensils

Oorpels

Statuory

Textiles

elc ..

etc ..

Each object belongs to one category (A, B, C, D, E, F). AlI its

facets

(top, down, faces .. ) are photographed and encoded ln

an identical order, applied to aIl categories.

73

Encadlng accardlng ta relevant criterIa

o.

5
4

3,

/-
/

A1:
A2:
A3:
A4:

obove
down
fcee

AS:
A6:

face right

face leH
foce bock

81:
82:
83:
84:
85:
8S
87:

01:
C2:
C3:
C4:
CS:

(rel. noie 1)

cs:
C7:
CS:

(apen)

According te the axis

01: abave
x : dawn

E1:
E2:

Shots are then made of relevant parts of the object

(inside,

outside, details, others) and these are encoded according to

a prefined order.

74

OUTSIDES - A. B C

IN5lIlES

= AA llil CC

DETAII.'l

en
Ali1

..

UNCLASSIFlA.IILE COIONENTS

In addition to the typology of shapes, different facets and

relevant parts, other components may be integrated in the encoding
as: .

- the material

(wood, metal, ceramic ... )

- the technique and

- the date of manufacturing
according to the required degree of automation.
These diffcrent criteria are summed up on the taking of photographs
cardo

75

For displaying an image, the user will calI the ISN number
followed by the encoding number. It is aiso possible to compose
read-out matrixes.

iiii_w:w."mimF~i7"l

r -_ _-",."'
..::.:"-"'''::.:.'''''
..:.:; ".,,-----

'''
..'''''''.''''''
..'''--.''''.1----,

~~B
~ ~ ~

G@]EJ@]

6EJ@]

0
ON - ,

ON - ,

G ..

@]

... t_ . . II

~
ON - y

!SH-24+,n
721

sos

12

940 + 314 .
Cam;xlr;.g., on 7 objorta

15.'11 -

76

~J +

C11

form
The Information Base about Art abjects, which gathers aIl
related data, constitutes a

necessary complement to the Image

Base.
The BIO

lS

a textual data base with a scientific content of about

20 fields, which together make up the

"identity card" of the object:

its different components, the techniques of manufacture, its decora

tive features, the bibliography. When conflicting opinions have been
)

published

Ce.g. a case of dating) aIl are mentioned. The forms are

written in French, but two fields contain text in Arabic.(see appendix 3).

!~~_i~K~E~~~i~~_2~~~_~~_i~~g~~_i~!!2
In connection with specifie images, sorne textual data cons

titute what we calI BII.

Why such a Base ? The BIO (see 2) provides general information
on the art object. But each of the images of this object contains
complementary information which cannot be integrated in the descrip
tive ferro. This information may he thematic, decorative, onomastic,

chronological etc. The BII is made up of forms coming under two

types of headings:
- a general commentary with information related to the
art object,
- one or more areas of f1detail" where information is given

on certain sections of the image.

In order to provide a friendly interface to the "neophyte"
user, a good dialog

manager is implemented to handle aIl the

commands introduced at the work station.

The work station is constitued by:
- input devices to enter the commands and data: a bi-alphabetical
keyboard (Latin and Arabic), a designation tool such as a graphical
tablet, a light pen or a mouse.
- output devices for displaying and printing the data, which will
permit the simultaneous representation of text and images

77

The specific features of the work station include

a high resolution screen
an ability to manipulate image displays; pictures presented

simultaneously on the sarne screen, for purposes of comparison; crea

tion of sets or "mos a cs" of images on calI; graphies over-printing

on top of a faded-out image; selection and display, beside or below

images of textual items showing, for example, decorative patterns or

significant epigraphy.
With the help of this work station, the user can navigate, freely
through the Multimedia Data Bank. This means that he can select
any object (plus its' associated images) by sending queries to the
Information Base about the Objects (BIO); or he can select them
by displaying the whole range (or a part of) the images of the Image
Base (BIM).
The function for displaying images on the screen of the work
station must be flexible and perfectly adapted to the needs and
work habits of the user. He will have the ability to do the following:
1) Look for art objects according ta textual or visual criteria.
2) Display the results of such a search (images, texts, graphics)
on the work station screen.

3) Print out the results.

4) Receive helpin using the system.

Finally, the Multimedia Data Bank will inlude administrative

functions for controlling the operations of creation, of deletion,

of updating data.
Two work stations are planned for the first stage of the
project.
The Multimedia Data Bank will be of great help in:
- research

- expertise
- printing. The user can mount maquettes of images and texts which
insert text between images
super impose text on images or images on images

focus on decorative, iconographic and other details.

78

The user cau also use the system to assemble a specialized docu

mentation stored temporarily in the computer and retrieved and

printed out when needed by the student, researcher or specialist.

At the inauguration of the Institute of Arab World, scheduled

for the end of 1986, the Multimedia Data Bank will have an initial
base of about 600 art objects, aIl of them shown in the collection
in the Museum. This first catalogue of a permanent exhibition in
electronic form, which we may calI a

II

so ft catalogue", will be avai

lable at the reception area of the Museum and in other sections of

the Institute, thus offering "une invitation la visite". Access

to it from outside the Institute is planned for a later date.

The existence of this new working tool brings on a new era
ln the history of art. It will permit Islamic art specialists (resear
chers, experts, teachers) to have easy access, directly or from a dis
tance, ta a unique source of information.

In addition, the Multimedia Data Bank will make available to

the general public an artistic field that up to now has been little
known except to specialists.
References:
- P.O'BYRNE, C.PECQUET,V.PARADIS: "Museological Programme" (internal
report), Museum of Arab - Islamic Art and Civilization, Insti
tu te of the Arab World, Paris, 1984.
- J.DUFOUR: "Definition of a procedure for taking sequential photographs
of art objects" (internaI report in French), Audiovisual Dept.
of the Institute of the Arab World, Paris, 1984.
- C.NAFFAH: "Shams, A Multimedia Data Bank of Islamic Works of Art",
paper for the second Seminar of Islamic Arts Foundation, London,
July 19-21, 1985.

Chtt...Jule NAFFAH

,,

CWta.tOI( a.nd Hea.d 06 the Pl(ojec.:t Ml.U>e Ma.be-PM,,

TI(a.~~on ~n:to

Engi,,h by Ei,,a.beth TAMPIER

79

J.M.A.

MUSEE

D'ART

ET

DE

CIVILISATION.

ISLAMIQUE

N Inventaire

Appellation

Epoque:

Origine:

Nature:

Ustensile.

Manuscrit

Parure

Monnaie

Mobilier

Arme

Instrument

Objet d'art

Autre

Dure de prsentation

Forme:

GJualit de prsentation:

Plan sans relief...D

Pl<ln <lvec reliefD
Volume
-0

Unica

Oeuvre vedette

Objet de srie

Prsentation singulire

Prsenta tian groupe

Vision:
Frontale singulire
Front<lle plurielle
Horizontale singulire
Horizontale plurielle

Dimension lin<lire

2m

--D

Poids:

Cl Au del

---0

Moins de
i il 5
5 il 10
10 25
25 50
50 il 100

0
0

Poussire-D
Fragilit ---0

Cl

Eclair<lge :
Naturel
Mixte

15. il 30 cm; - 0
30 50 cm ---D
50 100 cm 3 - 0

Sensibilit
Lumire
Humidit
Chaleur

P
0

1 :
Dimension volumtrioue
o 15 cm 3 ---D

Distance ,.
50 cm
1,5 m

H:
L :

Miltriilu :
I l ArtificieL..D
I l Nombre de lux

Prsentation
Au sol pos
0 sur base - 0
En creux
Cl sur socle-D
Murale accroche..D sur socle---O
Au plafond
Cl suspendu - 0
Dans vitrineDsocle Dmurale -.D

Bois
Mtal
Verre
Terre cuite
Minral
Papier
Fibre
Pltre/ Stuc
compos

Raison:
Esthtique-DHistoriqueDSociologiqueD
Didactiquc-OLudique--O Rcratif-D

80

Couleur (s)" dominante (s)

J "

M " A .

MUSEE

ART

ET

DE

CIVILISATION.

ISLAMIQUE
Secteur

MUSE : LOUVRE

25

N0 Inventaire: 7095
de
A ppe Il a t "IOn""Feuillet
Shah l,ai eh
Epoque: milieu du XIV
Origine: Iran ou

Hsopot.:l.lie

Nature:
Ustensile.
Manuscrit
Parure
Monnaie
Mobilier
Arme
Instrument
Objet d'art
Autre

Dure de prsenti1tion

3 mois/3 ans

Plan sans relief-0

Plan avec reliefD
-.D
Volume

GJualit de prsenti1tion
Uniea
Oeuvre vedette
Objet de srie
Prsentation singulire

Prsentation groupe

Dimension1 inaire

.H: 0,405
L:
1 : 0,290

Vision:

Distance:
1,5 m

l8J 2m
--D
I l Au del -CJ

Moins de 1 Kg ~
1 5
-0
5lO
.-0
10 25
--l:J
25 50
-0
50 100
~

Sensibilit
Lumire
Humidit
Chaleur

CX1 Poussire-lEl
l8I

Fragilit

t5?l

Eclairage:
Naturel
Mixte

P
0

Dimension volumtrioue
. .
3
Da 15 cm 3 - D
15 30 cm - D
30 50 cm 3 - D

3
50 100 cm - O

Poids:

Frontale singulire
Frontale plurielle
Horizontale singulire
Horizontale plurielle
50 cm

Forme:

Matriau:
I l Artificiel~
I l Nombre de lux

50-80

Prsentation
Au sol pos
Cl sur base -D
En creux
Cl sur socle.J::]
Murale accrocheJ::J sur socle--D
Au plafond
CJ suspendu"--D
Dans vitrinet8lsocle t8lmurale -D

Bois
Mtal
Verre
T,erre cuite
Minral
Papier
Fibre
Pltre/ Stuc
Compos

Raison:
Esthtique~HistoriqueDSociologiquc.D

Didactique-OLudique --0 Rcratif-D

Couleur (s) dominante (s)

81

... :3
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-

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_ _ _ -"-'--

l'"ESI';NTATIOH OF THF. DESCRIPTIVE l'OR."l

Comments
APPELLATION 1
1

- name of the abject in uatin characters ; French and other languages

- name of the abject in Arabic charactersi'TUrkish

MATERIAL

Of

Persian,

,BI' material we mean : metal, ceramics,textileJ.

- name in Latin characters

- name in Arabie characters

J~LACE

~rabic,

MANUfA~TUREI

COUNTRY 1

; French and other languages: arabic, persian,

, turkish

;When we have to mention both names present

; and
ancient, we follow this example :
. Iraq (Mesopotamia)

PROVINCEl

CITY

WORKSHopl

FINDI

-----

r FIND

PLACE 1

1 FIND TYPE

Fon~erning

the find type is concerned

; (excavation, art market, private discovery)
;we have to state precisely what
qualifies
;this type (for instance: excavation;
;excavation number,date of the excavation, name
iof the excavator... )

1 FIND DATE

1DATING Of THE OBJEC;I

1 STATED DATEI

1ALLEGED

DAT~

- the date
reasons for this supposition
- fork
reasons for this supposition

;Christian era/Hijra era, priority given to for!':

,
,For
,

instance, written on the object ...

;The date can be :

. deduced fram an inscription or a blazon,
deduced fromacomparison with other dated
or signed objects
1
deduced from the study of the decoratf,on ...
;Possible fork, ex : 760-780
;or 10th-llth c, or .reign
i(lrst and 7~st year of rign

- cent ury
reasons for this cent ury

,
1

IMAGE]

I;:=TY:::""-pE-S 1

;This zone will be develo 'ped according

;to the encoding of the photographie coverage
ff obJects

- black and white

83

Comments (following)
- colour

- fac-simil
drawing
TITLES

- face

- profile

- reverse side

- detail
- etc.

PRESENT

LOC~TIONI

!
!
!
!
!
!
!
1

1COUNTRY , CITY 1
~WSEUM,

INSTITUTION

COLLECTION AND

INVENTORY NUMBER

ACCESS

- address, telephone number

- responsible, name, title (Director
keeper, curator, others)
- public access : hours, conditions .

ACQUISITONI

J DESCRIPTIONI
~I_O~~I
1 LINEAR

DI!'!ENSION~

height

length

breadth

depth

- diameter

COMPOSITIONI

1 AN~YSISI.
'-R-ES-UL-T-'si

1~1~~:~o~_~1
1 ANALYSIS N1

84

; On the display, the two firstsub

izones will appear together
!
!
!

Comments (following)
ITECruHQUES: OF MANUFACTURE
1

,The technique of manufactu:t'e

of shape
;decoration can he the same (ex: ceramicJ;
;in th-at case, we repeat '.mder headings

SHAPE_=oJ

DECORATION

iSHAPE AND DECORATION

1.,

geometric
floral
animal
personage
others

JEPIG~PHY

;The epigraphy-paleography ZOne will he

;develor ed for linkage with an -e;;igl'a?hioc:l

PALEOGRAPHYl

,l'base

!LANGUAGEI

) 1INSCR-~PTION

TYPES

;Fop instance, Koran verse, signature, owner's

;mark ..

iFor instanoe angular or oursive style ...

1 STYLEI

; Re levant txt mi1Y he. inserte.d

.
in Arabio oharaoters.

:, INSERTION OF THE TEXT\

: IN ARABIC CHARACTERS

J STYLES l
1 SCHOOL 1

- name of the school

- reasons forsuch classification
INFLUENCES

- definition of tre influence

- reasons f6r this assertion

CONSERVATION STATE

!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!

~STORATION- O~__~.!~!.~ION

[TYPE-OF - iSTO~T}~_NJ

!
1

PLACE

OF.RESTORATIO~

DATE]

85

Comments (following)
[ BIBLIOGRAPHY

1.

books
articles
exhibitions
catalogues

,In the four rubrias of the bibliography,

;indiaate if the objeat is
.
photographed
mentionned
widely published

86

ICOFOM membership

Membres del'ICOFOM

Applications between Leiden and Zagreb

received after April 30, 1985

Candidatures entre Leyde et Zagreb

Demandes d'adhsion reues aprs

1 30 avril 1985

Mrs ASGEIRSDOTTIR, Halld6ra

REYKJAVIK - Iceland

The National Museum of. Iceland

P.O. Box 1439

15-121 REYKJAVIK - Iceland

Mr BARON, Robert
NEW YORK, NY - USA

New York State Council of the Arts

915 Broadway

NEW YORK, NY 10010 - USA

Mrs BJORK, Barbro Ingegerd

SUNDSVALL - Sweden

Sundsvalls Museum

Storgatan 29

S-852 30 SUNDSVALL - Sweden

Mr BRAAT, Joost, Drs

AMSTERDAM - The Netherlands

Rijksmuseum
Hobbestraat 21, Postbus 50673
NL-1007 DD AMSTERDAM - The Netherlands

Mr CARDUNER, Michel H
Ste COLOMBE LES VIENNE - France

Directeur, Muse. archologique

2, Chemin de la plaine
Saint-Romain-en-Gal
F-69560 Ste COLOMBE LES VIENNE - France

Mr CATLIN, Stanton, Prof

FAYETTEVILLE, NY - USA

cio 200 Warren Street

FAYETTEVILLE, NY 13066 - USA

Mr DELOCHE, Bernard J M, Prof

LYON - France

Universit Jean-Moulin
1, rue de l'Universit
F-69007 LYON - France

Ms FONTAINE, Marie-Claude S
CLAMECY - France

Muse municipal de Clamecy

Htel de Bellegarde
F-58500 CLAMECY - France

Mrs FORMAN, Vera R L

RIO DE JANEIRO - Brazil

Museu do Primeiro Reinado

Coordenaao de Museus da FUNARJ
Av. Pedro II, 293 cep 22941
RIO DE JANEIRO, RJ - Brazil

Mrs GASTEYER, Carlin E

STATEN ISLAND, NY - USA

50 Fort Place
STATEN ISLAND, NY 10301 - USA

Mr GHAFOURI, Mehdi
MONTREAL - Canada

C.P. 1601 Place du Parc

MONTREAL, Qubec H2W 2R6 - Canada

Mrs GOUGOULIS, Georgia-Cleo

ATHENS - Greece

Peloponnesian Folklore Foundation

3, Pl. Victorias Street
10434 ATHENS - Greece

Mr HATCH, John D, Prof

LENOX, MA - USA

Box 1773
LENOX, MA 01240 - USA

Mr HEIN, George
CAMBRIDGE, MA - USA

Co-Director, Lesley Graduate School,

29 Everett Street- Lesley College
CAM8RIOGE, MA 02238 - USA
87

Mr INGLIS, Ronald B
ABERDEEN - Great Britain

Anthropological Museum
Marishal College
University of Aberdeen
ABERDEEN AB9 lAS - Great Britain

Mr KALDEWEI, Gerard
ENGER _ FRG

Widukinci-Museum
Kirchplatz 10
0-4904 ENGER - BRD

Ms LAMBERT, Anne M, Prof

EDMONTON - Canada

University of Alberta
Department of Clothing and
Textiles
115 Hec Bldg
EDMONTON, Alberta T6G 2MB - Canada

Ms LOIlDY, Loukia
NICOsIA - Cyprus

The Leventis Municipal

Museum of Nicosia
Nicosia Municipality
P.0. Box 1015
NICOsIA - Cyprus

Mr de MARET, Pierre D, Prof Dr

BRUXELLES - Belgium

103 B, rue E Cavell

B-llBO BRUXELLES - Belgium

Mrs MARGDLIs, Leslie .

BUssIGNY - switzerland

Ch. de la Potteilaz 42
CH-l030 BUssIGNY - switzerland

Ms MARTIN, Carol
TUCSON, Al - USA

Western Archaeological &

Conservation Center
P.O. Box 4105B
TUCSON, Al B5717 - USA

Ms M~LLEN KNUDsEN, Bodil

HORSENS - Denmark

Horsens museum
sundvej 1
DK-B700 HORSENS - Denmark

Mr NATALI, Jean-PaulO
PARIS - France

Cit des Sciences et de

l'Industrie de LA VILLETE
211, Av. Jean-Jaurs
F-75019 PARIS - France

Mr NORICK, Frank A, Dr
BERKELEY, CA - USA

Robert H. Lowie Museum of

Anthropology
University of California
103 Kroeber Hall
BERKELEY, CA 94720 - USA

Mrs KEDING DLOFssON, Ulla

STOCKHOLM - sweden

Riksutstallningar
Alsngatan 7
5-11641 STOCKHOLM - sweden

Mr ONCE, Ali
ANTALYA - Turkey

Mze MdrIg
ANTALYA - Turkey

Mr RODIEK, Thorsten E, Dr
DUISBURG - FRG

Wilhelm-Lehmbruck-Museum
der stadt Duisburg
Dsseldorfer Slr. 52
0-4100 DUISBURG 1 - BRD

Mr sAETHER, Per
ASEsTRANDA - Norway

sunnm~re

BB

Museum
N-6017 AsEsTRANDA - Norway

Mrs SCHEINER, Tereza C M

RIO DE JANEIRO - Brazil

Assistant Professor of Museology

Rua Peri, 299/301 - J Botanico
22460 RIO DE JANEIRO - Brazil

Ms SCHMIEGEL, Karol
WINTERTHUR, DE - USA

Winterthur Museum

WINTERTHUR, DE 19735 - USA

Mr SEMPER, Robert J, Dr
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - USA

Exploratorium

3601 Lyon Street

SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94123 - USA

Mr SHEA, James M
YORKTOWN, VA - USA

Colonial National Historical Park

National Park Service
P.O. Box 210

YORKTOWN, VA 23690 - USA

Mr SICARD, Daniel H J
SAINT-NAZAIRE - France

Ecomuse de Saint-Nazaire
1e Building, bt. 3 porte 68
Boulevard Ren Coty
F-44600 SAINT-NAZAIRE - France

Ms SIGURDARDOTTIR, Kristin Huld

REYKJAVIK - Iceland

The National Museum of Iceland

P.O. Box 1439
121 REYKJAVIK - Iceland

Mrs SJDBERG-PIETARINEN, Solveig

ABD - Finland

Stampvagen 4 E 143
SF-20540 ABD 54 - Finland

Mr TRIPPS, Manfred W, Prof

HEILBRONN-BDCKINGEN - FRG

Konradweg 10-12
D-7100 HEILBRONN-BDCKINGEN - BRD

Ms ZIMMERMANN, Carla
NEW YORK, NY - USA

Museum Studies Program

New York. University
19 University Place, Suite 308
NEW YORK, NY 10003 - USA

Ms ZUCKER, Barbara Fleisher, Dr

CARBONDALE, IL - USA

Illinois Cooperative Conservation

Program, Morris Library
Southern Illinois University
CARBONDALE, IL 62901 - USA

South African National Gallery

CAPE TOWN - South Africa

Att Ms Marianne HDLSCHER

P.O. Box 2420
CAPE TOWN 8000 - South Africa

89

90

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"

an international debate review on fundamental problems that concern

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"

la revue de dbat international sur les problmes fondamentaux des

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No 1/1980: Museology - science or just practical museum work?

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IcorOM STUDY SERIES - ISS

" preprints of symposia and other scientific activities of the ICOM
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" prprints des symposia et d'autres activits scientifiques du omit
international de l'ICOM pour la musologie - ICOrOM
No. 1

Joint colloquium London 1983

Methodology of museology and professional training
with 10 basic papers, 6 comments and 1 summary, 146 pp.
Colloque joint Londres 1983

(avec le Comit internat.de l' ICOM pour la formation du personnel)

Mthodologie de musologie et la formation professionnelle

10 mmoires de base, 6 commentaires et un rsum, 146 p.

No. 2

Symposium London 1983

Museum - territory - society

with 8 basic papers and 1 comment, 60 pp.

Symposium Londres 1983

Muse - territoire - socit
8 mmoires de base et 1 commentaire, 60 p.

No. 3

Addenda 1 to the London colloquium/symposium 1983

with 1 basic paper, 1 comment to the symposium, and
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1 mmoire de base, 1 commentaire au symposium, et
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No. 4

Addenda 2 to the London symposium 1983

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Annexe 2 au symposium de Londres 1983
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91

92

No. 5

Addenda 3 to the London colloquium 1983

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Annexe 3 au colloque de Londres 1983

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Symposium Leiden 1984

Collecting today for tomorrow
with 17 basic papers, 161 pp.
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Collecter aujourd'hui pour demain
17 mmoires de base, 161 p.

No. 7

Symposium Leiden 1984

Collecting today for tomorrow
Comments and views
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Symposium Leyde 19A4

Collecter aujourd'hui pour demain

Commentaires et points de vue

3 mmoires de base et 4 commentaires, 32 p.

No. 8

Symposium Zagreb 1985

Originals and substitutes in museums

with 1 introductory paper and 24 basic papers, 223 pp.

Symposium Zagreb 1985

Originaux et objets substitutifs dans les muses

1 rflexion d'ouverture et 24~mmoires de base, 223 p.

No. 9

Symposium Zagreb 198~

Originals and substitutes in museums

with 11 comments, 1 introductory reflexions and

5 basic papers, 148 pp.

Symposium Zagreb 1985

Originaux et objets substitutifs dans les muses

11 commentaires, 1 rflexions d'ouverture et

5 mmoires de base, 148 p.

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93