"A museum is a community service that displays and preserves objects of significance."
A examination of the life histories of museum objects, including their acquisition, use, and display. It explores the meanings and values attached to objects by different communities and the ways in which these meanings may change over time.
Object Biography: This refers to the study of an object's life, its relationship with people, the events that it has witnessed and its significance. In museum anthropology, this is a popular research technique to understand the cultural and social history of an object.
Material Culture: It is a field that deals with physical objects, their creation, use, and meaning. It is an excellent starting point to learn about object biographies since it emphasizes the importance of objects in human culture.
Anthropology: This deals with the study of humans and human societies in various cultural, social, and linguistic aspects. It emphasizes the importance of culture, social norms, and community to understand the meaning of objects.
Cultural Heritage: It refers to the tangible and intangible culture passed down from generations, and how it connects people to their past. Object Biography helps in preserving these heritage objects with rich cultural significance.
Museum Studies: This is a field that deals with the management, preservation, interpretation, and exhibition of cultural and historical artifacts. Object Biography can be an important tool to make a museum exhibition more interactive and engaging.
Archaeology: This field deals with the study of humanity's past through material remains. Object Biography can be used to study the cultural and social context of archaeological artifacts.
Social History: This field focuses on the study of social and cultural practices in a specific period. Object Biography can be a useful tool to study the social history of an object.
Materiality: This refers to the physical properties of an object and how they influence its meaning and significance. Object Biography emphasizes the materiality of objects as a crucial aspect of its biographical study.
Personal History: This is the study of the individual's life and its social and cultural context. Object Biography can be used to study the personal history of an object, its role in the individual's life, and value to society.
Aesthetics: This deals with the study of beauty and artistic expression in cultural and social contexts. Object Biography can be used to study objects' aesthetic qualities and how they reflect social and cultural values.
Globalization: This refers to the interconnectedness of cultures and societies across the world. Object Biography can be used to study the impact of globalization on material culture and social practices.
Conservation and Preservation: This field deals with the preservation and conservation of cultural artifacts. Object Biography can help in the management of conservation and preservation strategies for objects with heritage value.
Historical Biographies: Historical biographies are object biographies which focus on the life and use of an object in a specific historical context. The objects in such biographies can range from everyday objects to artifacts of ceremonial significance. Historical biographies are usually well-researched, and include a great deal of detail about the object and the era in which it was created.
Material Biographies: Material biographies focus on the material composition and properties of an object. Such biographies are often used to understand the social world of the object, such as its connections to specific communities or cultures. Material biographies might focus on the ways that an object's properties (e.g. its shape, size, and color) relate to its significance.
Personal Biographies: Personal biographies tell the story of an object from the perspective of its owner or user. Such biographies are often used to explore the relationships between people and objects, and might shed light on issues of identity, class or gender. Personal biographies can be especially useful in understanding changes in an object’s meaning over time.
Environmental Biographies: Environmental biographies explore the ways in which natural environments shape and are shaped by human-made objects. Such biographies might focus on the ways in which objects are shaped by climate, geology, or topography. Environmental biographies might also explore how human-made objects impact the natural environment, and how they might be impacted by environmental changes.
Technical Biographies: Technical biographies focus on the ways in which an object was created, used, and maintained. Such biographies might include information on the materials, tools, and techniques used in object construction, as well as the specific skills needed to create, maintain, and use an object. Technical biographies can help to contextualize an object’s meaning and significance.
Cultural Biographies: Cultural biographies explore the ways in which objects are connected to wider cultural systems. Such biographies might look at the ways in which an object reflects or challenges cultural values, beliefs, or practices. Cultural biographies might also explore the role of objects in ritual, ceremony, or other cultural practices.
Symbolic Biographies: Symbolic biographies explore an object's symbolic significance, often using a semiotic approach. Such biographies might focus on the symbolic meanings attributed to different elements of an object (e.g. color, shape, texture). Symbolic biographies can help to contextualize an object’s meaning and significance within larger cultural frameworks.
"Many museums have exhibitions of these objects in public display"
"Compared to a library, a museum hosts a much wider range of objects..."
"...usually focus around a specific theme such as the arts, science, natural history, local history, and other topics."
"Public museums that host exhibitions and interactive demonstrations are often considered to be tourist attractions."
"Museums have been associated with academia and the preservation of rare items."
"Museums originated as private collections of interesting items..."
"Only much later did the emphasis on educating the public take root."
"Many museums attract large numbers of visitors from outside their host country..."
"Some have private collections that are used by researchers and specialists."
"Since the establishment of the earliest known museum in ancient times..."
"Museums...preserve objects of significance."
"Many museums have exhibitions of these objects in public display..."
"The most visited museums in the world regularly attracting millions of visitors annually."
"Museums usually focus around a specific theme such as the arts, science, natural history, local history, and other topics."
"Some have private collections that are used by researchers and specialists."
"Museums originated as private collections...and only much later did the emphasis on educating the public take root."
"...focus around a specific theme such as...local history..."
"Many museums attract large numbers of visitors from outside their host country..."
"Public museums that host exhibitions and interactive demonstrations are often considered to be tourist attractions."