Museums and American Intellectual Life, 1876-1926

by Steven Conn

During the last half of the nineteenth century, many of the country's most celebrated museums were built. In this original and daring study, Steven Conn argues that Americans, endowed with the belief that knowledge resided in objects themselves, built these institutions with the confidence that they could collect, organize, and display the sum of the world's knowledge. Conn discovers how museums gave definition to different bodies of knowledge and how these various museums helped to shape America's intellectual history.

"Conn is an enthusiastic advocate for his subject, an appealing thinker, an imaginative researcher, a scholar at ease with theory and with empirical evidence." —Ann Fabian, Reviews in American History

"Steven Conn's masterly study of late-nineteenth century American museums transports the reader to a strange and wonderful intellectual universe. . . . At the end of the day, Conn reminds us, objects still have the power to fascinate, attract, evoke, and, in the right context, explain." —Christopher Clarke-Hazlett, Journal of American History

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Academic, Museology

314 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 1998

Reviews

[Grace H. · Rating 4 out of 5]

marking this as read since i did read most of it and took notes. read for thesis but this was actually really interesting and fairly accessibly written. i learned a lot about the development of universities too. lots to ponder about the meaning of education and intellectuality especially relating to art.

[Nina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read it for school, but nonetheless a perfect introduction to the history of museums. These grandiose institutions need to change today to reflect the outside reality and stay relevant. Conn shows how they became temples in the first place.

[Nicole]

Using for my Fall 2024 graduate seminar that's contextualizing an Australian Aboriginal waddy that was on display at the World's Columbian Exposition, then at UVM's Fleming Museum.

[Kristi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Conn argues that American museums founded in the late 19th century were rooted in an object-based epistemology, wherein meaning and knowledge are innately accessible through material objects. Conn examines how a variety of museological institutions framed different fields of knowledge through collection and exhibition practices.More specifically, Conn looks at the differences between natural history, anthropology, history, art, and technology, as each institution attempted to synthesis and disseminate knowledge of the world. Furthermore, he raises questions regarding the epistemological legacies of these institutions for the world of museums an American thought in the 20th century. This is an interesting and useful comparative study of American museums at the turn of the century.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has been sitting on my shelf for ages, and I can't believe it took me so long to pick it up! The basic argument is that during the late 19th century, museums and universities were fighting it out to see who would be the dominant American intellectual institution. How would knowledge be organized? How would the public be taught? The repurcussions of all of this are things museums still struggle with today.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great history of museums in America. Very thoughtful analysis of the changing face of museums around the turn of the century. Continues to be applicable in understanding the role of museums (and knowledge production) in contemporary life.

[Liz De Coster]

Didn't have the content I was hoping for my class, but an interesting skim - maybe somebody I'll get back to it.