Science for the Nation : Perspectives on the History of the Science Museum

"A engaging history of the British Science Museum, produced to mark the centenary of its separation from the Victoria & Albert Museum in 1909. Rather than simply a narrative history, it uses the key themes of the Science Museums evolution to explore major issues and tensions common to the development of all science and technology museums"-- Provided by publisher Infected By The Bacillus Of Science : The Explosion Of South Kensington / Robert Bud -- The First Years : The Science Museum At War And Peace / Tom Scheinfeldt -- The Science Museum And The Second World War / Thad Parsons Iii -- Ambition And Anxiety : The Science Museum, 1950-1983 / Scott Anthony -- Parallax Error? : A Participant's Account Of The Science Museum, C.1980-c.2000 / Timothy Boon -- Waves Of Change : How The Science Museum's Library Rose, Fell And Rose Again / Nicholas Wyatt -- 'a Worthy And Suitable House' : The Science Museum Buildings And The Temporality Of Space / David Rooney -- Exhibiting Science : Changing Conceptions Of Science Museum Display / Andrew Nahum -- Beyond The Children's Gallery : The Influence Of Children On The Development Of The Science Museum / Anna Bunney -- 'an Effective Organ Of Public Enlightenment' : The Role Of Temporary Exhibitions In The Science Museum / Peter J.t. Morris -- Collecting For The Science Museum : Constructing The Collections, The Culture And The Institution / Robert Bud -- Behind The Scenes : Housing The Collections / John Liffen -- The International Context And The Context Of Internationalism / Tom Scheinfeldt -- Afterword : A Speech Made At The Dinner To Celebrate The Centenary Of The Science Museum On 11 June 2009 By Professor Chris Rapley Cbe, Director Of The Science Museum -- Appendix 1. Temporary (special) Exhibitions, 1912-1983 / Peter J.t. Morris And Eduard Von Fischer -- Appendix 2. Table Of Senior Staff At The Science Museum, 1893-2000 -- Appendix 3. Visitor Figures For The Science Museum, 1909-2008. Edited By Peter J.t. Morris. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Front Matter....Pages i-xxi Introduction....Pages 1-10 Infected by the Bacillus of Science: The Explosion of South Kensington....Pages 11-40 The First Years: The Science Museum at War and Peace....Pages 41-60 The Science Museum and the Second World War....Pages 61-89 Ambition and Anxiety: The Science Museum, 1950–1983....Pages 90-110 Parallax Error? A Participant’s Account of the Science Museum, c.1980–c.2000....Pages 111-135 Waves of Change: How the Science Museum’s Library Rose, Fell and Rose Again....Pages 136-156 ‘A Worthy and Suitable House’: The Science Museum Buildings and the Temporality of Space....Pages 157-175 Exhibiting Science: Changing Conceptions of Science Museum Display....Pages 176-193 Beyond the Children’s Gallery: The Influence of Children on the Development of the Science Museum....Pages 194-211 ‘An Effective Organ of Public Enlightenment’: The Role of Temporary Exhibitions in the Science Museum....Pages 212-249 Collecting for the Science Museum: Constructing the Collections, the Culture and the Institution....Pages 250-272 Behind the Scenes: Housing the Collections....Pages 273-293 The International Context and the Context of Internationalism....Pages 294-311 Afterword: A Speech made at the Dinner to Celebrate the Centenary of the Science Museum on 11 June 2009 by Professor Chris Rapley CBE, Director of the Science Museum....Pages 312-316 Back Matter....Pages 317-350 Machine generated contents note: Preface M.Jackson Introduction P.Morris Infected by the Bacillus of Science: The Explosion of South Kensington R.Bud The Early Years: The Science Museum at War and Peace T.Scheinfeldt The Science Museum and the Second World War T.Parsons III Ambition and Anxiety: The Science Museum, 1950s to 1983 S.Anthony Parallax Error? A Participants Account of the Science Museum, c.1980-c.2000 T.Boon Waves of Change: How The Science Museums Library Rose, Fell and Rose Again N.Wyatt A Worthy and Suitable House Science Museum Buildings and the Temporality of Space D.Rooney Exhibiting Science: Changing Conceptions of Science Museum Display A.Nahum It's Not Just a 'Children's Playground.' The Influence of Children on the Development of the Science Museum A.Bunney An Effective Organ of Public Enlightenment: The Role of Temporary Exhibitions in the Science Museum P.Morris Collecting for the Science Museum: Constructing the Collections, the Culture and the Institution R.Bud Lifting the Stone: Housing the Collections J.Liffen The International Context and the Context of Internationalism T.Scheinfeldt Creating the Most Admired Museum in the World in the Twentieth-First Century C.Rapley A short essay on the Science Museum in the 21st Century. Science for the Nation is a unique look at the history of a great national institution as well as a study of the changing roles of museums and the perceived public role that a museum of science and technology plays within larger society. It illuminates the ways in which we think about the collecting and display of scientific objects, and explores the changing and often difficult relations between the state, business and industry, and museum funding. The essays also examine the Science Museum in the context of other national museums in London, and show the key differences affecting their chosen paths and individual development An engaging study of a great national institution. Essays explore the changing roles of museums and the perceived public role of a museum of science and technology. Illuminates the ways in which we think about the collecting and display of objects and the often difficult relations between the state, business and industry, and museum funding.