Museum and Museology
CREDIT DISTRIBUTION, ELIGIBILITY AND PRE-REQUISITES OF
THE COURSE
Course title Credits Credit distribution of Eligibilit Pre-regquisite of the
&Code the ycriteria course
course (if any)
LecturTutoria Practical/
Practice
Museum and 2 1 1
Museology
Learning Objectives
The objective this paper is to introduce and provide basic understanding about Museum and
Museology as a discipline. Through this paper the students will be exposed to various aspects of
museum history- (museum movement in India, particularly), its functioning, types and purpose. It
will highlight the role of the museum as an important centre for preservation and dissemination of
knowledge. This paper is of particular value to those who are seeking careers as curators, art
collectors, researchers and conservators.
Learning outcomes
Upon completion of this course the student shall be able to:
Understand museum as a resource center.
Understand the historical process of institutionalization of archaeology and
culture through museums.
Develop an insight into the various roles of museum an organizer, preserver
and manager of artifacts.
And how museum is an effective center for dissemination of knowledge and
information, and space for dialogue and interaction.
Also develop some understanding about new museums.
A student having studied this course will be skilled in culture and tourism based
industries: possible employment includes tour guides, archaeology assistants,
archivist, jobs in art galleries, museums, auction houses, researchers in NGOs
and other institutions, culture and art based writing and journalismand on social media
SYLLABUS:
Unit I 7 Weeks
(i) Definition and meaning of Museum and Museology.
(ii) History of museums in India- Colonial to post independence.
Research based project (any two): History of- National Museum/ IndianMuseum/ Salar Jung
Museum/Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrhalay
(ii) A brief introduction to New Museology
Unit |l 7 Weeks
(i) Various functions of a museum- Collection, documentation (manual, digital and
photographic), preventive conservation and exhibition.
(ii) Types of museums
Practical/Project: Visit any one museum to understand the nature and scope of its collection
and exhibition techniques National Museum/ Redfort Archaeological Museum/National
Craft Museum and Hastkala Academyl National Gallery of Modern Art/ National Science
Centre /Gandhi Smriti Museum/Delhi Sulabh International Museum of Toilet/ Sanskriti
Kendra (individual/ group assignments may be designed and assigned on one of these
museums)
3-5 Days for Museum visit and field work.
Practical component (if any) - 50% practical component
Essential/recommended readings
Essential/recommended readings
Unit I:
This unit introduces students to the concept of Museum and Museology. With the help of
International Council of Museum (1COM) definitions - meaning. purpose and changing roles
of museum can be understood. Unit will look into the history of colonial museums and their
transformation into National Museums in the post-independence era. With the help of case
studies of various national museums and their making, theirhistorical trajectory can be studied
and understood in the background of the museum movement in India. Provide a brief
introduction to the concept of new museology and how new museums became an agent of
change in the Museum world.
Burdhan, Anand (2017), Colonial Museum: An Inner History, Research
IndiaPress, Delhi
Choudhary, R. D. (1988). Museums of India and their Maladies. Calcutta:
AgamPrakashan.
Desvaltees, Andre, Francas Mairesse Arrond Cown (2010), Key concept
inMuseology ICOM-2010, Paris.
Dwivedi, V P, Museums and Museology: New Horizons. Agam Kala Prakashan
Guha-Thakurta, Tapati. (2004). Objects, Histories: Institution of Art in
ColonialIndia, New York: Columbia University Press.
Mathur, Saloni. (2007). India by Design: Colonial History and Cultural
Display.Berkley: University of California
Mathur, Saloni. (2000)."Living Ethnological Exhibits: The Case of 1886", Cultural
Anthropology, Vol. 15 No. 4, pp 492-524
HEIY, fRIq aET (201 9). HUglcY â 3ÌT, Helle GGR0GIH, Tlß ¿Goc
Tiwari, Usha Rani and Pandey, Aarti. 2016. dd HUFOTTTAaT. Kala Prakashan
" Vergo, Peter, (1997)New Museology. Germany: Reaktion Books.
Unit Il:
In this unit various functions of museum are to be studied. With the help of examplesand case
studies, types of Museums and their features will be discussed. By studying the nature of the
collection and the exhibition methods student shall be able to identify the museum types.
Aggarwal, 0. P. (2006). Essentials of Conservation and Museology, Delhi:
Sundeep Prakashan.
Agrawal, O.P. (Translation: Tiwari, R.P.) (2012) T+cOlY HIHt 3T heIT
Tq3it TqTUT, Delhi.
Dean, David and Gary. Edson (1994) Handbook for Museums, Routledge.
Dwivedi, VP, Museums and Museology: New Horizons. Agam Kala Prakashan
" Jain, Sanjay (1999), A f H 0T AçRfqotarAv5
4KT, Kanika Prakashan, New Delhi
Munsuri, Shahida. Museums, Museology and New Museology. India:
Readworthy Press Corporation, 2018.
Nair, S. N. (2011). Bio-Deterioration of Museum Materials, Calcutta: Agam
Prakashan
Suggestive readings
Museum:
Ambrose Timothy, Paine Crispin (1993, 2006),Museum Basics, Routledge
Burdhan, Anand (2017), Museological Pedagogy: Colonial Politics versus
People's Museography. Research India Press
Bedekar. V. H, New Museology, Museum Association of India, New Delhi
Dwivedi, VP, Museums and Museology: New Horizons. Agam Kala Prakashan
Macdonald, S. (Ed). (2010). The politics of display: Museums, science,
culture. Routledge.London
