Fascinating quotes from David Fleming's recent review of James Cuno's 'Museums Matter', as the review was published in the March issue of 'Museums Journal':
"Cuno's thesis rests on his belief that the encyclopedic museum is a "cosmopolitan" institution that gathers examples of the world's diverse cultures under a single roof. This enables the consideration of the relationships between them, and allows the encyclopedic museum to dissipate ignorance and superstition and promote tolerance. This is a seductive point of view: the encyclopedic museum as bringer of international peace. My 10-year-old daughter Ruby would sign up for that vision, because she loves museums and she believes in world peace (she also loves babies and puppies too). If only little things such as national, ethnic and cultural self-determination, and geography and noisy, democratically elected foreign politicians, didn't get in the way of this utopian vision . . . This is an interesting, chatty and provocative little book, full of opinion and cultural insight. It may not be very convincing, but it's well worth a read, if only to marvel at Cuno's blend of passion, self-righteousness, disdain and paranoia: attributes no museum director should be without." (p.56)
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. . . As pleased as I am to see someone admirably taking a stand and speaking/writing their mind, with an exceedingly entertaining and well-spoken (if scathingly sardonic) argument, I find myself searching the heavens (for the other spiked-soled shoe to drop)!
Oh! And I LOVE the editor's 'understated' introductory subtitle for this piece:
'David Fleming is skeptical about this defence of the encyclopedic museum' . . .
'Scuse, 'skeptical', Maurice? :D
Overall, brilliant reading! I am very much looking forward to the next issue . . .
