[MSN] A New Way Forward for U.S. Museums; www.savingantiquities.org

[Museum Security Network Mailing list]

From: Cindy Ho [mailto:cho at savingantiquities.org] 
Sent: dinsdag 5 februari 2008 19:57
To: undisclosed-recipients:
Subject: A New Way Forward for U.S. Museums


This article, by Thomas Noble Howe, Coordinator General, Fondazione
Restoring Ancient Stabiae www.stabiae.org
Herman Brown Professor, Southwestern University is currently featured on the
SAFECORNER blog: http://safecorner.savingantiquities.org/

"A New Way Forward for U.S. Museums"

There is currently exhibit of some 70 repatriated art objects in the Italian
presidential palace, mostly from the Getty, Metropolitan and Boston Museums
("Nostoi, Capolavori ritrovati", at the Quirinal Palace, Rome, 21 December-2
March, 2008, ).

It has a distinctly triumphal quality to it (not without some justification)
but as in any Roman triumph, there are losers. Although I am primarily an
archaeologist, the first impression was the loss of the great amount of work
that it took those museums to gather funds, seek and assemble objects into
parts of a coherent collection. But the second impression-the archaeologist
speaking-was to see that around every object on display there is a penumbra
of destruction: looted tombs, lost association with other objects, dating
material, findspot and hence cultural context.

Read the full article and post your comments on
http://safecorner.savingantiquities.org/2008/02/new-way-forward-for-us-museu
ms.html


SAFE/Saving Antiquities for Everyone (www.savingantiquities.org) creates
educational programs and media campaigns to raise public awareness about the
importance of preserving cultural heritage worldwide. SAFE is a coalition of
professionals in communications, media, and advertising working alongside
experts in the academic,  legal and law enforcement communities. SAFE is a
non-profit organization and has no political affiliations.