Learning objectives
The course aims to help cultural growth of naturalists wishing to carry out their post-graduate activity in nowadays widespread natural history museums and in other exhibition locations.
Prerequisites
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Course unit content
The evolution of the Museum concept and the origin of the great national museums: the British Museum and the Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle. The spread of naturalistic museums worldwide. The naturalistic explorations and the origin of museum collections. <br />
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Examples of explorers and explorations. The geographic societies and the expeditions in order to collect museum specimens.<br />
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The naturalistic collections and their importance for the origin of museums: some examples in Europe and United States. Origin and role of institutions similar to museums: botanic gardens and marine biological stations; their historical origin and evolution. <br />
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The concept of naturalistic collection; their various types and connected problems: present animals, fossil animals, plants. The herbariums. <br />
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Present naturalistic museums. Public and university museums: similarities and differences. Local museums and museums connected to protected areas. Stable and temporary expositions. Presentation of the material collected in relation to the type of public museums and problems about the exposition path. <br />
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Strategies for expositions set up. Evaluation of the visiting public, central and secondary themes. Labels, illustration panels, pictures, models, dioramas. Specimens of primary and secondary importance. Central and peripheral items and pros and cons of spectacular exhibitions.<br />
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Problems connected to cataloguing the collection: Individual variability, sexual dimorphism, evolutionary convergence to be considered when classifying the items. The holotypes.<br />
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Collection, preparation, conservation and restoration, cataloguing techniques.<br />
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Collection of items in the wild and connected problems. Use of the collections and responsibility in relation to threatened or protected species.
Full programme
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Bibliography
Binni L., Pinna G., Museo. Storia e Funzioni di una macchina culturale dal Cinquecento ad oggi. Garzanti, Milano, 1980.(out of print; one copy is available at the Museo di Storia Naturale)<br /><br />Other useful references:<br /><br />Pinna G., Fondamenti teorici per un museo di storia naturale. Jaca Book, Milano, 1997.<br />Zangheri P., Il naturalista esploratore, raccoglitore, preparatore, imbalsamatore. (6th Ed.) Hoepli, Milano, 2001.<br />
Teaching methods
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Assessment methods and criteria
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Other information
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