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.
Course unit content
ORIGIN OF THE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM: The evolution of Museum concept and of collections. The spread of naturalistic museums worldwide. The naturalistic explorations and the origin of museum collections. The geographic Societies and the expeditions devoted to collect museum specimens. The naturalistic collections and their importance for the origin of museums. The herbariums. Institutions similar to museums: botanic gardens and marine biological stations.
THE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEO: Present naturalistic museums: public, university, local and museums connected to protected areas. Stable and temporary expositions. Presentation of the material collected in relation to the type of public. The exposition path. Strategies for expositions set up and evaluation of the visiting public. Labels, illustration panels, pictures, models, dioramas. Central and peripheral items. The holotype concept and its importance. Cataloguing the collection.
PREPARATION TECHNIQUES: Collection, preparation, conservation and restoration techniques. Collection of items in the wild and connected problems. Use of the collections and responsibility in relation to threatened or protected species.
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 available at the Museo di Storia Naturale)
Cipriani C., Appunti di museologia naturalistica. Firenze University Press, Firenze, 2006.
Pinna G., Fondamenti teorici per un museo di storia naturale. Jaca Book, Milano, 1997.
Zangheri P., Il naturalista esploratore, raccoglitore, preparatore, imbalsamatore. (6a Ed.) Hoepli, Milano, 2001.
Reference books
Lugli A., La stanza delle meraviglie: "Wunderkammern". Allemandi, Torino, 1997.
Mannucci M.P., Minelli A., Viaggi e scoperte. Mondadori, Milano, 1987.
Reale E., I musei scientifici in Italia. Angeli, Milano, 2002.
Sabelli B., Museologia naturalistica. Trent'anni di "bicchieri a metà". Bononia University Press, Bologna, 2010.
Teaching methods
Lecture in classroom and at museum halls
