Why art galleries and museums see a drop in popularity?

Much of the debate about who could visit museums in Britain during the nineteenth century was centered around economic and class issues. The Industrial Revolution had a profound impact on the nature of work, and consequently, the urban and social structure. British industrialists felt under pressure from goods imported from colonies (Indian cotton, perhaps) and manufacturing innovations in other European countries (especially France), that threatened to replace their products. The same happened to nearly every Georgia museum of art. Their citizen-laborers were given better access to imported goods to allow them to study, copy, and challenge them. A large display of goods could also stimulate consumer appetites, which would increase demand and, consequently, production.

 

These ambitions led to the birth of the first international trade fair, London’s Great Exhibition. It was held in 1851 at the newly constructed Crystal Palace. The enormous structure of iron, glass and steel was a wonder, with over 100,000 exhibitions. The organizers tried to balance wonder and education by dividing the displays according to geography (nations and colonies) and technologies. Their target audience included artisans and craftsmen, who were previously excluded from the elite museums, but who eagerly joined the crowds at the Exhibition.

 

The organizers sought to balance spectacle and wonder with an educational agenda. This trade fair was a huge success. It paid great attention to the installation. Visitors were encouraged not to touch but to carefully look at the items on display. There were many explanation materials, such as written labels, demonstrations by attendants, and lectures. Henry Mayhew, a writer, described the Crystal Palace in his description as a gigantic schoolhouse. This was a far cry from the impassible museums of the time.

Today’s art museums

It was also accepted that an art museum could be morally acceptable for helping uprooted and itinerant urban dwellers. Some progressive Americans saw museums in the late nineteenth century and early 20th centuries as safe gathering places. They were reliable alternatives to the beer halls and taverns that could otherwise attract and corrupt vulnerable newcomers to the big cities. John Cotton Dana, an innovator at the Newark Museum, was the one who found the balance between a museum that could improve the lives of city dwellers through teaching them upper-class values and one that allowed visitors access the collections on their terms.