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This article explores some of the ways in which contemporary poets are tracing the roots and routes via which objects have come to, and continue to, reside within the walls of the museum. Focusing on poetic mediations of British Museums — on the Museum of London, the Manchester Museum, and the British Museum — the article analyses the works of Bernardine Evaristo, Inua Ellams, and Daljit Nagra. These poetic mediations can be read as literary archaeologies — as the concept is used by Evaristo — which speak to the histories, movements, and contemporaneous moments of colonial encounter that take place within the institution of the museum. The article moves to consider the way in which literary archaeologies might chart both a history of migration — looking at Bernardine Evaristo's The Emperor's Babe — and the migration of objects which are displayed in museums in Britain — with a focus on Inua Ellams's poem Tusk — before going on to examine the museum as institution, as it is presented in Daljit Nagra's collection British Museum. Setting these distinct, but complementary poetic interventions alongside one another, the article asks: how do these literary archaeologies respond to the histories and present-day stories told by — and about — British museums in the twenty-first century? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This contribution, which sits at the intersection of translation studies and museum studies (MS), seeks to explore multiple forms of interpretation developed by museums, whereby interpretation is considered, from an MS perspective, as a variety of museum aids creating a context and conveying mediated meanings about the objects on display. The focus is on individual interpretative texts produced by an Italian art gallery, the Pinacoteca di Brera, as the results of various interpretation processes about the same piece of art: the traditional label, the online description, the general audio guide, and the audio description for the blind and the visually impaired (the latter comprising both the visual description itself and the art historical description). A selection of texts in Italian and their translations into English describing four artworks from the museum collection are compared in a bid to shed light on the distinct layers of interpretation and ways of translating and representing the objects for different expected audiences through intralingual, interlingual, and intersemiotic translation practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the significance of gender in understanding the formation of Indian collections in European museums, and how the activities of a single collector sheds light on the role of the individual and wider society. It focuses on Annie Marion Rivett-Carnac's (1843–1935) contribution to multiple European museums over a period of over forty years. She amassed a personal collection of 6,000 to 8,000 items, brought together during her life in India alongside her husband. Her assemblage consisted of Indian body ornaments, jewellery, and items used in religious and daily practices, which she used to form networks with eminent figures in anthropology and ethnography in Europe, some outside of Britain's traditional networks of British imperial collectors. While her husband has a prominent presence through his donations to museums, membership of learned societies and publications, little is known about her. Her contributions to museum collections in Britain, Germany and Sweden have largely gone unstudied, which this article seeks to address. It argues that Rivett-Carnac used her collections and the emergence of ethnography in Europe and British India as a way to position herself as a serious and respected scholar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, data presented of birds of prey (Accipitriformes, Falconiformes) specimens deposited in the collection of the Šariš Museum in Bardejov (SMB), Slovakia. The work builds on previous studies highlighting the importance of the SMB museum collections, but also the importance of the museum on a global scale. In total, data of 437 individuals belonging to 22 species from 86 sites in eastern Slovakia were evaluated. Individuals were acquired in 1954–1985 (and two specimens of Buteo buteo in 1998), but mainly in 1962 (n = 63, 14.4%) and 1963 (n = 32, 7.3%). Moreover, one specimen of the Common Buzzard (B. buteo) had signs of „a dilution (isabel)" and one bird of the Western Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus) had signs of „melanism". The importance of the work also includes cataloguing, which provides important data on regional museums and their collections that can be significant not only regionally but also globally. Moreover, in the SMB collections there are also 20 specimens of 15 species of exotic Accipitriformes and Falconiformes [1 ex. – Accipiter striatus; 1 ex. – Buteo buteo; 1 ex. – B. ventralis; 1 ex. – Buteogallus gundlachii; 1 ex. – B. meridionalis; 1 ex. – Caracara plancus; 1 ex. – Elanoides forficatus; 5 ex. – Falco sparverius; 1 ex. – Geranoaetus polyosoma; 1 ex. – Gyps africanus; 1 ex. – Haliaeetus albicilla; 2 ex. – Ictinia plumbea; 1 ex. – Pandion haliaetus; 1 ex. – Rupornis magnirostris; 1 ex. – Vultur gryphus] originating mainly from Argentina and Cuba as well from Africa and Hungary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Andaman and Nicobar archipelago in the Bay of Bengal has been the home of three sects of people and cultures, namely, the natives, hybrids of convicts, and recent immigrants. The initial inhabitation of the islands is known through the study of shell middens and subsequent peopling by early ethnographic accounts and contemporary issue-based studies. The artifact-centric cultural inferences from such excavation reports, ethnographic accounts, material evidence, and living traditions are of immense value in understanding the cultural history of the archipelago. The cultural inferences derived from such studies under five categories—(a) settlements of the coast and the inland, (b) midden artifacts and native practices, (c) osseous trophies and wooden sculptures, (d) pottery and division of labor, and (e) seasons and preservation practices—are of ethnoarchaeological significance, despite the theoretical debate to consider the erstwhile ethnographic studies and museum collections as evidence for ethnoarchaeological interpretation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, I highlight the insights gained by tracing the biography of one single object in the museum collection: a mummified woman. Her trajectory is followed from her original resting place in present-day Taltal, Chile, to the University of Kiel in Germany, and finally to the National Museums of World Culture in Gothenburg, Sweden. The article discusses how the woman has been traded as a collectors' item and research commodity, and how she has been exhibited at the museum. By mapping the afterlife of the mummified woman from Taltal, we can discuss effective methods for conducting provenance research at collection-based institutions. Additionally, we can examine the lingering remnants of controversial ideologies within these collections and how they are addressed today. Moreover, the article aims to underscore the challenging disparity between personal knowledge and documented knowledge within museums. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of International Journal for Tourism, Archeology & Hospitality (IJTAH) is the property of Beni Suef University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In 1879, the United States funded care for the records of government-funded geological, ethnographic and archaeological explorations in the American West, in what later became known as the Bureau of American Ethnology (BAE) within the Smithsonian Institution. But who was doing the organizing of library and archival sources so integral to this scientific mission? This article highlights eight women working in the Bureau of American Ethnology library and archives in the early 20th century, including head librarians and archivists Jesse Thomas, Ella Leary, Miriam Ketchum, Carol Jopling, Mae Tucker, and Margaret Blaker, as well as library assistants Louvenia Russell and Ella Slaughter, who were classified as laborers but also conducted library work for the Bureau. We suggest that each of these women served as "glass shoulders," creating an administrative and scholarly infrastructure that enabled the work of others, even as they advocated for their own value within the Bureau and the wider museum structure. In focusing on how librarians and archivists care for museum collections, we also examine how their work remains almost invisible in museum circles. Telling these stories enables us to honor the work of librarians and archivists in creating and curating museum histories, and to consider how this labor and expertise can be recognized and highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the library and museum of Malek institute (MNLMI), a cultural institution in Tehran, Iran, that preserves and displays a rich collection of manuscripts and historical artworks. The article explores how the MNLMI combines the perspectives and functions of libraries and museums to create a comprehensive and dynamic cultural space. The article also discusses the types and features of manuscripts, such as legal, liturgical, encyclopedic, and literary manuscripts, and how they reflect the Iranian heritage and civilization. The article analyzes the challenges and opportunities of the MNLMI in terms of conservation, digitization, publication, and outreach. The article concludes with some suggestions and recommendations for improving the situation and performance of the MNLMI, and for enhancing the cultural awareness and appreciation of its visitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the dozen or so years of its existence the Artist in Residence (AiR) program at the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) has brought numerous emerging and established artists into the daily workings of the museum, inviting resident artists to explore and engage with the AGO's collections, staff and public programs as they develop their projects. Support for a process of research-creation is fundamental to the opportunity offered by the residency. As a foundational component of the museum's research infrastructure, the AGO's Edward P. Taylor Library & Archives has played a key role in the residency program, allowing strategies of reading, citation and documentation to emerge as central themes in the cumulative body of residency projects, and allowing in turn for the possibility of project documentation to enter the archival record of the museum. Drawing on interviews with selected past artists in residence, this paper will provide an account of how the involvement of librarians and archivists, and the availability of library and archival resources in the museum have shaped the trajectory of the AiR program at the AGO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Typically, museums are seen as the primary venue for exhibitions. However, an interest in library exhibitions has been growing as indicated by increased literature in the library field, albeit with a large focus on academic libraries. On a broader scale, library exhibitions continue to be under-researched as indicated by the continuing lack of library exhibition evaluation standards, library exhibition reviews, and exhibition-related professional training for librarians. In this 2021 study, interviews were conducted at eight Washington, DC-based art museum libraries: The National Gallery of Art, The National Museum of Women in the Arts, The American Art and Portrait Gallery, The Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, The National Museum of African Art, The Phillips Collection, and the George Washington University Textile Museum. This paper is an examination of the current state of exhibitions in art museum libraries and aims to establish a set of best practices to help foster the production of art museum library exhibitions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Museologia e Patrimônio is the property of Museologia e Patrimonio and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

More than tools for managing physical and digital objects, museum collection management systems (CMS) serve as platforms for structuring, integrating, and making accessible the rich data embodied by natural history collections. Here we describe Arctos, a scalable community solution for managing and publishing global biological, geological, and cultural collections data for research and education. Specific goals are to: (1) Describe the core features and implementation of Arctos for a broad audience with respect to the biodiversity informatics principles that enable high quality research; (2) Highlight the unique aspects of Arctos; (3) Illustrate Arctos as a model for supporting and enhancing the Digital Extended Specimen concept; and (4) Emphasize the role of the Arctos community for improving data discovery and enabling cross-disciplinary, integrative studies within a sustainable governance model. In addition to detailing Arctos as both a community of museum professionals and a collection database platform, we discuss how Arctos achieves its richly annotated data by creating a web of knowledge with deep connections between catalog records and derived or associated data. We also highlight the value of Arctos as an educational resource. Finally, we present the financial model of fiscal sponsorship by a nonprofit organization, implemented in 2022, to ensure the long-term success and sustainability of Arctos. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Linked open data on collection agents contribute to increased discoverability, accessibility and transparency of natural history collections. Despite major efforts to digitise and open up museum and university object collections, related information is often stored in internal resources. This paper describes a project conducted at the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin (MfN) contributing to its collection disclosure and development initiatives. Information on historical collectors and other collection agents was transferred from the internal MfN collector wiki to Wikidata. For a total of 600 collection agents, existing Wikidata items were enriched or new items created. Special emphasis was put on linking these people to the Museum, to document their affiliation with the MfN, its collection and its archive. Within the project, an open participatory approach was taken. Several Wikidata edit-a-thons were organised to test this collaborative and innovative format for possible future application by the Museum. By opening up institutional silos and openly sharing data on agents connected to museum holdings, these data become more widely accessible and reusable, for example, as a resource for transdisciplinary provenance research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Application of metadata and ontology technology in the information management of ancient Chinese ceramics • Construction of metadata schema and ontology for ancient Chinese ceramics. • Use the collections in the Nankai University Museum as research samples and practical cases. • Visualization of the structure of ontology in terms of the Kang Xi Polychrome Cup with Winter Jasmine in the Nankai University Museum. In the era of digital information, metadata, and ontology technology have increasingly promoted the information management and utilization of museum collections. As one of the most important collection categories in Chinese and even the world's historical museums, the information management of ancient Chinese ceramics has made some progress, but there are still some shortcomings as well. Based on the current need for the information management and utilization of ancient Chinese ceramics, the article used the ceramics in the Nankai University Museum as research samples, constructing the Metadata of Ancient Chinese Ceramics through the comprehensive analysis, integration, and improvement of existing metadata. Moreover, based on that, the study reused and expanded the CIDOC CRM to establish "the Ontology of Ancient Chinese Ceramics" through Protégé, with 20 pieces of ceramics in the Nankai University Museum being added as instances. Last but not least, the study took the Kang Xi Polychrome Cup with Winter Jasmine as an instance and presented its knowledge map through visualization to demonstrate the structure of "the Ontology of Ancient Chinese Ceramics" more clearly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In February 2023, the Manchester Museum opened its new South Asia Gallery. Co-curated by a collective - 'individuals from British Asian communities in and around Manchester and fellow experts', the gallery encapsulates a unique curatorial spirit, and challenges traditional spatial juxtapositions in museum spaces. This review explores the collection and spatial experience of the gallery, examining the relationship between content and curatorial priorities. The gallery stands out in its unique telling of a people's history of large-scale global events, in the ways it traces the relationship between the everyday and empire, and between belongings and artefacts. This however brings with it certain lacunas in the 'global' connections of South Asia, and the need for future opportunities to explore under-represented voices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many larger museums and archives have begun to implement a centralized approach to digitization of collections by creating Digitization Coordinator positions. This new effort has initiated a singular vision for digitization that incorporates priorities, workflows, and resources to greatly improve the efficiency and throughput of digitization in collections. Smaller institutions are now starting to see the benefit of creating a more structured cross-disciplinary approach to digitization, allowing for better awareness and resourcing of digitization needs. The workshop brought together natural sciences digitization professionals from the USA and EU, highlighting lessons learned and best practices to realize the benefits of a coordinated approach including advocacy for digitization, accelerating digitization efficiency and, ultimately, increasing digital collections access and usability to address societal challenges, such as biodiversity decline. Insights, lessons learned and initial thoughts on best practices are described, and the supporting workshop resources are shared so that others can benefit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Australian collecting institutions and heritage agencies have been returning Ancestral Remains and secret-sacred objects to Australian First Nations communities for over 30 years. In recent years, calls for repatriation have expanded to include what have often been called 'secular' objects. This paper considers the varying levels of sacredness potentially inherent in the types of 'traditional' secular objects that are characteristic of many museum collections. In museum collection management typologies, objects are often divided into discrete categories of secular, ceremonial and sacred. This paper considers how the divide between sacred and secular objects is actually far more complex, with associated impacts for collection management and repatriation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The digital inventory of paleontological material stored in Chilean museums is highly relevant as it increases accessibility to information, both locally and over long distances, while reducing wear and tear on specimens caused by physical manipulation. The Fossil Collection database of the Museum of Zoology of the University of Concepción (UCC_MZUC_FOS) includes 144 records, with the main representatives being marine invertebrates of the Bivalvia, Echinoidea and Gastropoda classes. Notable species include Encope calderensis, Hemiaster wayensis, Zygochlamys patagonica and Retrotapes exalbidus, most of which come from important Chilean fossil sites. Material was collected between 1970 and 2017, with a large portion of it being donated and identified by Professor Emeritus Hugo I. Moyano and Dr. Alberto Larraín. Although the specimens contained in the resource offer basic collecting information, they substantially contribute to sharing knowledge on the fossils kept in the museums throughout the country, while providing data on their distribution. New information: This resource corresponds to the first publication of data on faunal fossils from a museum collection in Chile on the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) platform, thereby enhancing the understanding and documentation of Chile's paleontological heritage and its national biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay locates a late 19th-century category of objects variously named as 'industrial' or 'decorative arts' within the specifically imperial institutional circuit of the World Exhibitions. Taking up a segment of the World Exhibitions of the 1880s, it traces a history which connects the three cities of Calcutta, London and Glasgow and creates a trail of travelling exhibits and museum collections of this most proliferating category of objects. It follows in particular the career of the Bengali exhibition commissioner and museum curator Trailokya Nath (T.N.) Mukharji and the anthology he compiled on the Art-Manufactures of India for the Glasgow International Exhibition of 1888 to map a specific network of commissioning, collecting, cataloguing and documenting India's 'art-manufactures'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban sculptures have long been a reflection of the cultural and historical identity of a city, serving as both artistic expressions and landmarks. The application of deep learning in the context of sculptures within urban areas presents an intriguing intersection of art and technology. Deep learning algorithms, particularly those related to computer vision, have the capacity to analyze and understand the intricate details of sculptures. This paper presented a efficient 3D-AWE (3D-Weighted Architecture Estimation) in the analysis of urban sculptures. In an era where the preservation and interpretation of cultural heritage are of paramount importance, this study investigates the potential of advanced technology to enhance understanding of artistic and historical artifacts within urban environments. The proposed 3DAWE model uses the weighted estimation with computation of the pixels in the scupturs. Additionally, the proposed 3D-AWE model uses the min-max estimation model for the computation of the features in the images. With the estimated features the deep learning through weighted model for the analysis of the sculptures. The research focuses on the accurate classification of urban sculptures into specific styles and periods, such as Baroque, Renaissance, Modernist, Abstract, Ancient, and Contemporary. Utilizing precision, recall, F1 Scores, and overall accuracy, the study highlights the model's ability to minimize errors and provide reliable categorization. Furthermore, the application of 3D-AWE for feature extraction reveals quantifiable representations of sculpture attributes, offering valuable insights for sculpture categorization, similarity analysis, and the automated management of museum collections. The implications of these findings extend to art history, cultural heritage preservation, and urban planning, underscoring the significance of advanced technology in efforts to safeguard and interpret cultural legacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyzed the morphology of the legs and feet of chairs from the Ming and Qing Dynasties using statistics, and the characteristics were presented in a data-based mode. With furniture samples collected from museums as the research object, the performances of chair legs and feet from different periods were analyzed using cross-analysis and chi-square tests in SPSS 22.0 to find out if statistically significant differences existed. The results show no statistical difference in the morphology of legs and feet of side chairs and armchairs with curved rest from different periods, while significant statistical differences exist in the morphology of the legs and feet of armchairs from the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The results can help people to have a deeper understanding of the legs and feet of chairs from the Ming and Qing Dynasties on a rational cognition level and provide new ideas for the inheritance and innovation of such furniture in modern times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Museologica Brunensia is the property of Masaryk University, Faculty of Arts and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article presents the results of the 'Labour Heritage Thesaurus' project which aimed at applying concepts in the area of anthropology and work history to the practice of cultural institutions. The project was realized in regard to the under-representation of labour in discussion on heritage in Poland. The analyzed initiative consisted in building a glossary for the Museum of Engineering and Technology, Krakow, in order to re-conceptualise its collections and introduce the hitherto omitted contexts. The authors present the objectives of the project, the methods of cooperation, as well as its result in the form of a set of keywords. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores a recent trend in Estonian museums -- the increase in the auxiliary collections against the background of the general slowdown in the development of the main collections. The article demonstrates that the rise of auxiliary collections occurred because of the tension between the regime of eternal preservation supported by the national heritage practice and the new museum practice of active collections implemented by the museums. Based on a study of 20 state-administered museums, the article examines the ambivalent status of the auxiliary collection by juxtaposing its legal and practice-based conceptualisations. The article will demonstrate that auxiliary collections confer on museums the necessary buffer zone to navigate the state's regulations and the lack of resources. In the context of the eternal preservation regime, an auxiliary collection is a liminal collection waiting to be made meaningful by administrative, curatorial, and preservation processes. However, auxiliary collections tend to dominate exhibitions and programs that understand heritage as emerging through active co-creation and sensory engagement. The rise of the significance of auxiliary collections can be anticipated vis-à-vis the national heritage repository plans as they offer solution for museums to maintain their relevance in the local communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although it is recognised that the values of performative heritage are intangible, this has not, unfortunately, affected the ways in which theatre heritage is appreciated in museums. The Aeschylus Museum, proposed for the site of the Palaio Elaiourgeiou in Elefsina, Greece, suggests collections-free programming to promote the plays of the ancient tragedian Aeschylus (525–456 BCE), born in the town. A combination of performances, digital programming, and hands-on workshops seek to engage more deeply with visitors' lives, relating material in a way that does not simply valorise quarantined material remains. Complementing earlier research on the museum's programming methodology , this article addresses the more specific concerns of establishing a museum with the proposed pedagogical approach. Through semi-structured interviews with the local community, benchmark analyses of similar institutions, and values assessments of the community and plays, we consider how the museum could meet local expectations and promote meaningful experiences. Provided that programming appeals to these values and engages critically with visitors, the museum's collections-free approach presents a significant opportunity for museum studies. On indefinite hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Aeschylus Museum offers a novel approach for achieving museums' institutional ideals through collections-free programming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The book "Heritage Dynamics—Understanding and Adapting to Change in Diverse Heritage Contexts" by Kalliopi Fouseki explores the concept of heritage as a constantly evolving and renewable resource. Fouseki argues that heritage is subject to change, transformation, and adaptation, while also acknowledging the potential for stagnation and permanence. The book introduces a "heritage dynamics" approach, which conceptualizes heritage as a complex system of interactions between various factors. The book includes six case studies that illustrate the application of this framework in different heritage contexts. The author emphasizes the importance of participatory practice and challenges traditional notions of linear time and the preservation of heritage. Overall, the book encourages a shift towards a more creative and adaptive approach to heritage management. [Extracted from the article]

Copyright of Museologica Brunensia is the property of Masaryk University, Faculty of Arts and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article explores the relationship between amber and heritage tourism, utilizing Poland as an illustrative context. Amber, a form of fossilized resin, holds significant importance across a multitude of fields, such as science, culture, and economy, having been used as a material by artists, craftsmen, and jewelers for centuries. Today, amber draws visitors to locations where it is found and to institutions that display amber collections, such as museums and galleries. Furthermore, it is an essential component of various events, including exhibitions, fairs, and amber fishing competitions. Amber also forms the foundation of many tourist routes, such as the renowned Amber Route. Owing to its deep ties with cultural heritage, amber is considered a central attraction within amber-based heritage tourism. This paper examines the current contribution of amber to the development of heritage tourism. The authors conducted a literature analysis, online source queries, evaluations of institutions (e.g., museums), and personal observations to address the topic. The article is divided into eight sections, each highlighting different aspects of the investigated subject, ultimately suggesting an adaptation of Timothy and Boyd's (2003) model to illustrate the development of amber-based heritage tourism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on analyzing the websites of three prominent national museums in Romania, Bulgaria, and Serbia. These websites are examined within the broader context of the cultural institutions' activities, as they hold significant importance in the cultural infrastructure of their respective neighboring Balkan countries. A comparison table is utilized to establish evaluation criteria for the digital platforms, with a particular emphasis on content. The article extensively characterizes the sections dedicated to the main and temporary exhibitions, which play a crucial role in facilitating digital engagement with both existing and potential audiences. The chosen approaches for showcasing museum teams and collections are also scrutinized. In addition, gaps and inconsistencies are identified by comparing these websites with others in the museum domain. The evaluation of video materials and digital tours of the exhibitions adheres to the high standards set by modern digital technologies in the cultural sector. Consequently, the article concludes by formulating three recommendations aimed at enhancing the websites of the national history museums in Bulgaria, Romania, and Serbia. These recommendations are intended to address the identified shortcomings and improve the overall digital experience provided by these institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A commentary on the article "Curation by the Living Dead: Exploring the Legacy of Norwegian Museums' Colonial Collections," by Josephine M. Rasmussen and Vibeke M. Viestad, is presented. Topics discussed include use the Kon-Tiki Museum (KTM) in Oslo, Norway, as a case of contemporary colonial museum practice, and how explorer Thor Heyerdahl's legacy manifests in the museum's exhibition, and its 'decolonisation' process to repatriate Rapa Nui (Easter Island) material, and in current research.

A response by Josephine M. Rasmussen and Vibeke M. Viestad to a commentary on their article "Curation by the Living Dead: Exploring the Legacy of Norwegian Museums' Colonial Collections", is presented. They note the attempts of the Museum of Cultural History to revise their exhibition practices of objects taken from Congo to Norway during the reign of King Leopold II and by Kon-Tiki Museum to repatriate collections taken from Indigenous people during Thor Heyerdahl's scientific expeditions.

In 1976, Anne Wilkes Tucker became the founding curator of the Photography Department at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, going on to organise more than forty exhibitions, publish dozens of articles and books, and fundamentally shape the museum's collection of more than thirty thousand photographs. This article situates Tucker's early career in the context of the 1970s 'photo boom' in the USA, a period of fervent interest and activity around the medium of photography. The article particularly examines the reframing of (some) photographs as serious art collectibles, and the intersection of the nascent market for photographs, the establishment of new museum collections and the proliferation of different forms of photographic scholarship during this period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cetacean fossil remains attributed to Cetotheriidae are certainly not a novelty in the fossil record of the Carpathian Foreland or Foredeep, several sites being mentioned; however there remains much material in institutional collections that can still add to the number of fossiliferous localities where cetotheriids can be found. The aim of this paper is to bring to attention new material from fossiliferous localities from the western Dacian Basin (Gorj and Vâlcea Counties), from the collections of the National Geological Museum. The specimens are described, identified based on comparisons with similar specimens from published literature and a discussion about the species Cetotherium priscum is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a personal essay about cultic misprision of a manuscript leaf holding on one side Keats's Sonnet to Sleep. Susan Wolfson tells a story of collecting, auctioning, and sales, from its composition in June 1820, a May 1829 auction, to news published in 1933, to eventual arrival in the Berg Collection in the New York Public Library. Various players include John Hamilton Reynolds, Sir John Bowring, wily bookseller William T. Spencer, the first and long-term curator of the Keats Memorial House in Hampstead, Fred Edgcumbe, and industrialist, diplomat, and bibliophile Owen D. Young. Although Wolfson is the principle author of this essay, it reflects considerable collaborative advice from Keats scholars John Barnard and Nicholas Roe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]