ABSTRACT
Those museums which constitute the independent sector are known for their competitiveness and their high public profiles. In many respects, they have led the change to a form of provision which is more visitor orientated. Many independent museums were founded in the 1970s, when the need for some form of record of the changing industrial landscape was keenly felt and much encouraged. As the majority of these museums move into their second and third generation, the circumstances that fostered them no longer exist and their strength of purpose and direction is being well tested.
