ABSTRACT
One of the most heatedly debated questions in museums today concerns how their objects can still effectively be marshalled to communicate ideas.1 It has been my contention that much can be gained by taking a very long-term view of this issue. More specifically, I have suggested that the tactile sensibility developed by seventeenth-century English curators might well provide inspiration to those today who are keen to retain objects at the core of the museum’s mission. I have unambiguously tried to present historical evidence to shore up the idea that contemplating objects can still richly inform our understanding of the world around us and how we interact with it. I have also suggested that some recent museum work gives cause for hope, with curators evidently finding new ways to retain and radiate rather than dissipate the inherent magic of objects.
