ABSTRACT
Museums are instruments of communication, a museum display being a branch of the mass media (Brawne 1965; Hudson 1977; Hodge and d'Souza 1979). As Lumley argues, 'The notion of the museum as a collection for scholarly use has been largely replaced by the idea of the museum as a means of communication' (Lumley 1988: 15). Communication in the museum includes 'those aspects of the institution that impinge either on the museum's image, or on the general experience of the visit' (Hooper-Greenhill 1994: 50). In other words, communication is reflected in the entire experience of the museum. The museum's core product, its exhibition, together with its information functions, its infrastructure, and its support services, are all communicating a message to the public. The management of access to the museum also contributes to the overall image of the museum, both through physical and psychological access, and through promotion of information concerning the museum. The image of the museum develops attitudes in the public which in turn is the agglomeration of the product, accessibility, and promotion.
