Professionalism and museums

Starting about 1957 the words “museum professional” and “museum profession” came into common usage. Prior to that time, the idea of professionalism and museums appears not to have been a commonly accepted notion. In 1960, the Dutch museologist, H. Daifuku, wrote in an article “Museums and Research,” printed in The Organization of Museums: Practical Advice, ¹ that “the idea that museum work is a profession has gradually become widespread.”