ABSTRACT
Amongthehostoftransformationsmuseumshavelatelyundergoneisthe shiftinfocusthathasreplacedtheoldcentralityofcollectionswithanew priorityforeducationandpublicprogrammes.Thetimelyjusticeofthis stephasbeengenerallyacknowledgedbycurators,butitmustbesaidthat alongsidethemovementinresourceshascomeaslideininfluenceand status.(Theslackhasn'tallbeengatheredupbymuseumeducators;rather, ithasmovedtomanagers.)Museumsaremorecomplexorganisations today,withmoreseniormanagers,moredifferentiatedstaffingandmore pressuretoproducespectacularpublicgoods.Hence,collectingisoften drivenbyexhibitionneedsratherthantheproactiveprogrammesthatare sometimesadvocated,orthetraditionalkindofreactiveacquisitionof thingsastheycomeup.Iproposetwopositiveideasonthenatureand practiceofcollecting,withwhichtocounterthisslipinfaith.Firstly,we shouldreclaimtheartandskillofconnoisseurshipfromtheelitist connectionsithasheldsincethenineteenthcentury-itshouldbeclaimed astheuniqueandspecialskillofcurators.Secondly,weneedtomakeour collectingdecisionsmoresystematicandmoreexplicit.IItishopedthat thesestepswillrevivethehonourabletraditionsofthecurator,the specialistcollectorandtheconnoisseur.
