ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that the purposes apparent in contemporary museum publishing can be traced to the production of printed illustrated texts that presented collections to a wider public and that print media occupies a seminal place in the communication of museums and art galleries to specialists and to general visitors through the intervening centuries. The early European collections are known through the privately printed catalogues that circulated through the pan-European community of collectors. The transformation of private art collections into public institutions that occurred in Europe from the early eighteenth century through to the later nineteenth century utilised printed materials to support and formalise the cultural and social agency of the emerging museums. Wall labels were uncommon in exhibitions until the later nineteenth century, so some form of hand list, catalogue or guidebook was needed so that visitors could understand the historical or mythical events the art portrayed and identify the artist.
