Museums and the Educational Mission from the Progressive Era to World War II

Abstract

In May 1906, museum workers from across the country gathered in New York City at the American Museum of Natural History for the first annual meeting of the American Association of Museums (AAM). Over the course of two days, AAM members elected officers, ratified a constitution, and shared ideas about how best to collect, store, and display objects and specimens. The meeting culminated with a resolution to create a formal partnership with the National Education Association (NEA). AAM members’ interest in linking their work with the NEA signified that by the early 20th century, most museum leaders agreed that educating the public was a priority. This commitment to education shaped exhibition and collecting practices and the services that museums provided and expanded the power of museum visitors and audiences. While administrators, curators, and exhibit preparers often agreed on the collective goal of educating the public, their approaches varied. How museum education was defined and assessed depended on the type of museum in which one was employed, and it changed over time in response to broader social, cultural, and political forces. By 1945, however, museums of all types had formalized and institutionalized their practices in ways that placed education at the core of their purpose and actions.