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Sep 26, 2023

We must recognise the true worth of museum collections to society

Museums are not corporate entities with disposable goods, they reflect our relationship with the world and with each other, says Dr Jenny Durrant . Plus a letter from Margaret Dickson Simon Jenkins is

Museums are not corporate entities with disposable goods, they reflect our relationship with the world and with each other, says Dr Jenny Durrant. Plus a letter from Margaret Dickson

Simon Jenkins is astute to recognise the significant funding issues that plague the museum sector (Theft isn’t the only problem facing the cash-strapped British Museum – and I have some answers, 28 August). That this is now a “problem” demonstrates the London-centric focus of British elitism, as the problem has existed in regional and local museums for years. But it is unhelpful to compare museum practices in the UK and US, as their functioning is entirely different.

UK collections belong to the public. Our museums are not corporate entities with disposable goods, or bank vaults storing someone’s treasures for a rainy day. The social value of objects places them in public ownership, and they reflect our relationship with the world and with each other. The now-exposed problem of sizable uncatalogued collections is a direct result of funding priorities. Decluttering collections must become a higher priority to enable museums to safeguard items with the most cultural value. Selling off the family silver will not bring back stolen objects or mend roofs. It is an oversimplification of complex issues created by underfunding.

An Ipsos Mori poll in 2021 showed that museum curators are the fifth most trusted profession in the country. If we are to maintain this high standing, the sector needs meaningful recognition that public collections are curated on behalf of us all and are worth far more than any monetary value.Dr Jenny DurrantAlresford, Hampshire

Of all the arguments used to justify charging for museums, the most mean-spirited must be that free entry benefits foreigners. To extract a bit of extra cash from tourists, Simon Jenkins would put up a barrier that would impact local visitors, especially younger generations. Some children would never experience a museum, while others would be forced to stay too long by carers who have struggled to pay for a visit. Margaret DickinsonLondon

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