The origins & early development of the Nova Scotia Museum, 1868-1940

Abstract

The Nova Scotia Provincial Museum was founded in 1868. In 1994, 126 years later, the heritage community of Nova Scotia is reeling as this Museum undergoes, what some have called, its most radical reorganization. The Museum's management structure, funding structure, and branch support networks have all been reviewed, revised and reorganized. Is this due to the "tough economic times" of the 1990's? Or is this part of a pattern which repeats itself as a periodic response of a socially sensitive and public-serving institution? The Nova Scotia Museum has been growing for the last 126 years, its growth has required it to stay abreast of changing social needs, public expectations and the government's financial capabilities.

Nova Scotians have supported museums individually and collectively through government for over a century. But, it is only recently that researchers have begun to look, assess and challenge the role these institutions play in society. Museums are often regarded as virtuous institutions dedicated to the preservation of national and human history which is then interpreted and exhibited for the public. The tools of interpretation and exhibition are powerful mediums and therefore analysis and critique are essential in order to fully comprehend the museum's role in relation to the contemporary needs of the public it serves.

This thesis will examine the origins and early development of the Nova Scotia Museum and its development from 1868-1940. It will examine how the Museum, through its collection, responded to the needs of the Nova Scotian public and how these needs affected the evolution of the Museum as an institution.