This study investigates the task of the Museum of Antiquities in the nineteenth century. The aim of this research was to see if the Netherlands would fit into the international museological...Show moreThis study investigates the task of the Museum of Antiquities in the nineteenth century. The aim of this research was to see if the Netherlands would fit into the international museological developments as presented by Tony Bennett in his book The Birth of the Museum. Several publications have been reviewed on this subject in order to explore how this relatively new branch within the museum studies is researched. A theoretical framework has been outlined with two main theorists on which this historical visitor-research usually rests: Michel Foucault’s work on power relations and Pierre Bourdieu’s work on class distinction. The work of Eric Hobsbawm on nationalism and nation-states has been added as a third main theoretical thread. The empirical research has been carried out on several different types of archival documents of the Museum of Antiquities to answer the main research question. This is embedded in a short history of the Museum of Antiquities. As a comparison a short history is added of the British Museum and their interaction with the public. The outcome of this study indicates that the Dutch museological development in the nineteenth century was not the same as described by Bennett in his book. In order to account for this deviant outcome a chapter on the political and social situations of the Netherlands in general and of the city of Leiden in particular has been added.Show less
