Journal of the History of Collections
Scope & Guideline
Advancing scholarship in conservation and museology.
Introduction
Aims and Scopes
- Exploration of Collector Profiles:
The journal frequently examines the lives and networks of individual collectors, emphasizing how personal tastes and social circumstances influence collection formation. - Historical Context of Collections:
Papers often contextualize collections within broader historical movements, exploring how art and artifacts were gathered, displayed, and valued in various epochs. - Interdisciplinary Approaches:
The journal embraces interdisciplinary methodologies, incorporating perspectives from art history, anthropology, sociology, and museum studies to examine collections and collecting. - Impact of Colonialism and Globalization:
A significant focus is placed on the implications of colonialism and globalization on collecting practices, including the ethical considerations surrounding looted artifacts and cultural appropriation. - Museum Studies and Curatorial Practices:
The journal investigates the evolution of museums and curatorial practices, discussing how collections are managed, interpreted, and presented to the public. - Material Culture Studies:
There is a strong emphasis on material culture, analyzing how objects reflect societal values and historical narratives through their collection and display.
Trending and Emerging
- Decolonization of Collections:
A growing body of research is focused on the decolonization of collections, addressing the need to confront colonial legacies in museum practices and the restitution of cultural artifacts to their countries of origin. - Digital Collecting and Virtual Exhibitions:
As the digital landscape evolves, there is an increasing exploration of digital collecting practices, virtual exhibitions, and the impact of technology on how collections are curated and accessed. - Environmental and Ethical Collecting:
Emerging studies are beginning to interrogate the environmental impacts and ethical considerations of collecting, particularly in relation to sustainability and the provenance of objects. - Collecting as Social Practice:
Research is increasingly framing collecting as a social practice, examining how community engagement and social networks influence collection formation and interpretation. - Intersectionality in Collecting Narratives:
There is a rising trend towards exploring intersectionality within collecting narratives, considering how factors such as gender, race, and class shape the practices and experiences of collectors.
Declining or Waning
- Focus on Traditional Art Movements:
There has been a noticeable decrease in papers centered solely on traditional art movements without a broader contextual analysis of collecting practices, suggesting a shift towards more interdisciplinary and contextualized studies. - Local and Regional Collecting Practices:
Research focusing specifically on localized or regional collecting practices has diminished, possibly overshadowed by more global perspectives that emphasize transnational networks and movements. - Connoisseurship and Attribution Studies:
The emphasis on connoisseurship and the attribution of artworks has waned, reflecting a broader critique of traditional art historical methodologies that privilege expert opinion over collective narratives. - The Role of Private Collectors:
Discussions solely focused on the role of private collectors in isolation from institutional contexts are becoming less frequent, indicating a trend towards integrating private and public collecting narratives. - Static Historical Accounts:
Papers that offer static historical accounts of collections without engaging with contemporary issues or ongoing debates in the field are appearing less frequently, as scholars seek to connect historical practices with current ethical considerations.
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