Theses/Dissertations - Museum Studies
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Analysis of current practices in natural history museums’ in the interpretation of mammoths with implications for the Mayborn Museum Complex.
(2021-08-11)For this thesis I gathered current practices in the interpretation of mammoths by sending a 14-question survey, distributed to U.S. natural history museums. My purpose for doing so was to inform my recommendations regarding ... -
To survive or thrive : exhibit development in the age of Covid.
(2021-04-28)In 2020, the Texas museum field was rocked by the COVID-19 pandemic and the national protests that broke out after the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police. Using three cultural institutions as case ... -
Past vs. president : interpretation and public approval at the George W. Bush Presidential Library.
(2020-04-29)Presidential libraries are institutions not wholly public nor completely private. Their distinct structure has inspired a body of work which paints these centers as presidential temples, sites of self-commemoration, memory, ... -
"If I am not for myself, who is for me?" : an examination of legal and ethical considerations concerning LGBTQ+ populations and collections in museums.
(2020-04-30)The shift in institutional purpose from recreation to education in the 20th century forced museums to reconcile their collections and interpretations with modern, diverse audiences. Now in the 21st century, museums are ... -
Scientific racism, mass collecting, and NAGPRA : a study of the transformation of relationships between museums, anthropology, and the public from the late 19th century to the 21st century.
(2019-04-18)Humankind has collected materials and remains for centuries as a way to depict social status, educate, and fascinate. The relationships between anthropologists and museums in the late 19th and early 20th century set the ... -
The material culture of the Polley Mansion, Whitehall : vernacular architecture, decorative arts, and domestic arts.
(2018-12-05)The Polley Mansion, with its massive walls, generous proportions, and wide double galleries, is described in Texas Homes of the 19th Century as “one of the most important plantation homes in early Texas.” In fact, the ... -
One for the books : a case study of the interpretation of personal libraries in historic house museums.
(2016-03-04)Libraries in historic house museums often suffer identity confusion due to the varying interpretational methods of libraries and museums. Eighteenth century prodigy house museums in particular include large libraries that, ... -
A case study of the Colonial Revival, collecting, and museum making in Texas.
(2005-05)Miss Ima Hogg dedicated her life to creating a cultural and historical legacy in the state of Texas. An avid collector and patroness of the arts, she was responsible for the creation of three museums, each unique in purpose. ... -
Curating the composer : preserving and interpreting our musical heritage through composer house museums.
(, 2014-01-28)Although historic house museums, especially those in which political or community leaders once lived, are quite common and have been analyzed by museum scholars, the sub-genre of historic houses in which European classical ... -
The Civil War as it relates to museums in Texas : four case studies.
(, 2013-09-16)The purpose of this paper is to investigate the interpretive methods and narratives used by the Texas Heritage Museum, the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum, the Texas Civil War Museum, and the Pearce Museum in Texas, ... -
Plunder and profit : museums, private collectors, and Nazi looted art.
(, 2013-09-16)Throughout World War II, looting was an activity that was widely embraced by Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union, and the United States Armed Forces. Although the natures of looting varied among these specific entities, every ... -
Integrating African American house types into historic villages : three historic Texas houses and their respective museums.
(, 2013-09-16)Recent studies of the African experience in North America have resulted in the analysis of African contributions to American material culture. European colonization of the New World led to the inclusion of African building ... -
Labels on the altar : the convergence of worship and learning in British church museums.
(, 2013-09-16)Church museums are atypical institutions that foster both worship of God and learning of the history of the building and its people. A conflict often arises between these two roles of worship center and museum, which can ... -
Peach Point Plantation, Jones Creek, Texas : documenting the material culture of the Austin, Perry and Bryan families.
(, 2012-11-29)This thesis examines the remains of Peach Point Plantation main house in Jones Creek, Brazoria County, Texas to interpret the Austin, Bryan, and Perry families through their remaining material culture. The Austins, Bryans, ... -
"Not only creators, but also interpreters" : artist/curators in contemporary practice.
(, 2012-08-08)The role of artists in contemporary museums and university galleries has been shifting over the past fifty plus years as art has become a formally recognized discipline in the university setting and as museums have sought ... -
"Creating new archives and reinventing the old" : the development of authority and professionalization in archives and the challenges to them.
(, 2012-08-08)Archives management has developed from a subcategory of history to its own profession through measures such as guidelines for archival practices and access, as well as standards in education and certification, all of which ... -
"Palaces of art :" Victorian studio-houses in the museum context.
(, 2012-08-08)The Aesthetic Period of the late Victorian era produced a profusion of unique architectural forms known as “purpose-built studio-houses.” These combination domestic and work spaces were intentionally built and designed ... -
Multiculturalism and the museum : three case studies.
(, 2012-08-08)With the rise of social history over the past several decades, educational institutions have increasingly been called upon to represent and showcase different cultural and minority groups within their walls. This has ... -
For the old, rich, and cultured? Historic house museums and their relationship with young adults.
(, 2012-08-08)It has been traditionally understood that young adults are not active participants in historic house museums. This is a concern because if it is true, it means that historic house museums are not fulfilling their ... -
Living collections in museums.
(, 2011-12-19)This thesis focuses on the uniquely dynamic nature of living collections in museums. Emphasis will be placed on the interaction between the living collection and the staff members directly responsible for their care. An ...
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