Page:The museum, (Jackson, Marget Talbot, 1917).djvu/222

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THE MUSEUM

tion to the public, as is advocated by certain scientific museum directors (see Dr. A. B. Meyer, "Bericht," containing a description of metal curtains at the windows of the Dresden Museum and an important discussion of the effect of light on collections. This is continued by Dr. Bather in Museums Journal, vol. II, p. 320).

Less frequent openings are sometimes necessary in a small museum greatly hampered with lack of funds, but the fewer the days of opening, the more expensive each one becomes because the cost of "accommodation" service is much greater than hiring by the week or month.

ADMISSION FEES

A valuable document has been published on this subject by Henry Lapauze, "Le Droit d'Entree dans les Museés," S. F. d'Im. et de Librairie, 15 rue de Cluny, Paris, 1902. For many reasons here in America it is deemed wise to charge admission on certain days in the week. The number of free days depends on the generosity of the museum. Two are pretty generally given, Saturday and Sunday, while certain museums add Wednesday, and others even more. There are numerous advantages in having pay days. Our American museums depend largely for their maintenance on the support of their membership,