I'm sure this does not apply to all museums, but . . .

my experience has been that museums, and their curators, are more than happy
to let "civilians" at the collections, whether for art, photos, or study, as
long as there is a purpose, and arrangements are made in advance. i realize
the original question here had to do with simply stopping in and browsing
around to see what was in the collection, but it morphed into "academics
only" and i think that is simply not the case. space is the restriction
generally for putting things on display. allowing folks who wander in on a
casual basis to see the stuff behind the scenes (seens? pun . . .) may be
difficult for a staff that has other things to attend to -- curating, their
own research, maybe even being secretary, though i have on occasion been
invited "backstage" after engaging an employee in discussion. i simply don't
believe that there are many (if any) curators out there who wouldn't like to
show everyone everything, but practical matters prevent it. on the other
hand, if you're trying to sort out your Cypraeas and would like to see a
large series, try writing in to schedule a day with a curator and
collection. i doubt they'll ask for credentials and will probably learn a
thing or two themselves in helping your quest.

blue

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