The great proliferation of museums in the nineteenth century was a product of the marriage of the exhibition as a way of awakening intelligent interest in the visitor with the growth of collections that was associated with empire and middle-class affluence. Attendance at museums was as much associated with moral improvement as with explanation of the human or natural world. Richard Fortey
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In the nineteenth century, when museums were experiencing a boom, the key motivation for people to pay to go to them was their moral value. The goal of most museums was not to entertain or educate, but to inspire and inform. Museums were not designed to fascinate you with fancy displays and dazzling lights; they were built with the pure purpose of enlightening and informing you.

Source: Dry Store Room No. 1: The Secret Life Of The Natural History Museum

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