Museum Studies Blog at Tufts University

Smithsonian.com recently published an article describing the tests that curators in 1910 were supposed to be able to pass. If you had the right education and could answer questions about what (and how) you collect things, you were on your way. But curators had to have a little something…more. Other valued skills? Having good “family connections,” along with the ability to ride a horse, steer a canoe, and discuss the correct education and age level that museums should reach. The test consists of 34 short answer questions, like “What do you consider the principal requirements for a satisfactory museum building? (Consider at least five points)”

Some of the questions are still discussed today, such as, “Should a museum receive gifts subject to restrictions posed by the donor?” After all of that, the test requires a 3000 word thesis on the correct organization of a natural history museum. Worried that the test was too simple, allowing just about anyone to become a curator? Not to worry, you should also have a set of personality qualifications that set you apart:

“After the candidate has safely negotiated the above questions he is supposed to be able to pass muster in the following regard. He should have good health, ability to handle a horse and canoe, and be inured to the hardships of camp life and the work of exploration.”

Want to check out other questions on the test? Click here for the test published in Proceedings of the American Association of Museums.

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