STAGECOACHES, SPAM, AND SODA: CORPORATE MUSEUMS IN THE UNITED STATES
STAGECOACHES, SPAM, AND SODA: CORPORATE MUSEUMS IN THE UNITED STATES
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Issue Date
2006
Authors
Koehler, Keri
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Abstract
This project focuses on corporate museums in the United States. My decade of work experience in the field inspired me to research and report on this topic. Although corporate museums are an overlooked component of the museum community, I believe they have much to offer and are worthy of a closer look.
This paper presents the results of my research. The methodologies implemented in this project include a comprehensive literature review and a survey conducted in Spring 2006, of corporate museums in the United States.
The Literature Review section details what has been written about corporate museums from both within and outside the museum community. This review is presented chronologically to demonstrate the changes in how corporate museums have been discussed over the past 80 years. The literature review further provides a history of, and insight into, trends within the corporate museum movement.
The Findings section reports on survey responses from 34 corporate museums. The questions in the survey were designed to explore the structure, organization, demographics, objectives, and concerns of corporate museums. The survey results provide data that is useful to assess the current state of the corporate museum field.
Finally, I draw several important conclusions about corporate museums based on the literature review summary and survey findings. I also offer practical recommendations to improve the state of the corporate museum field.
The ultimate goal of this project is to provide a meaningful analysis of corporate museums -- an often under-appreciated component of the museum field. My research confirmed that corporate museums are viable institutions of learning and are relevant and useful in the study of our nation's social and economic history. They collect, preserve, and interpret cultural material and serve as educational and cultural resources. All museums are institutions of learning. Corporate museums provide opportunities to learn about the diverse, successful industries that are part of America's heritage.