Museum closure in the UK, 1960–2010: contexts and microhistories

Hundreds of museums have closed in the UK between 1960 and 2010, yet those closures have received little attention within museum studies. The circumstances of museum closure are sometimes discussed within institutional histories, but it is unusual for closure to be treated as a distinct topic. In this thesis I present an analysis of closure in the UK using the comprehensive data on the sector provided by the Mapping Museums database (mappingmuseums.org) and closely examine some individual cases. My research shows that closures have increased steadily throughout the period and are widespread. But not all closures are the same, as some museums are replaced more or less in situ while others are lost forever, together with much of their collections. I explore the range of differences and develop an overall typology. While data analysis can reveal some characteristics of closure, it cannot explain why museums have closed. To understand the causes I select three cases and examine them in detail using a predominantly microhistorical approach, complemented by interviews. Microhistory has rarely been applied to the study of organisations, let alone museums, and I use the method to focus on the circumstances and process of closure. I draw upon a wide range of archival and other primary sources including local authority and industrial archives, charity records, newspapers, and reports produced by and for museums, government, and other bodies. Rather than closing for solely 2nancial reasons, the three cases show that museums are subject to a much broader range of political and economic pressures, some of which are beyond the control of their governing organisations. This raises questions about power, agency, and dependency. Altogether, this research contributes to an understanding of the scale and features of the phenomenon of closure and develops knowledge of how and why museums close