The Spectator's Notes

6 June 2009

Charles Moore's reflections on the week

It was encouraging to read at the weekend that hard times are making it more likely that museum charges will need to be reintroduced. Although it sounds a wonderful thing that everyone is allowed free into great collections, the effect is to give more power to the body that pays — the government. It is not a coincidence that the Labour government which ended museum charges has also terrorised museums over ‘access’, and even over what they choose to exhibit. It has promoted an idea of culture in which artistic value is judged solely by getting the right ‘footfall’. The belief that collections have a duty to the past and to the future and to the objects in their care has been supplanted by the doctrine of ‘diversity’. Our great national collections, like our great universities, would be much better guardians of their contents if they had their own endowments and their own revenue. Charge!

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Fran�ois Portier

June 7th, 2009 7:24pm Report this comment

SIR -- Not so long ago Sir Denis Mahon donated his collection of Italian baroque paintings to the National Gallery stipulating that his executors would remove them if the Gallery introduced admission charges. Such a public-spirited attitude is rare indeed. Mr Moore would deprive Londoners and visitors of the simple, civilised pleasure and education of dropping into the National Gallery, the V&A or so many glorious museums, maybe for a few peaceful minutes just to contemplate one or two favourite works of art. Isn't it the point of museums to make great art accessible to the greatest number? They have a great civilising mission and it is to the great credit of the much maligned Labour government (whatever its many other failings) to have abolished charges.
Do not imagine for a moment that the Government would cease to interfere if there were charges -- charges are never sufficient by themselves to cover the costs of running museums, extra staff and equipment have to be paid for, plus administration costs etc. The only certain result is that the number of visitors would plummet. A quieter time for the happy few? Make no mistake -- obnoxious schoolchildren would still be dragged along the galleries!
Britain is the envy and admiration of less enlightened lands for its policy of free access to its great museums. Even a philistine ruler like Mr Sarkozy has recently waived charges for young people and some teachers. It would be a sad regression indeed if Britain were to go in the opposite direction.

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