Hall of Fame Museums: A Reference Guide (Organization Sciences) - Hardcover

Danilov, Victor J.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0313300003 ISBN 13: 9780313300004

Publisher: Greenwood, 1997

Synopsis

The first comprehensive overview of hall of fame museums and exhibits, this work traces the history, examines and compares the facilities, exhibits, and operations, and describes 274 halls of fame in over 100 fields in the United States and 10 other countries. The information is based on recently compiled surveys. More than half of the museums and exhibits are in the area of sports, but others range from aviation and space to cockroaches. Of interest to high school, college, university, and public libraries for their popular culture/travel reference shelves. A great source for vacations, each entry provides the address, telephone number, hours, and admission fees as well as content, operations, and more.

The hall of fame movement began in Europe several centuries ago with memorials to national heroes and other illustrious persons. But it was not until the 20th century that the contemporary hall of fame movement honoring outstanding achievers in particular fields received its impetus and attained its greatest success in the United States. Other countries covered in the book include Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Israel, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, and Singapore. Not all halls of fame are in museums. Other places include civic centers, sports arenas, government buildings, universities, and racetracks.

About this title

About the Author

VICTOR J. DANILOV is Director of the Museum Management Program at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Dr. Danilov was president and director of Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry for fifteen years. He is author of 18 books including University and College Museums, Galleries, and Related Facilities (1996), Museum Careers and Training: A Professional Guide (1994), A Planning Guide for Corporate Museums, Galleries, and Visitor Centers (1992), Corporate Museums, Galleries, and Visitor Centers: A Directory (1991), and America's Science Museums (1990), all from Greenwood Press.

Reviews

Halls of Fame have grown out of memorials ranging from honoring national heroes to glorifying checkers, hamburgers, and dirty sneakers. More than 274 Halls of Fame in 100 fields and 11 countries are included in this guide. This is the first reference work since The Big Book of Halls of Fame in the United States and Canada (Bowker, 1977) to cover this interesting phenomenon in depth. More than 3,000 Halls of Fame are estimated to exist, but most do not have physical facilities, consisting mainly of luncheons or dinners to honor achievement with a plaque or certificate.

Sports Halls of Fame such as the Professional Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, and the Baseball Hall of Fame in Coopers-town, New York, are the dominant category. More than half of this work covers sports. The first several chapters discuss why Halls of Fame exist, and the history, purpose, and different ways they are founded, supported, staffed, and presented. Some black-and-white photographs accompany the text. The directory section of the work, arranged by category, provides the hall's name, brief history and description, representative inductees, address, and hours and admission. If any of the entries have Web sites or e-mail addresses, this information is not provided. Some of the halls are not buildings at all but rings or walks of fame, such as the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor in Texas Stadium. Some of the more unusual Halls of Fame include the Cockroach Hall of Fame in Plano, Texas, and the Marbles Hall of Fame in Wildwood, New Jersey. A "Geographical Guide to Hall of Fame Museums and Exhibits" is appended. A selected bibliography of 10 items and an index conclude the work.

A work such as this appeals on a number of levels. The more unusual Halls of Fame make this work interesting to browse. Travelers who like to visit Halls of Fame or who have an interest such as quilting might like to visit one of these sites. Sports fans in particular may be interested in planning trips to visit these locations. The same is true of music fans who might want to visit the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame or the Country Music Hall of Fame. The directory section enables interested persons to write the appropriate Hall of Fame for information about individuals or activities. This type of reference guide would be useful in public and school libraries.

Since the first European memorials centuries ago, halls of fame have steadily gained popularity, and they have sprung up in museums, civic centers, sports arenas, government buildings, and universities around the world. Danilov (museum management, Univ. of Colorado, Boulder; University and College Museums, Galleries, and Related Facilities, Greenwood, 1996) profiles 274 halls of fame in 11 countries. Sports claim most of the entries, but nonsport sites are also included. Entries provide address, phone number, hours, fees, a brief history, and a description of contents. A geographical guide and lengthy introductory chapters chronicling the history and development of the hall of fame make this an exhaustive reference on a subject not covered in traditional museum directories. Highly recommended to supplement museum and travel directories in public and academic library reference collections. (Index not seen.)?Kelli N. Perkins, Herrick P.L., Holland, Mich.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Greenwood
• Publication date: 1997
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0313300003
• ISBN 13: 9780313300004
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 288