British Museum (Natural History): Exhibition and Education Section: Director's Office:...

The series contains a collection of leaflets and other handouts kept by the Section, with a visitors book and a volume of statistical data.

Series held at The Natural History Museum are catalogued more fully in its online catalogue (reference DF EXH/702). Online descriptions of some individual records can also be viewed on Discovery, see DF 702.

Printed notices of early guided tours are held in DF 1011. The papers of Jacqueline Palmer, the teacher in charge of the Children's Centre, 1948-1960, are in DF 5006.

Topics

Museums and galleries

The Education Section has its origins in the appointment of John H Leonard (1864-1931) as the Museum's first Guide Lecturer in May 1912. Leonard was educated at Kensington Grammar School and King's College, London, and taught science in schools for a number of years. He gave popular twice-daily tours of the exhibits until shortly before his death in December 1931. Leonard was succeeded by Mary (Mona) Rosalie Jane Edwards (b 1902) in 1932, and a deputy post was added in 1935. Mona Edwards became a member of the Exhibition Section when this was set up in 1937. Daily public lectures were given until April 1950, when they were discontinued in favour of special lectures, demonstrations and tours. Alfred G Leutscher was appointed Guide Lecturer in 1951 on Miss Edwards' promotion to Head of the Exhibition Section, and Mrs Joyce Pope worked as his assistant for many years.

The Exhibition Section was reorganised in 1970, and a separate Education Section was created, with Frank H Brightman as the new Head. He had a staff of three, and was responsible for the schools and public lecture service, running courses for teachers, the Children's Centre and the natural history clubs. By 1978 a team of 50 auxiliaries had been trained to take part in the Section's teaching activities. In 1979, following the setting up of the Department of Public Services, the Section was renamed the Visitor Resources unit, and given responsibility for the evaluation of existing and proposed exhibitions as well as for education. Michael Bryan Alt became Head of the new unit. Lectures to school parties and the public were phased out in favour of courses for teachers, and a Teachers' Centre was opened in 1982.