Volume 36, Number 7 · April 27, 1989
The Fall of a Great Museum
By John Pope-Hennessy
To someone who has directed museums the press controversy over the Victoria and Albert Museum in London must appear ill-focused and uninformed. 'The Victoria and Albert tries to catch up,' proclaims The New York Times, with a tight-lipped photograph of the new director, Mrs. Esteve-Coll. 'Culture clash in South Kensington,' reports the Financial Times. 'Blowing the dust off the V&A,' says another paper, under four unflattering drawings of Sir Roy Strong, the former director; Mrs. Esteve-Coll, the 'present director and opponent of the old order'; Lord Armstrong, the newly appointed chairman of trustees; and Mrs. Thatcher. Since it is generally felt that the controversy has serious implications not only for a once great national institution, but for museums in the United States as well, it may be useful to give some account of the museum and its history, of the problems that confront it, and of the reasons why the staff restructuring imposed upon it will imperil its future usefulness.
Feature, 5255 words
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