SEC : MUSEUM AND MUSEOLOGY

HISTORY OF NATIONAL MUSEUM , New Delhi

The Genesis of a National Institution

(The National Museum: A Cultural Temple for a New Nation)

The concept of a national museum for India can be traced back to the pre-

independence era, rooted in the burgeoning nationalist sentiment and a desire

to consolidate India's rich cultural heritage. The idea gained momentum in the

19th century with figures like Sir James Princep, who advocated for a museum

to house and organize Indian antiquities. However, the formal blueprint for the

National Museum was prepared in May 1946 by the Gwyer Committee, a body

established by the Government of India. Sir Maurice Gwyer, the former Chief

Justice of India and Vice-Chancellor of Delhi University, headed this committee,

with notable members including Sir Mortimer Wheeler, the Director-General of

the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

The immediate catalyst for the museum's creation was the "Exhibition of Indian

Art" held at Burlington House in London from 1947 to 1948. This exhibition,

sponsored by the Royal Academy, showcased a curated collection of artifacts

from various Indian museums. Its success in London, and its subsequent display

in the state rooms of the Rashtrapati Bhavan (then the Governor-General’s

House) in Delhi in 1949, was a pivotal moment. The exhibition's triumph

inspired the leaders of newly independent India to establish a permanent

national museum, utilizing this magnificent collection as its nucleus .

Inception and Early Years

On a day of great national significance, August 15, 1949, the National Museum

was formally inaugurated by the Governor-General of India, Shri C.

Rajagopalachari, at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. It was announced that the

constructed. The initial collection grew as state governments, museum

authorities, and private donors who had participated in the London exhibition

generously loaned or gifted their artifacts to the new institution.

The foundation stone for the permanent museum building was laid by Prime

Minister Jawaharlal Nehru on May 12, 1955, at the corner of Janpath and

Maulana Azad Road in New Delhi. The first phase of the building was conpleted by June
1960, and the new premises were formally inaugurated by

the Vice President of India, Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, on December 18,

1960. Until 1957, the museum was managed by the Director General of

Archaeology, after which it became a separate institution under the direct

control of the Ministry of Education.

Grace Morley and the Professionalization of Museology

A defining period in the National Museum's history was the directorship of Dr.

Grace McCann Morley. An American museologist who had previously directed

the San Francisco Museum of Art, Dr. Morley was appointed as the first

Director of the National Museum in 1960. Her tenure, which lasted until 1966,

is widely regarded as a golden age that professionalized the institution. Dr.

Morley’s contributions were immense, shaping the museum into a modern

educational center.

She brought a fresh perspective to museology in India, focusing on the three

core functions of a museum: collection, preservation, and display. Dr. Morley

particularly emphasized the importance of exhibitions as a crucial link between

the museum and the public. Her innovative exhibition techniques, which were

adapted to Indian conditions, set a new standard for museums across the

country. She introduced the use of local, hand-woven fabrics like hessian for

display backgrounds, a practice that was widely adopted. She also established a
dedicated educational services department, recognizing the museum's role as a

tool for public education. Dr. Morley's meticulous attention to detail extended

to administration, documentation, and the proper handling of artifacts. She

trained staff, sent young professionals abroad for specialized training, and was

instrumental in securing sophisticated conservation instruments through

UNESCO and UNDP programs. Her influence was so profound that she is

affectionately known as the "Mataji" (Mother) of the Indian museum world.

The Museum's Vision and Purpose

The National Museum was conceived as a "national temple of cultural

heritage" and a symbol of India's political and cultural identity. Its purpose was

to instill a profound sense of national identity and historical awareness among

its citizens. As a "spectacle where the nation can be viewed as a compact geo-political cum
cultural entity," the museum's collection was intended to be

geography-specific, rarely transcending national boundaries.

The display and documentation of its collections were meant to serve a

political purpose, contextualizing heritage in relation to the nation's interests.

Every object within the museum was seen not merely as an aesthetic product

but as a historical instrument, offering a comprehensive view of the cultural

and historical products of the land. The museum was intended to foster

cultural awareness and create emotional bonds among diverse communities by

presenting art as a product of shared ancestral affinity and cultural patrimony.

Under its first Director, Dr. Grace Morley, the museum's curatorial approach

was developed to align with this nationalist vision. She and Prime Minister

Nehru believed in using the museum as a tool to showcase India's progress, not

just its past. Exhibits were designed to present Indian art as an unbroken,

continuous history, distinct from colonial narratives that often portrayed it as

India, with an ancient and glorious past, and to act as a symbol of its newfound

sovereignty and cultural confidence. The museum's exhibitions aimed to

highlight the evolution and diversity of Indian art forms, such as the widely

appreciated display of miniature paintings, which were showcased to

demonstrate their aesthetic and ideological depth.

CONCLUSION

The history of the National Museum, New Delhi, is a narrative of

decolonization, nation-building, and cultural articulation. From its early

proposals in the colonial era to its formal establishment after independence,

the museum has been a conscious project to define and celebrate India's

identity. The initial impulse, fueled by the success of the London exhibition, led

to a rapid and ambitious effort to create a world-class institution. The

visionaries behind the museum, from Maurice Gwyer to Jawaharlal Nehru,

understood its role not just as a repository of objects but as a living monument

to the nation's heritage. The professionalization under Dr. Grace Morley's

leadership solidified its place on the international stage, setting new standards

for museology in the region. Today, with a vast collection of over 200,000

artifacts, the National Museum remains a custodian of India's multilayeredhistory, fulfilling its
original purpose of preserving, educating, and inspiring a

profound sense of national identity.

References ( sources )

*The book Colonial Museums: An Inner History written by Anand Burdhan

* Ministry of Culture, National Museum. National Museum, Ministry of Culture.

MesuemDelhi_12.[Link]

* National Museum, New Delhi. History - National Museum, New Delhi.

[Link]

* Radha. Dr. Grace Morley as the Director of the National Museum, New Delhi
(1960-1966) -

Ibiblio. [Link]

* Google Arts & Culture. National Museum - New Delhi.

[Link]

* Phillips, Kristy. Grace McCann Morley and the national museum of India.
ResearchGate.

[Link]
_national museum of india