"Kenneth Hudson reviews the development of the world's museums over the past two hundred years by identifying thirty-seven pioneers in thirteen countries--from the British Museum in London and the Metropolitan Museum in New York to the outdoor Sukuma Museum in Tanzania and the tiny, pre-fabricated Tacubaya Museum amid the slums of Mexico City. The achievement of these pioneers is described against the background of the times and the often colourful personalities involved, and their impact is critically examined."--Book jacket