In this original and highly illustrated book Kenneth Hudson reviews the development of the world's museums over the past 200 years by identifying 37 pioneers in ten 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 in the slums of Mexico City. The museums of the world vary enormously in style, size and approach. Yet amid this diversity, it is possible to identify a significantly small number that have influenced museum thinking and practice. The achievement of these pioneers is described against the background of their times and the often colourful personalities involved. Finally Kenneth Hudson attempts to assess present trends and to forecast what kinds of museum are likely to be Museums of Influence during the next twenty or thirty years. This book will appeal to all museum enthusiasts; archaeologists; historians; historians of art and science; industrial archaeologists and professionals working in or designing museums.