There are many claims for the benefits to both the individual and society from access to and participation in cultural activities, such as visiting exhibitions and museums. Today these range from improvements in personal wellbeing to increased community cohesion and socio-economic regeneration. These claims relating to cultural value are not new, and contemporary justifications for cultural provision contain echoes of 19th century notions of self-improvement through 'rational recreation' and the 'refining' effects of access to art. However, both then and now, what people actually encountered in the exhibition or museum did (and does) not necessarily conform to these ideals. Instead there is much historical and contemporary evidence to show that people construct their own experiences of cultural value - for example, through their personal motivations for, and social contexts of, exhibition-visiting. The objective of this project is to show how an understanding of how cultural value was conceived, promoted and experienced in the past can illuminate how it is conceived, promoted and experienced today. Many cultural organisations such as museums and galleries have rich and well-documented histories, dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries, but their relationship with these histories is often complex. On the one hand, there is a sense of pride in the institution's founding ideals; on the other hand, there is a drive to innovate and to deliver continuous improvement in response to shifting external policy and funding agendas. As as result, the motivation and resource for disinterested historical research and reflection are not high priorities for institutions. This project aims to address this omission by demonstrating the pertinence of historical perspectives on cultural value - from the perspectives of institutions and audiences - to contemporary policy and practice. Specifically, the project focuses on the claims made for the benefits of visiting exhibitions and museums in the city of Manchester and the evidence of visitors' actual experiences, from the mid-19th century to 2010. A group of historical case studies, each based on specific periods of innovation or change in terms of cultural provision, provides a basis for analyzing continuities, shifts and ruptures in the 'public good' rationale for promoting museums and exhibitions. Each case study also compares the objectives of the organizers and patrons/funders with evidence of how the displays were encountered and interpreted by their visiting publics. The sites of study encompass a range of scientific and art exhibitions: the Manchester Mechanics Institute, Manchester Art Gallery, the Manchester Museum, and the Whitworth Art Gallery. In terms of the research methodology, there are complex issues relating the survival and evidentiary status of historical sources and their interpretation, particularly in relation to how 'culture' was experienced and understood by audiences in the past. Surviving sources are partial, fragmentary and often suggestive rather than definitive. Therefore an important further project objective is to interrogate and reflect on the methodological issues arising from this kind of study, and thus provide a reflexive resource for future researchers, postgraduate students and cultural organisations.