Gian Giacomo Poldi Pezzoli and the decorative arts: Museums and temporary exhibitions in Milan, 1873–6.

This article examines the abandoned project for a Museo d'Arte Industriale (Museum of Industrial Art) in Milan, initiated by the Associazione degli Industriali in the early 1870s. Although the museum was never fully realized, the project culminated in the 1874 Esposizione Storica d'Arte Industriale (Historical Exhibition of Industrial Art) and ultimately led to the establishment of the Museo Artistico Municipale in 1878. Key figures such as Gian Giacomo Poldi Pezzoli played leading roles in planning and organizing the exhibition and museum, which aimed to promote decorative and industrial arts by drawing inspiration from prominent European institutions like the South Kensington Museum in London. The project included plans for a museum, library, and school of applied arts, reflecting a broader cultural effort to transform private collections into public resources for artisans and the general public.