Last spring, a tourist posing for a photo at a museum in Verona, Italy, broke a crystal-covered chair. He accidentally sat on it! Then in June, a museum visitor in Florence, Italy, tried to take a selfie. He tripped and tore a small hole in a 300-year-old painting.
Accidents like these have led some people to call for a ban on taking photos in museums. They argue that it would keep visitors from damaging priceless works of art. They point out that many historical objects on display would be impossible to replace.
But others say it’s fine to take photos as long as it’s done responsibly. In fact, many museums encourage photography.
“It helps inspire curiosity beyond the museum’s walls,” says Britney Fitzgerald. She works at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.