Prospects in meson spectroscopy

A review of the prospects for experimental meson spectroscopy is presented. The history of baryon spectroscopy is given and the lesson for meson studies is underlined. Several areas of new opportunity for meson experiments are described — namely, the new multiparticle spectrometers, their application to photoproduction investigations, and the new generation of e+e− colliding beam facilities. Accumulating evidence for the existence of meson towers is presented. Finally, the possible use of high energy and large momentum transfer to give a new (more democratic) look at the meson world, is discussed.