Dear Bev

You didn’t specify whether this is a donation or a long loan? Museums now generally avoid long loans, as they have to take the burden of insuring and looking after them, and then sometimes lose them anyway if the owner decides to sell afterwards. So be very clear what the terms are – if a gift, do you have freedom to  dispose of them later, and so on. You say the owner will insure (is that all risks?), but think of all possible eventualities.

 

 

 

Hello there

 

We are a non-specialist GFE college, and have been offered a collection of engravings by a 19^th century artist of considerable local interest.  There are over 200 framed engravings of local scenery; it is apparently the only complete collection of its kind in private hands.  The value of this collection is in the region of £25K.  According to the owner, they do not require any specialist storage or display, and the owner will insure them.

 

The principal and I are meeting with the owner to discuss, but I want to be sure I know what we are taking on.  I know there are lots of you out there who will have such collections, most likely of considerably higher monetary value.  Would you be willing to share good practice in housing and storing them?  What questions do I need to ask the owner?  What considerations need to be made before we take on such a collection?  Do you have such a collection on permanent display or mount annual exhibitions, etc.?  What security measures do we need to take?

 

Thank you in advance for your expertise.

 

Bev Vaughan

Learning Resources Centre Manager

01983 550789 / [log in to unmask]

 

The Isle of Wight College

Medina Way

Newport

Isle of Wight

PO30 5TA

www.iwcollege.ac.uk

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