How do I make a donation?
"Holywell Hill, South.", 1890s.
If at all possible the first step is to call the museum and to speak to a curator. They may be able to save you a journey and will be able to advise on the best time to bring the object in.
- Click here to go to museum contact details page.
When you bring the item into the museum, the staff will fill in a form which acts as your receipt. The curators will then be able to use the information on the form to decide if the object is appropriate, or perhaps provide you with some further information about it. It is worth noting that objects left at the museum are not automatically accepted into the collections.
If we accept your object:
The curator will ask you to sign a form stating that you own the object and that you are transferring ownership to the museum. If copyright was held by you, this would also be transferred to the museum. In other words it will belong to the museum and you or your family will not be able to claim it back. The object will enter either the permanent collections or the handling collection.
If your object enters the permanent collections:
Your object will be accessioned and then kept safely. It may not necessarily be permanently displayed. However, it will be available for research, loan to other museums and education purposes.
If your object enters the handling collection:
This means that the object will be used during our work with special groups or for special events this includes school children and senior citizens. The object will be enjoyed by lots of people, however wear and tear may mean that we eventually have to dispose of it.
If we decline your object:
Please don’t be offended. It may be that your object is simply too big (we have limited storage space), or that we already have similar objects in the collection. The curator will be able to advise you if another museum might like to have it.
