Are you looking to donate something to Inverness Museum?
We gratefully accept donations from the public as a way of building our collections. Our curator would be delighted to hear from you – see details at the bottom of the page. However, it is important that we do not duplicate material or collect objects that fall outside our Collections Development Policy, so please be aware that we cannot accept everything that is offered to us. As museum objects are kept in perpetuity, there are also other considerations we have to take into account, e.g. do we have the space or resources to look after this item? Sometimes we might suggest another museum as a more suitable home for your item.
Donations we will consider…
Social history, fine and applied art, natural history, and archaeology relating to Inverness or the wider Highland area are at the heart of our museum. Your item can be made of anything and of any age, but it must have a connection to the Highlands.
To help with our decision, we also like to know as much about the items as possible. Information helps us identify if the object tells a new story or enhances an existing story within the collection. Does it shed new light on under-represented people or histories? Does it show exceptional skill or have special cultural significance?
If you have photographs or other documentation relevant to the item, we are happy to accept those too. Or we can take copies if you would prefer to keep the originals.
Donations we can’t accept…
- Long-term loans – unless the item is exceptional!
- Items with onerous conditions attached, e.g. placed permanently on display.
- Items that are in very poor or decaying condition.
- Unless there are compelling and legitimate reasons, hazardous objects and substances will not be accepted. This includes objects containing asbestos or explosive, flammable, poisonous, potentially carcinogenic or radioactive material.
What happens if you object is accepted?
You will receive a receipt, called an Entry Form, and staff will consult with you on how you would like to be acknowledged. If your object is accepted for the museum collection, it will be given a unique reference number and formally accessioned into the collection – at this point we are vowing to look after your item forever! However, we may feel your object would be better used for educational purposes, in which case we would accept the object but it would not be accessioned. Instead it would be used in our ‘handling’ collection. We would discuss this with you at the time of donation.
If we do accept your object for the museum collection, please note that we may not be able to put it on display for some time. We care for almost 100,000 objects, and exhibitions and displays have to be carefully planned in advance. However, your item will be carefully stored and could be used in temporary exhibitions or displays, or lent to other museums. It will be made available for research, study and education purposes.
Contact
If you are considering offering an object to the museum, please contact us using the details below.
Please note we cannot provide object valuations.
Kari Moodie, Curator (Collections)
