Donations and Appeals
What do we collect?
Derby museums collect material from the following specialist areas: Natural Sciences; Archaeology; Fine and Decorative Arts ;Social and Industrial History; Costume and Textiles. Derby museums collect objects, samples and information relating to the past, present and future of Derby and the surrounding area. Derby City Council keeps the collection on behalf of the people of Derby.
What don’t we collect?
Not everything can be collected. Storing, conserving and using collections is costly and requires considerable investment. It is important that only those items that can be used for display, education and study are collected. For this reason the museum often decides not to collect things that are offered to it. To ensure that the right things are collected a ‘collecting policy’ has been prepared that gives guidance to curatorial staff as to what should be collected and what should not.
Provenance
The most important thing when collecting anything is that it has a ‘provenance’. This is the history of an item, where it was made, who used it and how it was used, or where it lived, grew or was found. Usually, items without this supporting information will not be accepted. Items should have some relationship to Derby and the surrounding area. For the different specialisms the surrounding area has a slightly different definition. Please check with the curators for more information.
Other local museums
Derby museums do not, on the whole, collect material that should go to other museums. For example, Erewash Museum in Ilkeston would be expected to collect items from their area; the exception to this however is with natural science material, as Derby is only museum service that collects Derbyshire material. The museum also works closely with other museums and institutions, regionally and nationally, to ensure that items are housed in the most appropriate place.
What if we have one already?
The museum service does not collect material that is a duplicate of something that is already in the collection, unless it has another use, is in better condition or has a better provenance. Often in the cases when a duplicate is collected, the one originally in the collection will be disposed of. Disposal is carried out according to national approved museum standards published by the Museums Association.
What happens when you offer something to the museum?
We appreciate all offers of items to the museum. Unfortunately, there is not the space in the museum or the funding to look after everything. A collecting and disposal group meet regularly to assess all of the things that are offered. If an object is accepted it will be given a unique number (Accession Number), documented and conserved before it is displayed, stored or used in anyway. If an object is not accepted it may, with the donor’s permission, be offered to other museums or institutions to whom it may be more suitable.
Will the item be displayed?
The museum cannot guarantee to display any item all of the time. This will depend on a number of factors including cost of conservation, security, suitability and the current exhibitions policy. Some items are collected future use, for reference or for educational activities. The donor will be told at the time of deposit the accession number and the immediate future of the item. If they would like to see it again, or to find out if the item is on display in the future they should keep this number for reference.
If you have an item you think might be of interest to the museum service please use the contact form at bottom of this page.
Financial Donation
You can now make a donation online. To do this, please use this link: Museum Donation form.
You can also support the museum service by giving a by cheque. Please make any cheques payable to: Derby City Council. And post this to us at: Derby Museum & Art Gallery, The Strand, Derby. DE1 1BS. You can contact us on 01332 716659 or email diana.peake@derby.gov.uk. If you are considering making a bequest please contact the museum service’s director, Anneke Bambery, at the above address.
Supporters
If you would like to help support the museums practically or financially, you may be interested in joining the Friends of the Museums.