Special Collections Collections Development Policy Appendices

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Manchester Metropolitan University Special Collections Collections Development Policy Appendices

APPENDIX 1 History and content of the Book collections

The foundation of the Book Design collection lies in a number of important arts and crafts books inherited from the Manchester School of Art Library which were collected alongside and in support of the school’s museum of arts and crafts objects. From these origins in the late 19th century, the collection was developed further by the acquisition of private press books, continuing the arts and crafts tradition, and in the early 20th century reflecting the renaissance of English wood engraving. Presses from this period include Circle, Essex House, Fleece, Golden Cockerel, Gregynog, Kelmscott, Nonesuch, Rampant Lions and Whittington.

With a strong foundation to build on, many gaps in the existing holdings were filled during the last three decades of the 20th century, as the University Librarian was an expert in 20th century wood engraving. During this period books demonstrating a range of typographic, illustrative and printing techniques were also added to create a collection which reflects a history of British book design and production in the 19th and 20th centuries. The collection was enhanced in 1967 by the substantial donation of the Manchester Society of Architects Library, which is particularly strong in late 18th and 19th century pattern and source books.

Artists who have studied or taught at the University are collected as well as examples of publications from other British art schools. Two major Victorian children’s book artists, Walter Crane and Randolph Caldecott were former Director and pupil at the Manchester School of Art and their work is well represented in this collection. Additional strengths include a complete collection of the output of the Nonesuch Press and substantial holdings from the Limited Editions Club. These sit alongside fine examples of books produced by British commercial publishing houses such as Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press, Faber and Penguin. Books were also acquired alongside and in support of the growing collection of archives of artists and organisations involved in book design and production, enabling the study of both process and product in the same location.

The Artists Books have been acquired by the Library since the 1970’s. They were originally part of the main library, and were later transferred to form a separate reference sequence within the Book Design collection. This was in response to student needs, as a consequence of the growing recognition of artists’ books as a distinct genre and to take account of the varied conservation requirements of this type of book object. A key principle underpinning this collection is the acquisition, where appropriate, of the work of current and former members of MMU staff and students.

The origins of the Children’s Books collection date from the formation of Manchester Polytechnic in 1970. The resultant Manchester Polytechnic Library was formed from various college libraries including those based at Didsbury College of Education and Elizabeth Gaskell College of Education. The largest group of books in this collection were acquired mainly in the first ten years of the Polytechnic Library in response to the interest of students of librarianship, graphic design and teachers in training. These were housed in the Special Collections Room at the then main, central library of the Polytechnic, for reference use only. This collection of books

Manchester Metropolitan University Special Collections Collections Development Policy Appendices became part of MMUSC in the late 20th century along with selected material from the Didsbury and Gaskell collections.

The Didsbury College of Education and the Elizabeth Gaskell College of Education both held significant collections of children’s books. The Didsbury collection consisted of Children’s literature for its teacher education courses along with the Morten-Dandy collection, whilst the latter included rare 19th century children’s books donated by Miss Madge Dandy and subsequently added to by Eric J. Morten. A smaller group of books were acquired by the Elizabeth Gaskell College of Education and were similar in character and purpose to the Morten-Dandy Collection.

APPENDIX 2 History and content of the Archive collections

Archival material created during the institutional history of the Manchester School of Art, and the other institutions that formed Manchester Polytechnic, began to be deposited, informally, in the University Library in the early 1980s. In 2006 the decision was taken to accession the Manchester School of Art archive as part of the archive collections in the Museum was based primarily upon the close association between the history of the School of Art and a number of pre-existing areas of the Collections; especially the Manchester School of Art Collection and certain areas of the book collections. Only material that predated the creation of Manchester Polytechnic in 1970, which marked the termination of the School of Art as an autonomous institution, were included in the archive. Post 1970 archival material and material relating to the history of the other constituent colleges of Manchester Polytechnic was not accessioned, but was, nevertheless, retained as being of historic value. It is anticipated that the University will make more formal provision for this material in the future.

The Artists, designers and the arts professions archive is closely associated with the Book Design collection. From the 1980s, exhibitions of work by illustrators, usually curated by the University Librarian, became a feature of the Library. These exhibitions focused upon artists whose work was well represented within the book collections and helped to establish contacts with those illustrators and their families, which began to lead to the deposit of archival material in support of exhibitions, teaching and future research.

In 2004, the Archivist post was made permanent and the commitment and stability of custodianship that this permanent post created, has allowed for a number of further acquisitions along with accruals to existing archives, building upon the established strengths of the collection. This collection comprises 38 distinct archives:

Barnett Freedman archive Norman Wilson archive The Fleece Press archive Karl Hagedorn archive Paul Hogarth archive Robin Jacques archive John Farleigh archive Lillian Reburn archive Rigby Graham archive John O’Connor archive Peter Reddick archive Graham Worth archive Cotton Board Colour Design and Style Bradshaw and Blacklock print Centre archive collection

Manchester Metropolitan University Special Collections Collections Development Policy Appendices

John Lawrence archive Trickett and Webb calendar collection Doreen Roberts archive Albert E Barlow archive Design Process collection David Walker archive Parry family archive Mary Butcher Baxter print collection Harry Pratt archive Bracket Press archive Walter Fielden Royle archive Sam Rabin archive Leslie Wood archive Douglas Martin papers Society of Wood Engravers Joan Hargreaves archive Olive Openshaw archive Morgan Hewinson archive Ruth Evans archive Roderick Cave papers Margaret Tournour collection Derek Clarkson archive Fancy Paper Company archive Manchester School of Art Textile Department archive Sopon Bézirdjian archive

Manchester and region architecture archives - the book collections within the Museum have a historic strength in architecture, and associated areas such as furniture design and interior design, emanating from the place of those subjects within the curriculum of the Manchester School of Art. In addition, the library of the Manchester Society of Architects was acquired in 1967. This established strength of the collection, encouraged the donation of small amounts of archival material, especially relating to the teaching of the architecture in Manchester during the 20th century. In 2013, after consultation with other local repositories (the University of Manchester Library Special Collections, Archives+ (Manchester), and the Greater Manchester County Records Office), it was decided to formally make this an area of active collecting. The aim being to collect 19th and 20th century archival material relating to the practice and the teaching of architecture in Manchester and it’s immediate surrounding region. The Manchester and region architecture archives currently comprises 12 distinct archives/collections as follows:

Cruickshank and Seward architects archive John Archer architecture collection Taylor Young architecture archive Manchester School of Architecture photography teaching collection Henry Sellers archive Partnership in Style exhibition photography collection Manchester and region architectural photography collection Harry S. Fairhurst exhibition archive Alan Morris archive Keith Ingram archive Arthur Arschavir glass slide architectural teaching collection Freeman O'Donoghue Photographic collection

APPENDIX 3 History and content of the Greetings cards collections In 2007 Simon Lawrence, who owns and runs the Fleece Press, offered to donate to MMUSC a significant collection of artist made and/or designed Christmas cards. These cards had either been sent to him or to his grandfather, Stanley T.E. Lawrence, who had been proprietor of the family art supply company. The design, visual quality and the chronological development of these cards made them a self-

Manchester Metropolitan University Special Collections Collections Development Policy Appendices evidently valuable addition the collections. A number of smaller collections of similar types of cards were subsequently acquired.

The Artists’ Christmas cards comprises eight distinct collections: Stanley T. E. Lawrence collection Chris Jenkins collection Simon Lawrence collection MMU and staff donations Roderick Cave collection Stanley Morison Rosanna Tooley collection André François

For the purposes of collecting we define ‘Artists’ greetings cards’ as cards, the majority being Christmas cards, made/printed/designed/drawn by someone professionally engaged or trained in a field of art and design and intended, principally, for their or their family’s own use.

Commercial greetings cards and postcards During the 1980s a number of trade catalogues, featuring commercially produced greetings cards, calendars and personal stationary, were donated to Manchester Polytechnic’s central library. Suppliers represented in these initial donations included: H. Whitehouse + Son, Sheffield; Reflections; New image, Accrington; Sharpe’s Classics; Collinson + Co, Preston and Shipley; Russell Greetings Ltd., Birmingham; Dennis Print + Publishing, Kingsley; Selective Print Ltd., Bradford; Wilson Bros.; Academy Cards; Hayes Greetings Cards, London and Creative cards.

This collection of greetings cards and postcards comprises 18 distinct collections:

The Laura Seddon Collection of Christmas and Valentines cards 20th century greetings card trade catalogues MMU Art and Design library greetings cards MMU staff donations anonymous 1930’s greeting cards postcard albums bus postcard albums Llewellin collection of postcards anonymous WWI postcard collection Manchester postcards Local collection postcards Album pour Cartes Postales anonymous greeting card collection anonymous greeting card and other varied material collection Empire Exhibition Rowland Hilder MMU corporate cards Jenny Gilroy collection

For the purposes of collecting, we define commercial greetings cards and postcards as printed greeting cards, produced for any purpose and occasion, and intended for commercial sale and distribution. We include postcards within this definition. The cards may be singular, collected within albums or included in trade catalogues.

Manchester Metropolitan University Special Collections Collections Development Policy Appendices

APPENDIX 4 History and content of the Manchester School of Art collection The Manchester School of Design was established in 1838, in rented rooms in the basement of the Royal Manchester Institute (now the Manchester Art Gallery). It became the School of Art in 1853 and in 1880 moved to its present home in Cavendish Street. It was subsequently renamed the Municipal School of Art (1892), and later the Regional College of Art (1951), Manchester College of Art and Design (1963), becoming part of the Manchester Polytechnic in 1970, and the Faculty of Art and Design of the Manchester Metropolitan University in 1992.

From the 1870s the school’s committee and teaching staff had noted the value of a collection for study, and in 1897 the Cavendish Street site was extended to include a dedicated exhibition space, focussing on the “Industrial arts and crafts”. It would be the first (and only) museum of Arts and Crafts in Manchester at that time. It was to be “a building suitable for the purpose of a museum of the Arts And Crafts, to be devoted mainly to the display of:

a. Casts of architecture and monumental art b. A collection illustrating, either by original examples or by good copies, some of the best obtainable designs in the chief branches of art workmanship c. A selection of the valuable Bock collection of textiles belonging to the city1

In this way the students of the School of Art, for whom the museum is primarily intended, will have the advantage of immediate access to accredited examples of form, colour, design and workmanship”2. The museum opened on the 28th October 1898. The earliest extant acquisition is a watercolour drawing by William Henry Hunt, given to the School in 1859 by John Ruskin.

Early collecting was funded by government grants and generous benefactors related to local industry and arts. This shaped the collection as one that would inform and instruct the next generation of designers for local business, dominated by the textile trade, although the museum was open to the public, at no cost, one day a week.

Early collecting was influenced by a strong adherence to the philosophy and aims of the Arts and Crafts movement. This is evidenced in the employment of Walter Crane, the renowned arts and crafts illustrator and writer, as the schools Director of Design from 1893 to 1896, and the ongoing influence of local councillor and social reformer, Charles Rowley.

Important acquisitions are a Byzantine (900-999AD) marble water fountain. Both were donated by Councillor William Simpson, calico printer in 1895 and 1900 respectively. Another significant acquisition is a unique group of early Pilkington’s art pottery, purchased from the first exhibition held of the pottery at the Graves Gallery in Pall Mall on 1904 and supplemented by a gift from William Burton, in 1906.

1 Dr Franz Johann Joseph Bock was a German ecclesiologist and collector who sold his important collection of textiles to the South Kensington Museum in 1862. The SKM declined a second collection in 1882, but this was refused, but the collection was later purchased by the Manchester Corporation in 1883. The Bock Collection was transferred to the Whitworth Art Gallery in 1960. 2 Technical Instruction Committee, 1896.

Manchester Metropolitan University Special Collections Collections Development Policy Appendices

In addition to the most significant items in the collection, acquired between 1894 and 1914 (see section 3.4 of the main policy), other works collected at that time included non-European (Persian, Japanese, Chinese) ceramics, metal and glass, as well as ivory netsuke, lacquerware and a substantial collection of katagami stencils.

Other notable aspects of the collection includes historic replica pieces acquired for display in the gallery and as teaching examples in classrooms (ie folios, reproduction prints, painted photographs, etc). Also replicas (plaster casts of Medieval sculpture and architectural designs and electrotypes of historic metalwork by the firms of Elkingtons and Christofle) and renaissance and Hispano-Moresque revival ceramics by Cantagalli, as well as copies of Chinese ceramics by the firm of Samson.

Significant donations of textiles were made during this period, including a collection of carpets, hangings, calico prints, and wallpapers (many designed by William Morris), donated by CP Scott in 1884 and 1921. These collections (excluding the wallpapers) were transferred to the care of the Whitworth Art Gallery in 1966. Collecting post 1914 was sporadic, most notable acquisitions being a significant group of interwar commercial posters collected between 1928 and 1934, most donations by Industry Advisory Boards. These include posters designed for the LMS Railways, the Empire Marketing Board and Shell-Mex, and designs by Paul Nash, Tom Eckersley, E. McKnoight Kauffer, Tom Purvis and more.

The museum collection fell out of favour in the 1940’s and lost its place in the Grosvenor Gallery space (later renamed the Holden Gallery) and went into storage, to be occasionally used by individual interested tutors and administered by technicians, and sometimes non specialist curators. In 1953 a small group of Wedgewood pottery, designed by Eric Ravilious was added to the collection, but there were no more notable acquisitions until the 1980’s.

Collecting picked up again in the 1980s and this period sees the addition of some African and South East Asian craft and design, and commercially produced historic designs, such as a group of historic drinking glasses and commercially produced pottery by Midwinter, etc. The most significant addition to the collection at this time (1982) was the transfer of a number studio pottery pieces from the Didsbury College of Education Collection3. The Didsbury Collection was initiated by the Head of Art & Design at Didsbury, advised by teaching staff. The transfer included important works of studio pottery by renowned makers such as Bernard Leach, Lucie Rie and Hans Coper.

From the early 1990’s to 2000, acquisitions were made at the choice of the Dean of the School of Art and includes a number of works made by staff of the school, but many significant examples of contemporary studio pottery were added during this period. These include work by Ray Finch (Winchcombe Pottery), Jim Malone, Michael Casson, David Leach and Takeshi Yasuda.

From 2002 to the present, collecting has included objects that “fill the gaps” in design history, such as Art Nouveau pewter by Archibald Knox, Art Deco glassware by

3 Didsbury College of Education Collection became the Faculty of Education at the Manchester Polytechnic in 1970.

Manchester Metropolitan University Special Collections Collections Development Policy Appendices

Rene Lalique. The continued development of a collection of contemporary studio ceramics, alongside contemporary craft and design, includes pieces by Katie Bunnell, Assa Ashuach, Patrick Jouin and Junko Mori. We continue to acquire work by alumni and staff of the School of Art, including work by Stephen Dixon, Alice Kettle, Paul Scott, Harry Rutherford and Adolphe Valette.

The Manchester School of Art collection encompasses:

 Ceramics: mainly from the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries, European and non- European. Particular strengths in early art pottery by the Pilkington’s Tile and Pottery Co, studio pottery from 1960-present.  Glass: mainly vessel glass from the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries, and 19th century stained glass panels. European and non-European. Strengths include a substantial collection of historic revival glass by James Powell and Sons (Whitefriars Glass House), Art Nouveau glass and contemporary makers.  Metalwork: in all metals including enamelled metalwork and electroform reproductions, mainly from the 19th and 20th centuries, European and non- European. WAS Benson, CR Ashbee, Alistair McCallum, Junko Mori  Wooden objects, basketry and Oriental lacquerware, mainly 19th and 20th centuries, European and non-European.  Ivory and horn objects: 19th century, European and non-European.  Plaster replicas: 19th century, European.  Coins and Medals: 19th and 20th centuries  Clocks and watches: 18th and 19th century pocket watches  Jewellery: of metal, glass, semi-precious stones and plastic. 19th and 20th century, European and non-European.  Furniture: 20th and 21st century, mainly European.  Wallpaper: 19th century, European.  Textiles and costume: 19th and 20th century, European and non- European.  Works on canvas: 19th and 20th century, European.  Works on paper: 19th and 20th century, European and non-European. Includes drawings and artists’ sketchbooks.  Stained glass cartoons: 19th century. Significant works by Frederic Shields and Ford Madox Brown.  Prints; mainly 19th and 20th century, European and non-European.  Photographs: 19th and 20th century, European.  Posters: 20th and 21st century. Strengths include commercial posters from the 1920s/30s.  Sculpture, mainly 20th century, European.  Katagami Stencils.  Plastics: 19th, 20th and 21st century, European.  Contemporary craft and design.

Manchester Metropolitan University Special Collections Collections Development Policy Appendices

APPENDIX 5 History and content of the Poster collections The Philip Granville collection Granville was a London based curator, art dealer and philanthropist, who specialised in posters, contemporary art and some ethnographic material. In the 1960s Granville specialised in selling posters from the 1890s to the present-day, and from his duplicates, he formed a great collection of posters which he sold to the Suntory Museum in Japan in 1990, and donating the entire proceeds to charity. By 2000 Granville had amassed another large collection of posters and artworks which he gave away to a number of British museums and galleries in lieu of inheritance tax. Other works from the estate went to other museums, including the British Museum, the Tate Gallery and the Victoria and Albert Museum, amongst others.

The geographical scope of the collection is international, with posters from France, UK, Germany, Belarus, Czechoslovakia, Russia, to Japan, to USA, to Australia. It is particularly strong in posters from former Eastern Europe, and also in HIV and AIDS awareness campaigns of the 1980’s. Other campaigns include the well-known series of posters by Toscani for Benetton, posters by designers such as Gerhard Voigt, Juris Dimiters, Alan Fletcher, Gunter Rambow, FHK Henrion, Grapus and many more.

APPENDIX 6 History and content of the Decorated Papers collection

The Schmoller Collection of Decorated Papers This collection is the culmination of a lifelong pursuit by collectors Hans and Tanya Schmoller. Hans Schmoller (1916-1985) was a renowned typographer and Director of Penguin Books. It was his and wife Tanya’s passion for design and pattern which led to the accumulation of a body of work that represents the best of 20th century Western decorated book papers. The Schmollers travelled across the globe from the 1950’s to the 1980’s in pursuit of these papers, amassing not only an extensive and unique collection, but also a wealth of knowledge. Both Hans and Tanya Schmoller have published extensively in the subject and remain leading scholars in this field. Significant pieces include papers by the Curwen Press (including designs by Eric Ravilious, Enid Marx, Paul Nash, Graham Sutherland, etc); papers by Sydney Cockerell; papers by Tirzah Garwood Ravilious; Batik or Java papers from Germany in the 1930’s; art marbling by Karli Frigge; an extensive collection of Sylvia papers; an important group of Italian block papers of the firm of Remondini.

The Schmoller Collection of Decorated Papers was given to the Museum in 2002 by Tanya Schmoller, in recognition of the strong links to the book collections and archives, and in the knowledge it would be used for research and teaching. It was Tanya Schmoller’s stated intent that the collection be a research resource for the documentation of this very particular craft, and for the identification of designers who have largely been forgotten or excluded from the history of book arts.

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APPENDIX 7 History and content of the Malcolm Garrett collection Professor Malcolm Garrett (RDI) (b.1956) is a British graphic designer whose work is widely regarded as a key influence on the development of contemporary UK graphic design. He was also a student of graphic design at the Manchester Polytechnic from 1975-1978. He is known for his iconic record sleeve covers of the 1970’s and 1980’s for Buzzcocks, Duran Duran and Peter Gabriel amongst others, and for his early conviction to using digital technology in design, his studio being one of the first to go totally digital in 1990. Garrett was the first Royal Designer for Industry (RDI) in the field of interactive media (2000). In 2013, Garrett was elected as the Master of the Faculty of Royal Designers for Industry. Malcolm Garrett is a collector of items of popular culture, stating that these had more influence on his work than fine art.

The collection is on long term loan to MMUSC. The first part of this collection (a history of the future) was deposited in 2012, and added to in 2013 and in 2014. It includes books, magazines, comics, posters, and other printed ephemera, as well as a collection of punk and post punk fashion.

APPENDIX 8 History and content of the Sir Harry Page collection of Scrapbooks, Albums and Commonplace Books Sir Harry Robertson Page (1911-1985) was the City Treasurer of Manchester in the 1970s. He was also a collector of a great range of printed material from the 18th to the 20th century; including scrap-albums, common-place books, travel diaries and photographic albums. What he called “Victoriana”. Page compiled this collection between 1953 and his death in 1985. His stated focus was to collect “scrap-books, not too late, nor relying too much on the press”, his objective being to collect “the kind of thing which young ladies wrote, and painted in, or decorated with prints and scraps”.

This collection includes scrapbooks and albums, but also travel diaries, sketch books, school exercise books, albums of verse and prose, commonplace books of many kinds, albums of political and social cartoons and greetings cards, memorial cards and silhouettes, examples of decoupage, embroidery and woven silk pictures, photography albums and collections of pressed flowers and butterflies and examples of the kinds of commercially produced ‘scraps’ often most associated with Victorian album making.

APPENDIX 9 Themes and priorities for future collecting Specific additional information. See also section 4 of the main policy.

Book Design Collecting will seek to fill gaps in existing areas and to capture new developments within the field of book design and production. The symbiotic relationship that exists between the book collections and the artists’ papers will also influence the acquisition of new material. The book design collection is in itself a collection of primary source material acting as examples of, rather than providing information

Manchester Metropolitan University Special Collections Collections Development Policy Appendices about, book design and production. Such secondary source material is held within the main library and is readily accessible for those using the collections. Such material is therefore not acquired for the Book Design collection.

Examples of fine craft bindings are not actively collected as this is an area well served by the University of Manchester Library Special Collections.

On occasion items will be transferred into the Book Design collection from the main library and from the Library’s reserve stock collection as appropriate and in line with this policy.

Artists Books For the purposes of collecting we use the following definition of the artist’s book as outlined by the ARLIS/UK and Ireland Cataloguing & Classification Committee,1988;

“a book or a book-like object in which an artist has a major input beyond illustration or authorship, where the final appearance of a book owes much to an artist’s interference/participation where a book is the manifestation of the artist’s creativity; where the book is a work of art in itself”

Items currently placed within the art and design section of the main library may be transferred into this collection if they fulfil the above definition of the artist’s book. Similarly, and within the identified themes and priorities for collecting, the overriding reason for any acquisition, including donations, will depend upon its meeting all collecting criteria and its suitability to be placed within a collection of national significance.

Children’s books will be collected in response to the size of the market in children’s books, as the capacity to collect widely is not sustainable.

Whilst the Manchester School of Art archive is closed, as the terminal point of its date range has passed, should archival material, which has become disassociated from the main archive, be identified, it will be added to this archive.

We anticipate that future additions to the Commercial greetings cards and postcards collection will take the form of donations of cards that individuals have received, through their private or professionally associations, and have subsequently been acquired by the Museum, either as part of a larger body of material or as a discrete donation. We would only rarely seek to acquire individual cards for this collection. This is most likely to be a card which is the work of an artist who is already well represented in another area of the collections.

Manchester School of Art: the Contemporary Craft and Design (Material and Process Innovation) collection Whilst we often work with teaching staff and researchers from the University for advice and guidance with acquisitions, a more formal arrangement was made in 2013 with regards to the collecting of contemporary craft and design. A collecting panel was established, comprising staff from the School of Art and the Craft and the Design Research Network in MIRIAD (Manchester Institute for Research In Art and Design). The Curator of the Manchester School of Art Collection is included on the

Manchester Metropolitan University Special Collections Collections Development Policy Appendices panel, but only as advisor (to suggest feasibility for storage/costs, ensure new acquisitions meet wider museum objectives). This means we can work closely with leading figures in this field, keeping the collection relevant and contemporary, and making the process of contemporary collecting more transparent. It also acknowledges and takes advantage of expertise in the School, and reflects the needs of our core users.

Whilst the collecting panel itself can recommend items for acquisition, any member of the University teaching and research staff can make suggestions to the panel. A small budget is available for acquisitions to this collection which is determined by the annual budget allocated to the Museum from the Library budget.

Themes and priorities for collecting in this area will be:

 Items that are craft or design, a one-off or mass produced piece;  Items of any media (including items made from untested, new materials that will deteriorate, and digital media);  Items that are international in origin;  Items that have been made or designed within the previous 5 years;  Items that are innovative in terms of material and/or process used in its manufacture; Items that embody contemporary/cutting edge concepts and practices;  Items that reflect current teaching and research concerns of the Manchester School of Art and/or MIRIAD;  Items that inform teaching and reflect contemporary practice beyond the Higher Education sector;  Items that build a public collection of contemporary craft and design that is unique and unmatched in the region.

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APPENDIX 10 Additional specific detail about the Museum’s motivation for disposal and its disposal procedures.

It is a fundamental principle that museums and art galleries acquire objects with a view to keeping them for posterity. Consequently there is a strong presumption against disposal of collections, without due safeguards. All disposals will take place in a manner that is open and transparent, and that will not jeopardise internal and external relationships or threaten public confidence in the Museum or in the University.

Motivation for disposal

Acceptable criteria for disposal:  If an object falls outside the collecting policy.  If an object has no foreseeable use in the Museum.  Where an object would receive a better standard of care, be more publicly accessible or more effectively used elsewhere.  Where an object is damaged or has deteriorated to the extent that is no longer identifiable and/or recoverable.  If the object poses a threat to other objects in the collection.  If the object poses an unavoidable threat to health and safety.  Spoliated material (see section 14).  Where a request for repatriation has been made (See section 15).

More specific guidelines may apply to particular collections.

Unacceptable criteria for disposals:  Disposal for primarily financial reasons;  On an ad-hoc basis, ie not as part of long term development policy and without consideration of objects significance;  Without considering advice from someone with specialist knowledge;  If the disposal will adversely affect the reputation of the Museum and/or the University;  If the disposal is not in the long term public interest;  Outside the public domain, except in exceptional circumstances.

If there is concern about a disposal, particularly where an incidental outcome is a significant motivation, the Museums Association will be contacted for advice and guidance.

Outcomes Primary outcomes: The primary outcomes should all result in public benefit. Disposal should aim to achieve as many of the following as possible:

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 Improved care for item  Improved context and access to the object  Continued retention in a public collection or in the wider public domain  The removal of any hazard posed by the item

Incidental outcomes:  Resources freed up to better care for and use other parts of the collections  Creation, or optimisation of space in order to improve care and continued acquisition of collections  Any monies raised by a sale will be invested back into the collections

Identifying significance Before an item can be considered as a candidate for disposal, the Museum will assess the item’s significance. This will include:

 Inherent significance  Context and provenance  Relevance to the collections  Potential use and relevance to the Museum Mission and strategic aims  Potential use and relevance to MMU Mission and strategic aims  Relevance to other museum and gallery collections

Where significance cannot be established using in-house expertise, we will seek advice from external specialists.

Lack of documentation and/or provenance Where legal title is unclear or there is a lack of documentation, the Museum will undertake a risk assessment based on the principle of due diligence, weighing up the risks of disposal against any benefits.

Where title is unproven, the Museum must show evidence of the donor’s intent to give and it must be assumed that the intent is to benefit the public unless there is evidence to the contrary. If legal title cannot be proven, the new owner must be made aware of this.

Conflicts of interest The Museum staff, members of the governing body and anyone closely associated with the collections are invited and expected to declare any conflict of interest. This must be recorded in the disposal documentation.

University staff, members of the governing body and those closely associated with the Museum will not be given or allowed to purchase the disposed items.

Method of Disposal Other than items which need to be destroyed, the preferred method of disposal is transfer to another organisation in the public domain.

Options for disposal are (in descending order of preference):

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 Free gift or transfer to an Accredited museum/gallery, archive or reference library in the UK (or to originating country/community in cases of repatriation/restitution).  Exchange of items between museums.  Free gift or transfer to another institution/organisation in the public domain. This means a location where reasonable public access can be achieved, such as public sector or publicly-funded bodies or those with charitable status that hold items in trust for the public and not as private property, e.g.independent museums, heritage centres, zoological gardens, science centres, archaeological trusts or to a private organisation that provides a degree of public access.  Return to the original donor if still living.  Transfer outside the public domain e.g to enthusiast or specialist groups, schools or other educational organisations.  Sale outside the public domain by auction to a private organisation or individual. Sale of any objects will be considered only after all possible avenues of transfer within the public domain have been investigated. The Museums Association discourages the sale of objects between museums as damaging to a long tradition of sector cooperation in the UK.  Recycling of item would only be considered if the above routes are unsuccessful. Recycling could be through sale as scrap or as anonymous gift to a charity shop.

Disposal of unaccessioned items The Museum includes some items that are associated within the collection but are unaccessioned. These include:

 Objects to which the Museum holds legal title, e.g. items acquired for handling or given for other reasons  Objects deposited on approval for the collection, for identification purposes, on loan which have become separated from their documentation  Objects of unknown status, e.g. objects which cannot be linked to any documentation and may or may not be accessioned

A risk assessment based on due diligence must be performed before there is a proposed disposal of these items. It is at the discretion of the Acquisitions and Disposals Panel whether to follow the disposals route as outlined for accessioned objects.