Report on Collections Agreement 1 April 2012 - 31 March 2013
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APPENDIX Report to Board Meeting of 3 September 2013 Report by Director of Cultural Services REPORT ON COLLECTIONS AGREEMENT 1 APRIL 2012 - 31 MARCH 2013 Purpose of report To provide the Board with performance information relating to the Collections Agreement. Recommendations: The Board is asked (1) to note the performance information relating to the Collections Agreement for the period 1 April 2012 to 31 March 2013; and (2) agree that the report be referred to Glasgow City Council for information. 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 The Collections Agreement (paragraph 24.1) requires that Culture and Sport Glasgow shall keep Glasgow City Council informed concerning the performance of its obligations under the agreement. 1.2 The Museums Acquisition and Disposal Policy agreed by Glasgow City Council and the Board of Directors of Culture and Sport Glasgow in February and March 2008 respectively also stipulates that the Head of Museums and Collections will present a regular report to the Board of Directors on performance under the Collections Agreement. The Head of Museums and Collections will also present an annual report summarising performance. Once agreed by the Board the reports will be submitted to the Council. 2. BACKGROUND 2.1 This is the annual report on Culture and Sport Glasgow’s performance under the Collections Agreement from 1 April 2012 to 31 March 2013. Note: the reports for Quarters 3 / 4 (1 October 2012 – 31 March 2013) are incorporated within this report. 3. SUMMARY OF PERFORMANCE 3.1 The following is a summary of performance under the headings specified in the Collections Agreement. 4. MUSEUMS AND ART GALLERIES 4.1 Inward loans (other than those connected with exhibitions) x Renewals: 10 long term renewals: 8 for a maximum 3 years and the other 2 for shorter periods pending redisplay plans. x New Inward Loan: Peter Howson’s “Crucifixion” at St Mungo Museum x Returns of long term loans in: 521 objects comprising of: Vivienne Westwood shoes to V&A, London; BMW motorcycle to private owner; 8 objects to NLS, Edinburgh; 10 pattern books and 482 pieces of textile to Glasgow University; 17 railway related items to private lender; one Harley Davidson motorcycle to a private owner; one ship model HMS Dovey to Govan. Objects borrowed by Glasgow Museums for temporary exhibitions x 9 exhibitions involving loans in, 58 Lenders lending a total of 456 objects. 4.2 Outward loans During fiscal year 1 April 2012 – 31 March 2013, 55 new loan requests were received. Of these 37 were approved and 18 were refused on the following grounds: Burrell overseas lending restrictions, short notice, condition of objects, current resource commitments, or lack of curatorial merit in the request. The following loans out were conducted during this period: 120 objects to 25 venues x Scottish Museums - 14 venues, 57 objects: CRM chair to Hill House, Helensburgh; two bicycles to Stirling Museum; a crucifix to Isle of Mull Museum; 1 carved stone ball to North Uist; a sword to Montrose Museum; a Le Sidaner painting to Edinburgh; 5 items to Govan Weavers; a tapestry to Edinburgh, 4 objects to Glasgow School of Art; a Rembrandt painting to the Hunterian Museum; a further 7 objects to Govan Weavers; 11 objects to National Museum Scotland; 2 paintings to Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art; 21 social history objects to West Kilbride; a watercolour of a ‘Volupta Pacifica’ to the Hunterian Museum; 41 Italian Masterpieces to Compton Verney. x UK - 5 venues: 46 objects: Gold race cup to Goldsmiths, London; two R.L. Scot manuscripts to the Wallace Collection, London; a Bruce Lacey sculpture to Camden Arts Centre; a Christopher Wood painting to Norwich Castle Museum; ‘Humankind’ tapestry to Compton Verney. x Overseas - 8 venues: 11 objects: Teniers painting to Staatliche Museum, Karlsruhe, Germany; 2 items to the Museum of Modern Art, New York, USA; El Greco painting to Osaka and Tokyo, Japan; Lipton Cup to Florida USA; a Signac painting to Helsinki, Finland; a Jordeans and Van Balen paintings to Brussels, Belgium; a Van Gogh painting to Denver, USA; 2 Signac paintings to Giverny, France Long term loans returns to Glasgow Museums x 1 Morion helmet returned from Royal Armouries, Leeds. Loans Retrospective project – resolved queries x 6 other queries resolved. Open Museum Community Loan service. This year there were 1295 loans to a diverse range of community-based organisations across the city. Based on our feedback data, these loans will have reached 24,605 people, inspiring reminiscence, creative writing, intergenerational projects, literacy programmes and the teaching of English for speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). Through all of these activities, the kits promote social interaction and contribute to positive mental health and well being, one of the City’s key social objectives. During this year, we launched our latest kit on the theme of Cinemas. This kit, which is proving to be very popular, includes objects and images from many of Glasgow’s well- loved cinemas. It was developed by the Open Museum Outreach Intern, one of 20 Interns across Scotland participating in the Museums Galleries Scotland (MGS) Interns Programme. 4.3 Acquisitions Objects approved or declined acquisition 2012-13 52 acquisitions were approved outright: 30 Gifts, 1 Lieu of Tax (since offered as purchase and declined), 22 Purchases of which would require grant assistance and 1 Art Fund International (AFI). In addition to items reported in the first two quarters the following items were acquired. Gifts x NA.2012.105 Portrait of Jane Glassford, John Glassford's eldest daughter. x NA.2013.29 Collection of minerals and rock samples, mainly from Scotland. x NA.2013.27 Brass compass binnacle from Queen Mary, Compass and pressure gauge from Duchess of Hamilton, small engine room telegraph (possibly from Duchess of Hamilton). In Lieu of tax x NA.2010.40 Luttrell carpet (since declined) Purchases x NA.2012.107 A living tree in the Ecuadorian Rainforest. £66 x NA.2013.32 Two works from Glasgow Women's Library show, 21 Revolutions: Jackie Parry, Women in the City and Sharon Thomas, ‘Mary Barbour Monument’. Grant Assisted Purchases x NA.2012.26 Silver chalice with paua shell cup and enamel cartouches by Ramsay & Phoebe Traquair, made by J. M. Talbot. (£30,000. 50% grant funded) x NA.2012.71 Guthrie "In the Orchard". Joint acquisition with the National Gallery of Scotland. Supported by the Art Fund (£62,884) and NHMF (£422,694). Contribution from Glasgow (£75, 460), contribution from NGS (£75, 460). The painting is currently on display in the NGS. Treasure Trove In addition 22 Treasure Trove items (58 boxes) were approved in principle pending allocation from the Treasure Trove panel. Not Approved 8 items were not approved for acquisition 4.4 Disputes/returns There were no disputes or returns for the year 1 April 2012 - 31 March 2013. 4.5 De-accessions and disposals There was 1 disposal of accessioned objects for the year 1 April 2012- 31 March 2013 x DISP 2012.2 T.1994.17.bf McDonald's paper napkin. Badly torn following de- installation of display case. Not redeemable. Disposal of PROP number items, and several TEMP number items which are not accessioned collection items, are noted in the appendix as a matter of audit. These items are all associated with the former displays at the Museum of Transport. Prop numbers are assigned to items so that they are not confused with accessioned objects. 4.6 Destructive analysis and scientific research During the period 1 April 2012 – 31 March 2013 the following were approved after checking method statements of those conducting the research. x RA.2012.06 14/352 De Bury chest. Analysis of wood painting technique by Glasgow University. x RA.2012.07 Iron Age site, Benbecula Bruthach a'Tuath publication project. Loan of material to NMS aim to analyse and publish the material. x RA.2012.08 A.1964.41 Wood fragments from Peelhill Hoard. For date testing. x RA.2012.09 Islay, Gruinart Farm Bog-Body dating. x RA.2012.10 17 Zoological specimens- analyse golden eagle samples - tissue for genotyping and feathers for isotope analysis. x RA.2013.01 29.134 Request to reconstruct a coif. x RA.2013.02 Trialling new camera which could allow better images of inscriptions. Non- invasive. x RA.2013.03 T.1962.5.b HMS Finisterre removal from original casing for research. 4.7 Conservation Care of the collection x Pest Management: Insect problems are on the increase in museums across the world and present us with a serious challenge. Glasgow Museums now has a policy on the management of insect pests which was approved on 13 August 2012. The policy and associated guidelines have been distributed to all staff and induction sessions across the organisation are underway. A number of ‘deep cleans’ have taken place, including office areas, as well as routine freezer treatment of collection items. Training has been delivered to help key staff report sightings and take action to keep moth levels at a minimum. The section’s Preventive Conservator participates in the UK’s museum pest group, which is an expert help group with links to industry and international teams. x Digital Collections: Work has continued on how to register and copyright audio visual, installation, conceptual, and ephemeral works, and on the approach to collecting information for MIMSY. Progress to date includes; an inventory of our current holdings, moving all relevant material to a single location, formulation of a naming protocol for multi-generational digital material, and formulation of a loans procedure for digital art. Work on the development of an ongoing duplication and migration program is ongoing. Research and exhibition work included: x ‘Millet in his Own Words’ exhibition at the Burrell looked at the authenticity of some of the Burrell Millets and conservators talked about the methods of examination used to detect fakes and forgeries.