National Churchill Museum

Westminster College

Collections Policy

Approved: (date)

Board of Governors

Board of Trustees WC

I.PREAMBLE

The purpose of this manual of collections policy is to establish policies governing the development, management, and use of the National Churchill Museum's permanent collection.

II.Purpose and Scope

The Museum's Mission Statement reads:

The National Churchill Museum, on the campus of Westminster College, commemorates

and celebrates the life, times, and distinguished career of Sir Winston Churchill and

inspires current and future leaders by his example of resilience, determination, and

resolution.

The Museum fulfills its mission by:

  • Maintaining and evolving the Museum as a symbol of Churchill’s leadership and
  • principles
  • Building and preserving the collections about Churchill and Christopher Wren
  • Contributing to cultural enrichment through exhibitions and educational programs
  • Developing academic resources to promote scholarly study

To accomplish this goal in the collections area, the Museum collects, documents and preserves objects, archival material, photographs, oral histories and art pertaining to the life and times of Sir Winston S. Churchill, the Church of St. Mary, the Virgin, Aldermanbury, Sir Christopher Wren architecture, and records of the Winston Churchill Memorial and Library in the United States (National Churchill Museum) if it relates to the Museum's mission.

The Westminster College’s Mission Statement reads:

It shall be the mission of Westminster College to educate and inspire all its students through a distinctive liberal arts curriculum and a dynamic developmental experience; to challenge them to be critically aware, life-long learners and leaders of character, committed to the values of integrity, fairness, respect, and responsibility; and to prepare them for lives of success, significance, and service.

III. Acquisition

  1. Definition and Scope

The National Churchill Museum may acquire additions to its collections by gift, bequest, exchange, purchase, trade, abandonment, field collection or other transaction for which title to the object passes to the Museum to become part of its collections.

Collections currently consist of objects, archives, and books surrounding and pertaining to the life and times of Sir Winston S. Churchill, general British history, the World Wars, the Church of St. Mary, the Virgin, Aldermanbury, Sir Christopher Wren architecture, and records of the Winston Churchill Memorial and Library in the United States (National Churchill Museum).

The strong interest area of the collection shall relate to Churchill’s early life, i.e. before enlistment in the military. Any personal belongings of Churchill and his family would be of great interest, especially clothing and correspondence.

Resource Materials: Printed material, audio-visual material and research notes will be collected for use by the staff and interested public. It will be organized, indexed and placed in the Museum's Library and Research Center. These materials will not be accessioned into the Museum's artifact and archival collection.

Collections Scope will consist of objects pertaining to:

  • work, life, and family of Winston S Churchill
  • ‘Sinews of Peace’ speech day and events
  • Churchilliana and significant objects portraying Churchill
  • Church of St. Mary, the Virgin, Aldermanbury
  • Military items or objects if a clear connection to Churchill can be established

The Museum will not collect:

  • Westminster College memorabilia or records
  • World War I & II or British history items not related to Churchill
  • Illicit materials

B.Ethics

The Museum subscribes to the Code of Ethics laid out by the American Association of Museums (Appendix A). The Museum will not knowingly acquire, by direct or indirect means, objects that are unethically collected or unethically alienated from their society of origin.

Note: Objects without clear title must be converted by due process of state law before they can be deaccessioned from the Museum's collection.

C.Mechanism

Good quality and physical condition are primary considerations in acquisition. An object of inferior quality or physical condition will be considered if it is the only object or documentation relating to a significant person, place, event, or activity, or if there is a clear need for the accession. A commitment to prompt stabilization shall be made when acquiring objects in poor condition.

Objects are accepted only when the Museum can provide for their storage, care, security, and preservation under conditions in keeping with professionally accepted Museum standards.

The donor or seller transferring property to the Museum must certify true, rightful, and legal ownership, or be the agent of the legal owner of that property. The signing of a legal instrument of conveyance must document the transfer of ownership of objects acquired by gift or exchange.

With the exception of copyright materials, title and right to all acquisitions should be granted free and clear without conditions, limitations, and/or restrictions as to use or future disposition.

Appraisals are the responsibility of the donor. In compliance with current Federal Income Tax regulations, Museum staff is prohibited from providing the donor with appraisal services.

The Collections Committee shall consist of:

-Museum Executive Director

-Archivist-Curator

-Museum Educator (or Staff member with special interest in a particular area of collection

-A Board of Governors’ advisory board member

The collections committee shall meet three times a year during the first week of April, July and October. If an object/ collection needs immediate consideration the collections committee can discuss acquisition via email or telephone conference.

Acceptance of donations requires the approval of the Collections Committee. Potentially problematic or controversial donation offers may be brought before the Collections Committee, regardless of their value.

Proposed purchases shall require recommendation of the Collections Committee and approval of the Board of Trustees (Governors).

Proposed acquisitions with physically hazardous attributes, donor imposed conditions, or restrictions of any kind require the approval of the Collections Committee.

Conditions or restrictions agreed to by the Collections Committee:

-should apply for as short a time as possible;

-must be clearly stated in the legal instrument of conveyance;

-must be made part of the permanent accession records for that object; and

-must be strictly observed by the Museum.

The Collections Committee shall periodically review the Collections Management Policy and recommend revisions as necessary. Changes in the accession policy shall have the approval of the (Museum's) Westminster College’s Board of Trustees (Governors.)

Acquisition Process

  1. Contact with Archivist-Curator so objects(s) can be appropriately evaluated. If possible, staff should see the object in person. An entry form will be completed.
  2. Recommendation by staff to Collections Committee for approval. All proposed purchases require Board approval.
  3. Accepted artifacts with supporting provenance will be physically examined by Museum staff and secured in the Collections.
  4. A Deed of Gift will be sent to the donor/seller for signature and returned to Museum.
  5. Initial documentation of object/collection into PastPerfect, including assigning of accession number and object ID number(s).
  6. Full documentation in PastPerfect.
  7. Proper conservation and storage in Museum facilities.

The Museum will not house objects awaiting approval by the collections committee, as insurance cannot cover objects not owned by the museum.

IV.DEACCESSIONS

A.Definition

Deaccessioning is the process used to remove permanently any object from a museum's collections.

Deaccessioning enables a museum to reevaluate its collections to keep it within bounds of its mission statement, to meet museum collecting criteria, and to maintain the caliber of collections the institution seeks.

A systematic program of deaccession is needed to:

-maintain usefulness and relevance to acquisition goals and criteria,

-avoid duplication of materials,

-eliminate objects in deteriorated physical condition,

-avoid the inability to provide reasonable care for an object.

B.Ethics

Members of the Museum staff and board are bound by established Codes of Ethics of the American Association of Museums regarding their actions in a deaccession. Decisions to deaccession an object must be based on the Museum's long-standing goals, not on short-term or personal interests.

C.Mechanism

The Collections Committee can consider for deaccession those items possessed by the Museum for seven years and it has clear title to or the donor cannot be located*, if the object is in poor physical condition or it clearly does not fit with the Collections Policy.

*Objects without clear title should be converted by due process of state law before they are deaccessioned if possible.

Any member of the Collections Committee may initiate the deaccession of an object. The Archivist-Curator will check on any donor-imposed restrictions and prepare a Recommendation to Deaccession Form. A clear statement of justification for the deaccession must appear on that form. Such justification must include:

-irrelevance to acquisition goals, or

-over-duplication of that particular object, or

-deteriorated physical state, or

-inability of the Museum to provide proper care for the object.

The Recommendation to Deaccession Form shall be submitted to the Collections Committee and then to the Westminster College Board of Trustees (Board of Governors) for their action. The author of the justification statement in the Recommendation to Deaccession Form may appeal the Board of Trustees (Board of Governors’) decision only once.

If the deaccession has been approved by theBoard of Trustees (Board of Governors), the Archivist-Curator shall receive the original signed and dated form and proceed to make the necessary arrangements for the final transfer of the object. Evidence of ownership by the Museum shall be removed from the object or deaccession noted on the object prior to its disposal. The Archivist-Curator will record this action on all permanent collections records for that object. As a courtesy, the Archivist-Curator may contact the donor regarding the deaccession.

The manner used for disposing of a deaccessioned object shall be determined by the Collections Committee using the recommendations that appear on the Recommendation to Deaccession Form. Permanent disposal of the object shall be by one of the following methods:

- outright transfer to:

- Museum education department

- non-profit collecting organization

- educational institution;

- trade to another institution for desired objects;

- sale to another institution not related to the donor;

- sale to the public by auction;

- disposal as waste.

If the deaccessioned object is sold, the revenue gained will be used only for the direct care of collections (other than salary), or acquisition. (See AAM Code of Ethics)

If deaccession of an object is denied and an appeal has been denied, resubmission of the Recommendation to Deaccession Form can be made after one year has elapsed from the time of the initial recommendation.

V.LOANS

A.Authority

The Collections Committee has the authority to approve the loan of materials to or from the Museum.

The Archivist-Curator bears primary responsibility for supervising the loan activities of the Museum. The Archivist-Curator will maintain all written documentation and will oversee activities regarding research, insurance coverage, facility reports, customs, packing, condition reports, handling, exhibition and storage environment, shipping dates and instructions, and monitoring of the loan until its final return to the Museum.

  1. Incoming Loans

The Museum will accept incoming loans for the purposes of: special exhibition, research, or consideration for accession. The responsibility to approve an incoming loan for the Museum rests with the Archivist-Curator. The Archivist-Curator, Visiting Curator, or Exhibition Coordinator will receive all such loans for the Museum and will process and send to the lender the Receipt for Loans from which includes the Notice of Conditions (see attached form). For Temporary Exhibitions, it is the responsibility of the Archivist-Curator to ensure the return of the loaned materials to the owners in a timely manner. Objects on loan to the Museum should be given the same care and consideration as the permanent collection.

The Museum will not accept incoming loans for deposit or storage purposes, nor will it accept permanent or long-term loans unless agreed to by the Collections Committee.

C.Outgoing Loans

Outgoing loans will be made for non-profit educational or scholarly purposes to any institution or organization which will agree to meet specific requirements as deemed necessary by the Archivist-Curator and the Museum Executive Director according to professional museum standards. Non-museum borrowers (e.g. government agencies, private corporations, etc.) may borrow objects only for educational, not decorative, purposes, and as with all borrowers, must be able to provide for professional care and security and meet all terms stipulated by the Museum.

A signed Borrower's Agreement is required from the borrower for outgoing loans and a Certificate of Insurance may be required before the objects will be released (see attached form).

Authority to approve an outgoing loan request will rest with the Archivist/Curator when the loan requested:

D.Unclaimed Loans

An unclaimed loan is an object which has been held in a state of limbo for seven years by the Museum. The owner is either unknown or cannot be located, and, lacking clear title, the Museum is compelled to store and care for the object which is neither a documented loan nor an accession. The Museum will follow procedures established by the American Association of Museums legal counsel, the United States Supreme Court, and Missouri Bar Association. The Museum will make every effort to return to the lender or authorized agent or convert by due process of the law, unclaimed loans left in the care of the Museum.

VI.CARE OF COLLECTIONS

Collecting carries with it the responsibility to preserve for the future. Not only is the appropriate care of collections a legal responsibility of Westminster College’s Board of Trustees (Board of Governors), it is the most cost-effective means for preserving the historic and monetary value of the collections. Westminster College’s Board of Trustees(The Board of Governors) holds primary responsibility for the care of the collections. That responsibility, in turn, is passed to the Museum Executive Director, Archivist-Curator, and other Museum staff or volunteers dealing with the collections. Westminster College’s Board of Trustees(The Board of Governors) shall strive to be informed on the ongoing developments of collections’ care.

All Museum staff is expected to follow the professional standards of ethical behavior, as established by the American Association of Museums, regarding the care and use of the Museum's collections.

Volunteers who work with the collections will be under the direct guidance and supervision of the Archivist-Curator. Volunteers will receive instruction and guidance from the staff supervisor regarding proper handling techniques, security, and overall procedures when working with the Museum's collections.

  1. Risks to the Collections

All artifacts, photographs, and archival materials should be stored and exhibited to minimize environmental, biological, catastrophic, theft, and vandalism risks. Hazards include temperature, humidity, light, dirt, dust, gaseous and airborne pollutants, insects, vermin, mold, mildew, bronze disease, vibrations, handling, fire, flooding, earthquakes, theft, and vandalism.

  1. Guidelines for Preservation

Environmental and Pest Controls

The Archivist-Curator will periodically present reports to the Board of Governors to inform them of environmental concerns in the care of the collections. The reports shall include recommendations on implementing necessary upgrading and controls.

On receipt of new acquisitions, objects will be inspected for any sign of infestation. They will be frozen for a period of 48 hours when warranted. Periodic inspections will be made of the collections to ensure a stable environment. If mold or mildew is found, the object will be isolated and appropriate action taken. If pests or vermin are found, appropriate action will be taken and monitoring of the infestation continued until it has been eliminated.

Regular cleaning of the collections area will take place in order to control the effects of dirt, dust and other airborne pollutants. Doors to collections storage should be kept closed and locked when not in use and lights should be turned off upon leaving the storage area. Staff shall monitor and maintain controls over all aspects of the Museum environment. Ideal standards set forth by the American Institute of Conservators are:

Temperature: 65 - 70 degrees Fahrenheit

Relative Humidity: 45 - 50%

Note: Fluctuations in temperature and humidity are most harmful, constancy is important.

Ultra Violet Light: Storage of paper and photos: 0 foot candles

Exhibition: Light sensitive materials: 5-8 fc, Standard: 10-15 fc, Other: 20-30 fc

Objects should be stored in containers and storage fixtures and displayed in cases that are appropriate to the specific environmental requirements of each object (e.g. acid-free paper and cardstock, ethafoam, aluminum, steel with baked enamel finish, polyester, polyethylene, or, if necessary, sealed wood).

Staff and volunteers working with artifacts must be trained in handling procedures and use white cotton gloves unless otherwise advised.

To avoid theft and vandalism during exhibition installation, dismantling, and special events, galleries should be made inaccessible to the public. This is also for their safety. The design and installation of any exhibition will include the careful consideration of the security of the objects. Admissions volunteers should be trained in monitoring exhibits open to the public. The staff should consult with appropriate law enforcement agencies regarding how to challenge anyone suspected of theft and vandalism. The collections will be stored in secured areas with permission to enter such areas being regulated and scheduled by the Archivist-Curator.

Conservation

The Archivist-Curator will stabilize objects to maintain their integrity and prepare them for exhibition. When funding allows the procedures will be implemented for the conservation of artifacts by professional conservators.

VII.CONTROL OF COLLECTIONS

  1. Exhibiting Artifacts

Artifacts from the permanent collection which have been chosen for exhibition must be installed in such a way as to prevent damage to the article. Factors such as supporting the structure of the item, use of materials which will not adversely affect the item, and affects of ultra-violet light will be taken into consideration. The Archivist-Curator will instruct all exhibit installers in the appropriate ways of dealing with artifacts in exhibition.