Raglan & District Museum Collection Management Policy
1. INTRODUCTION
Raglan and District Museum (hereafter referred to as the ‘Museum’) has a wide ranging collection. Over the years articles have been gathered by museum society members from many areas of New Zealand and from around the world. These are well regarded treasures within our collection. However while it is not our sole focus our principal concentration is on material from our own region, defined as the area west of the Waipa river from Te Akau to Aotea. Proper management of these collections is essential for the satisfactory operation of the Museum and therefore the staff and volunteers will maintain professional standards concerning all aspects of collection management. This Policy incorporates objectives and criteria for Acquisition, Education, Conservation and Deaccession.
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
The museum’s first duty is to hold, preserve and enhance its treasures. We intend to do this while extending our educational potential by making the collections, allied information and expertise appropriately available to the public; whilst guaranteeing the collection’s survival in perpetuity. We also aim to identify and interpret the cultural and natural environment of our region through collection, care, research, education, interpretation and exhibition. Embodied within the Museum’s purpose and mission are the following principle objectives:
- To make the Museum, its collections and expertise available to the community, and thereby stimulate people to pursue knowledge and gain insight and understanding.
- To foster an appreciation of, and respect for, the human and natural heritage of our planet, with special emphasis on the Museum’s region.
- To recognize the multicultural nature of New Zealand’s diverse communities and the importance of their collections within the Museum and at the same time acknowledge the special place of taonga Maori and the principles of partnership embodied in the Treaty of Waitangi.
- To recognise our surrounding communities and others in New Zealand and the importance of their collections.
- To maintain the highest standards possible.
2. ACQUISITION – GENERAL
2.1 Acquisition Objectives
The principle acquisition objective is to acquire material relevant to the natural and cultural history of the region. There is no time limit for acquisition. Passive and active acquisition (by gift or purchase) shall serve the following objectives:
- The protection and preservation in perpetuity of material of importance to the Museum’s region.
- The development and maintenance of collections suitable for public programmes in education including exhibition.
- The development and maintenance of comparative collections for research.
- Where material offered to the Museum does not fall within the scope of this policy, the donor or items will be referred on where possible to an appropriate institution.
- The Museum Society committee may approve minor deviations to the Policy. This may be where there is a strong case for the acquisition of material not necessarily provenanced to our region but considered to be an additional asset to the Museum’s collections or for research or comparative purposes.
2.2 Ethics of Acquisition
The Museum shall not knowingly or wilfully acquire objects by any means where there is reasonable cause to suspect that their recovery involved the unauthorized, unscientific or intentional destruction of ancient monuments, archeological or geological sites, or natural habitats, or involved in a failure to disclose the finds to the owner or occupier to the land, or to the proper legal, governmental or Iwi authorities.
The Museum shall not knowingly or wilfully acquire any object illegally exported from its country of origin, or illegally imported into New Zealand in breach of any law, in breach of sound conservation principles for the protection of the biota and environment, or by the unethical breaking of trust.
The Museum will comply with the UNESCO Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora 1975, to which New Zealand is a signatory. The Museum shall behave in all respects as if New Zealand were a signatory to the following conventions:
The UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property 1970.
The UNESCO Convention on the Protections of the Underwater Cultural Heritage 2001.
Exceptions to these provisions may occur at the request of the appropriate New Zealand or foreign government authorities in respect of property seized by them, or where the preservation of the specimen is of paramount importance.
It is understood that maintenance and management of a personal collection can create a conflict of interest, and the Museum Society committee shall determine whether such a conflict exists. Museum staff should therefore declare any existing private collections and interest in active personal acquisitions, and make a clear statement to any vendors that their acquisition is for private use. In all such circumstances, Museum Society members and Museum staff must not make personal acquisitions in direct competition with the Museum. No staff member may participate in dealing (buying or selling for profit as distinguished from occasional sale or exchange from a personal collection) objects similar to those collected by the Museum. Staff wishing to work with, research or remove from storage items in the collection which are outside their responsibility must seek approval from the designated curators at all times. Appropriate documentation must be maintained for items allocated for internal research. Any appraisal of items that may be gifted to or purchased by the museum should be done by other than museum society members or employees. This restriction does not apply to in-house assessments of value for collection objects (for insurance purposes, traveling exhibitions etc).
2.3 Acquisition Criteria
The Museum must make every effort to establish the legal provenance and title to an object offered for acquisition. Material must pass the requirements of all of the following criteria before being acquired by the Museum:
- Wherever possible, the current owner or trustee must demonstrate clear title.
- There must be clarification of whether a gift is for the Museum’s collection or some other purpose (such as ‘spare parts’ – see 2.4) before it is accepted.
- Consideration must first be given to the significance of the material including all moral, legal and ethical implications.
- The acceptance of material must conform to the general acquisition objectives (2.1) of this Policy.
- The item must not be a duplicate considered to be superfluous or inferior to some related object within the collections.
- The Museum must be able to provide adequate storage/display conditions in keeping with professionally accepted standards.
- The item must be in adequate condition and a good example of its type.
2.4 Acquisition Procedure
Responsibility: Collections Manager
The donor’s signature to a “Certificate of Gift” shall accompany gifts accepted by the Museum. This informs the donor that they are gifting material to which the Raglan and District Museum will have absolute legal rights of ownership and use. The gift must be entirely free of conditions or restrictions. At the time of acquisition, staff shall ensure that the donor fully understands this.
The acquisition of art requires the artist to sign a non-exclusive licence for the period of copyright. This grants the Museum a non-exclusive licence to reproduce the work in any visual medium for the general purposes of record keeping, museum publication, research and exhibitions.
When the Museum accepts items for its collection, the Collections Manager shall ensure that full documentation is maintained (for registration and cataloguing).
Offered material may occasionally constitute a threat to the physical integrity of the Museum’s collections, structures, staff or public. It must first be assessed for safety, remedial conservation or ultimate rejections. If accepted, isolation from the rest of the collections must take place until its condition has stabilised.
Material offered as spare parts for the restoration of collection items, or for practicable use in the Museum’s laboratory or workshop requires initial clarification from the donor (as per criterion 2.3.2) Such material accepted for use must still be fully receipted by the donor’s signature.
The occasion may arise where an item is offered solely because the owner wishes to dispose of it, but where the item does not satisfy all of the criteria in section 2.3. The Museum is not obligated to acquire the items in this case but may (where appropriate) offer to pass it on to another institution.
Before acquisition, the Museum shall assess each item for limitations of weight and size regarding floor loadings and door apertures.
2.5 Inward and Outward Loans
Responsibility: Director and Collections Manager
Loan Policy: The museum is willing to hold material fitting its collection criteria on loan, either short-term inward loans for research or temporary exhibitions or long-term inward loans from donors that wish to keep the loaned material as their legal property. All loans require a formal agreement. Long-term loans must include in their formal agreement the procedure whereby donors or their descendents may remove and reclaim their property.
All outward loans are by the authority of the Museum Society committee and are effected through the Registrar. Long-term loans are for a standard maximum period of two years, but may be renewed on application to the committee.
All the following conditions apply:
- The item must not be subjected to excessive environmental conditions (of pests, light, temperature, humidity, mechanical stress; as outlined in the Museum Procedures Manual).
- There must be adequate security for display and/or storage
- There must be means for fire prevention in place deemed to meet the Museum’s minimum standards.
- There must be means for theft prevention in place deemed to meet the Museum’s minimum standards
Public Access to the Collections
The public are encouraged to have general access to the collections.
Full and direct access to the collections is normally for the purposes of research, preparation of exhibitions or other interpretive programmes of the Museum, and to address cultural, spiritual, historical and natural environment interests of the individual and/or the community.
General access to the collections may be restricted in the following cases:
- Items that are unusually fragile or do not tolerate repeated exposure to light
- Items of spiritual or cultural significance to certain community groups
- Items of archival materials that contain confidential or restricted information
- Items on loan
2.6 Public Access to Collection Databases
The ‘collection databases’ of the Museum are defined as the data in their various forms which pertain to the collections of the Museum, and are held by the Museum. These data include written, digital (computer-stored) and photographic records. ‘Access to the collection databases’ is defined as visual contact with the data through verbal communication with members of Museum staff.
The Museum operates from the principle of ‘open access’ to information.
Public access to collection data bases is normally for the same purposes as access to the items of the collections. The Museum has similar custodial responsibilities for information relating to items of the collection as it has for the items themselves. The extent of access to the collection databases is decided by the Museum Society committee and reflects the sensitivity and protocol associated with the data pertaining to any item of the collection.
The sensitivity of data, possible conflicts in use of the data and proper protocol relating to the data are determined after consultation with the appropriate collection curators.
Structured charges will be made where public access to the database requires a considerable amount of staff or computer time, or the accessed data are to be used for commercial gain. Public access to and/or use of certain data relating to items of the collections may be restricted in the following cases:
Data of a confidential nature or restricted by the Privacy Act 1992 or Copyright Act 1994
Data pertaining to items of spiritual or cultural significance to certain community groups
Data resulting from research in progress
3. COLLECTION – SPECIFIC
3.1 Human Heritage
The Museum’s Human Heritage collection is classified into four broad areas: European Domestic and Industrial, Maori collections, Documentary and Art. A geographic emphasis is maintained throughout this collection.
3.1.1 Domestic and Industrial
The Museum has a collection of furnishings, personal artefacts, armaments, as well as tools and equipment used in the fields of industry, communication and transportation.
3.1.1.1 Furnishings
The Museum’s collection of furnishings consists of nineteenth and twentieth century domestic accessories and fixtures. Examples include lighting devices, general furniture and domestic ware.
- Crockery / Pots / Pans / Servingware
- Wooden piano-organ
- TB Hill’s Apothecary set
- Rev Wallis’ writing desk
3.1.1.2 Personal Artefacts
The Museum has a collection of nineteenth and twentieth century personal artefacts of adornment, clothing and accessories which include jewelry, walking sticks, and pipes. Also medals, badges, flags and trophies commemorating Raglan agriculture, sport and military achievements.
- Military Medals
- Sports Trophies
- Jewellery & hairpins
- Lace work & 19thcent period costume
- Welsh Guard & Police Uniforms
- Catholic Bible
- High-chair / Sewing machines
3.1.1.3 Industry
The Museum’s collection of nineteenth and twentieth century tools and equipment is representative of Raglan industry and includes flax-stripping machinery and tools of the rural and domestic industries.
- Theodolites, land-surveying equipment
- Agricultural tools & equipment
- Flax Mill Water Wheel
- Corn Husker / Milk Separators / Wool Press
- Hand-driven shearing equipment
- Butter churns and Raglan Co-op equipment
- Raglan jail doors
3.1.1.4 Communication
The Museum’s communication collection largely consists of tools and equipment such as typewriters, radios and Post Office memorabilia.
- Raglan Telephone Exchange
- Raglan Harbourmaster’s Station radio & equipment (1940-1973)
- Typewriter used by the old Raglan County Chronicle
3.1.1.5 Transport
The Museum has a transport collection largely comprised of shipwreck artefacts from the site of 19th century shipwrecks along the West Coast.
The telling of the building of the Deviation Road will also be a saga of much interest and of major significance to Raglan.
- Shipwreck artefacts and Settlers’ stories.
- Photographs of Shipping industry, Wharf and Jetty
- Bregmen’s Petrol Pump
3.1.1.6 Armaments
The Museum has a collection of armaments which include firearms, ammunition, swords, bullets and grenades mostly from WW1&2.
- Crimean war dagger
- Powder Flask
- Boer war shotgun
- WW1 & WW2 bullets and grenades / Prussian helmet / Gas Mask
- Ration books, vouchers & letters
- Military Uniforms
3.1.1.7 Numismatics and Philately
The Museum has an extensive collection of New Zealand and overseas coins. At present there are no stamps.
- Coin and notes collections
3.1.2 Maori
The Museum has a large collection of locally found Maori artefacts.
3.1.2.1 Artefacts
Maori artefacts of significance include the taiaha of Wiremu Neera Te Awaitaia (paramount chief of Te Uri O Mahanga), and a feather cloak from the Chatham Islands.
The Museum has been offered a significant collection of Maori artefacts from Te Akau. There are also a few European ‘folk art’ pieces.
- Taiaha of Wiremu Neera Te Awaitaia
- Feather Cloak from Chatham Islands
- Nationally significant collection from Te Akau
- Stone Patu / Anchor Stones / Ko / Hoe / Tukituki / Kete
- ‘Folk art’ waka huia
3.1.3 Documentary
The Museum has a collection of documentary items comprised of books, written and printed archives, genealogical information, and photographic images.
3.1.3.1 Books and Archives
The Museum has a regionally significant collection of books, maps, written archives and newspapers relating to the local natural, and cultural history.
Archives in the Museum collection include newspapers, maps, early town plans, and general personal records. Artist’s archives include working drawings, sketches, letters, diaries, photographs and miscellaneous biographical information. Also held are archives from Raglan businesses, clubs and societies. There is a collection of books and manuals which illustrate advancements in technology through the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The Museum will maintain its own reference library, which is accessible for supervised research (all books & archives must remain within the Museum).
- Raglan County Chronicle Newspapers
- Scrapbook of accounts from Raglan Early Settlers.
- RT Vernon books
- Maps / Town plans / Settler’s Diary accounts & newspaper clippings
3.1.3.2 Photographs
The Museum’s photographic collection is regionally significant. Collection of provenanced material will continue and a prime criterion of photographic conservation shall be the preservation of the original image. Wherever possible, this preservation shall be done by scanning the original, and creating a digital copy for use. Reprints of the Museum’s original images will be available to the public for examination or purchase. These may subsequently be used for publication providing that the Museum is acknowledged as the source.
The museum has photographic portraits of important Settler families of nineteenth and twentieth century Raglan.
- Gilmour Brothers prints and photo-postcards
- O Bertling prints
- E Orton Wallis prints
- Tripod camera and glass-plate equipment
- Box Brownie cameras and equipment
3.1.4 Art
‘Art’ in its broadest sense here includes the use of all types of media and disciplines. The term ‘craft’ may also include folk art and souvenirs. The principle acquisition objective shall be to acquire art & craft with an emphasis on historical and contemporary works having relevance to the Raglan/Whaingaroa region. (e.g. Herepo Rongo painting or Ernest Moon’s art work, or Simon Te Whero’s ‘Coffee Te Awaitaia) Excellence and relevance to the collection are high priorities. Examples of relevance may include:
- The artist was born or resided in the Raglan/Whaingaroa region
- The artist is/was a major contributor at local exhibitions.
- The work depicts or was inspired by some aspect of the local region
- The work is constructed of material significant to the region.
- The work was executed in the Raglan/Whaingaroa region.
Where a strong case can be made for the acquisition of art not covered by the objectives in 3.1.4 this may be done in consultation with the Museum Society Committee.
Currently the Museum holds a very small collection of local art, and some domestic European ‘folk art’ including embroidery, weaving and some carved pieces using Maori traditional styles.
There is a large collection of old gramophone records and 2 gramophones, one of the records has been acknowledged as significant by the Radio New Zealand National Archives.
- Caledonian Pipe Band drums, uniforms and memorabilia
- Gramophones and records
- Folk art pieces
- Ernest Moon paintings
3.1.5 Natural Sciences
The Museum has examples in its collections of terrestrial and marine flora and fauna of New Zealand as well as rocks, mineral and fossils of New Zealand and overseas regions.
- Sea Shells Collections (local and foreign)
- Stuffed Native Birds Collection
- Animal (eg whale) bones
- Mt Karioi Sands
Raglan Museum has yet to decide on its approach and scope with regards to the following collections:
- Geology
- Sub-Fossil Remains (moa & reptile bones)
- Miscellaneous Conchology & Ichthyology
- Botany & Entomology
Miscellaneous Zoology: The Museum has a collection of preserved, mounted birds and associated items such as nests, eggs, crop stones.
Collection of Raglan/Whaingaroa specimens (native and introduced) shall continue to fill the gaps in the existing comparative collection. (pending 2.4)
3.1.6 Human Remains
The Museum does not collect human remains, parts of or entire human bodies, in either a modified or unmodified state. This includes tattooed and preserved human heads, mummified human remains and preserved foetal human remains. Modified human remains are artefacts made from human remains or any part of a human body subsequently modified by humans. Such artefacts and/or artwork may include components of body fluids, worked human bone, hair, teeth or skin.
MUSEUM EDUCATION SERVICE
The Museum intends to develop an Education Service. This will provide a valuable contribution to the community. The Museum will supply collection, storage space and an on-site classroom for use by a Museum Education Officer.
Objectives: At the Collection Manager’s discretion, a special “classroom collection” shall be established from the Museum’s research collections and maintained for separate use within the classroom. The nature of the material used in teaching will of necessity be different from that normally represented in a Museum’s collection because many items will undergo repeat handling by school children. The requirements of the Museum Education Service shall guide the Collections Manager / Museum Education Officer.
4. CONSERVATION
The Museum regards conservation as an integral aspect of preserving its collection in perpetuity. The Museum does not currently employ a conservator and therefore any conservation work approved by the Museum Society committee will be of a minor nature.
The committee shall identify on an annual basis, the remedial and preventative conservation requirements of the collections. A realistic annual budget for collection conservation will be maintained by the Museum. Maintenance of the collections shall be within professional standards, as recognised by the New Zealand Professional Conservators Group.
4.1 Conservation Criteria
- It must first be approved by the Museum Society committee.
- The staff member must be capable and/or have training or experience with the work.
- The work shall be of an accurate professional standard and must include full documentation before, during and after treatment.
4.2 Smoke-free Policy
The Raglan Museum is declared a “no-smoking area”. In accordance with the Smoke-free Environments Acts 1990. this decision recognises the long-term adverse effects of tobacco smoke on the Museum’s collections and staff.
5. DISPOSAL
5.1 Rationale for Deaccession and Disposal
One of the prime functions of this museum is to acquire objects and preserve them for the future. There must therefore be a strong presumption against the disposal of items from the collections.
At the same time, the Museum resolves to refine and improve its collections, provide them with the best possible storage conditions and give meaningful public access to them where appropriate. For these reasons, the Museum has a responsibility to identify any item within the collection whose significance or condition falls substantially below the acquisition criteria (2.3). Where such an item does not relate adequately to the Museum’s purpose and mission (1), or does not make a relevant contribution to its collections, or is hindering the adequate preservation or use of the collections then the Museum has a responsibility to consider removing it from the collection.
The Museum acknowledges that in the past acquisition of material has not been without problems. Occasionally there have been instances where objects were unnecessary duplicates, bad examples, or in such a poor state of preservation as to constitute a liability to the Museum’s collections. Despite the potential problems deaccessioning poses for any professional institute, a comprehensive collection management policy must include provision for disposal.
The Museum will exercise care and caution in evaluating an object’s merit when it is considered for disposal. A prime criterion must be that such action is part of collection improvement.
The generation of revenue shall not be sole grounds for disposal. In the event that an object for disposal is sold, all income realized shall be used for the acquisition of objects for the collections or for their conservation.
The Museum shall not make disposals in response to current vogues, on the basis of any individual’s personal taste or whim, or in a cavalier manner. The museum shall not make disposals available for personal acquisition; to any staff member of volunteer, or other persons connected in any way to the museum.
The disposal of any item shall neither contravene New Zealand law, nor any international law agreements to which New Zealand is a signatory, nor the UNESCO conventions relating to cultural property and endangered species.
Gifts and bequests accepted before the adoption of the Museum’s Collection Management Policy (2010) shall only be removed from the collection after the Museum Society committee is satisfied that every effort has been made to locate and obtain the written approval of the donor, their closest surviving family or appropriate trustees (whichever is applicable).
When signed by the donor (at acquisition), the Certificate of Gift conveys to the Museum absolute rights of ownership, use and disposal. Should the Board decide to dispose of an item properly receipted after 2010, they will be within their full legal rights to do so. However, as a matter of courtesy and in the interest of good public relations, if at all possible, the Museum shall ensure that the donor (or their family or trustees) is properly informed of the situation.
The authority to dispose of any item lies with the Museum Society committee.
5.3 Definition
Within the context of this Policy, the “disposal” of deaccessioned items is covered by any of the following interpretations:
- A gift or exchange with another professional institution.
- The return of items to former owners, trustees or guardians.
- Destruction
- Private or public sale or auction (the funds realised being treated as a donation from the original owner).
5.4 Disposal Criteria
The removal of an item should always contribute to the overall improvement of the collections. One or more of the following criteria (excluding requests for the return as per 5.2) should apply to items considered for disposal.
5.4.1 The item is outside the Museum’s acquisition objectives (of sections 2 & 3)
5.4.2 The item is subsequently proved to have a fraudulent, unethical or illegal.
5.4.3 The item lacks physical integrity; has deteriorated to the point of being useless for exhibition or relegation to the reference collections.
5.4.4 The item has deteriorated to the point where the Museum is unable to secure appropriate conservation treatment, or where the Director deems the cost of such treatment to outweigh the merits of the item’s conservation.
5.4.5 The item (which may or not be a duplicate) is considered to be either superfluous or inferior to some related object within the collections.
5.4.6 The item is known or subsequently proved to be a fake, forgery or copy which is not considered to be useful.
5.4.7 The item is an inferior example which does not represent its provenance well in terms of existing holdings.
5.4.8
The item is in an unstable condition and/or constitutes physical danger to staff, public, the collections or Museum structures.
The Museum Society committee shall then make the final decision to retain or dispose of an item within the Museum’s collections.
5.5 Procedure for Disposal and Deaccession
A separate report will be prepared on each item, indicating reasons why it should be removed from the collection. This will include the context of the item within the collection and the effects its removal will have on the collection. It will need to be ascertained that there are no legal restrictions against disposal. Where financial assistance was obtained from an external source for the purchase of an acquisition, disposal may require the consent of all parties who have contributed to the purchase.
5.5.1 Maori Collection
Agreement with the most appropriate Iwi or Maori advisors must first be obtained before the disposal of Maori material within the Museum’s collection.
5.5.2 Art Collection
Covered by procedures outlined in 5.5.
5.6 A complete record of the deaccession decision, reasons for disposal, item’s original donor, description and catalogue number, shall be entered in a separate “Deaccessions Register” (templates in PastPerfect 4).
5.6.1 The Museum’s catalogue number shall then be removed from the item.
5.7 Requests for the Return of Gifted Items
From time to time the Museum may receive requests for the return of items gifted to the collection. There are varied reasons for these requests but in all cases the following procedure must be explained to persons requesting the return of gifted items:
5.7.1
The person(s) requesting the return of an item that was gifted to the Museum’s collection must state this is writing to the Museum. Their letter must include the following points:
- Evidence of former clear title to the item
- Assurance that there are no conflicts of interest from related family members
- A clear case for the return of the item, which outlines all the reasons why the request is being made.
5.7.2
The authority to return requested items lies with the Museum Society committee. It will prepare a written report outlining the reasons and effects of the retention or disposal of the item. It will then decide whether to accept or reject the request.
This policy has been reviewed by the Raglan and District Museum Society Committee and will be reviewed again in mid 2013.
Acknowledgments
The Raglan and District Museum gratefully acknowledges the adapted use of parts of the Collection Management Policy of the Southland Museum and Art Gallery and also the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.