Museums probably don’t want your stuff. It’s hard to
imagine but it’s the cold, hard truth. You may have family heirlooms that no
one in your family has room for and you thought that a museum would want them.
They might, ask around and see. But here are some reasons that a museum might
not want your stuff and what to do with it instead:
2. If your piece is quality, it might not
have enough historical value or be significant or rare enough. Letters, diaries
and photos are one-of-a-kind, mass produced items such as 20th
century clothing or books, probably aren’t rare enough. The museum might even
already have a few identical items. If it is a really historical piece, the
quality probably doesn’t matter anyway. Letters, diaries and photos, get snatched up quickly as do items that are pre-1900.
3. Most museums have big collections and small
budgets. Artifact preservation, archiving and storage cost a lot of money. Would
you believe the Library of Congress receives 22,000 donated items per day
according to their website and adds 10,000 of those items to their collection
daily? That’s a lot of conservation!
What
to do with family heirlooms that no one wants:
- You probably know at least one history-crazed
person who would *love* your stuff. Not that I know any… :)
-Try visiting local museums or museums in the town
that the owner grew up in. A big war museum might not want dad’s Vietnam helmet
but a small museum trying to tell the history of a town might.
-See if any museums are putting on exhibits in the
future that your piece might fit well in. Many museum websites have lists of
items that they are accepting or want.
- Consider donating to a local school, club, or
community center. Many places, not just museums, are interested in telling the
local history. Many reenacting groups like to have originals for study and for
living history exhibits.
-Sell it. It might seem harsh to sell a family
heirloom but if no one truly wants it, you are really under no obligation to
keep it. Grandma would probably scold you for holding on to her wedding dress
all of these years and tell you to buy something nice for her grand kids.
Things
to think about before you donate:
-Will you retain the rights to reprint or use photos
and letters after you transfer ownership?
-Did you make a digital record of your things?
Photograph artifacts from a variety of angles and scan photos and letters? Just
because you don’t have room for the physical items doesn’t mean you have to
erase their existence. You can find an online site and make the photos, letters
and diary entries into books inexpensively. You could even make copies for your
relatives.
-Did you add a note to the item detailing the
history of it? You might want to ask family members for further recollections.
Help give the piece context.
-Are you absolutely sure that you or your kids will
not want the item? Will your kids want to show it to their kids? If you think
this is a possibility, keep it until they are old enough to make the decision.
If this is the case, you might consider loaning the item to a museum, if
possible.
Great post, Stephanie! Useful information. Especially that last point about considering whether children will someday wish they had the piece that's about to be sold or given away now. Unfortunately, "old enough to make the decision" and "old enough to regret having made that decision" are two different time frames...
ReplyDeleteYes, the 21 year old might care less, but really want that item when they are 35!
DeleteWhat an interesting topic.
ReplyDeleteBeing on the board of our local historical society, we are constantly getting barraged with "family heirlooms," most of which aren't museum pieces at all.
Some items are borderline ridiculous.
I also frequent The Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village quite often and have spoken with their curators. They have stated exactly as you wrote: most items in their collection are not displayed and some.
Thanks for another great read!
"I'm not sure your piece fits our museum's mission." :D That's a phrase that gets used a lot.
DeleteIt's true and it really makes me think about what I keep from my family. Photos and writings are a keep but I think I'll forgo the china, blender, and spice rack my mom got for her wedding and never used but has been saving for over 25 years because she thinks that I will use it. :D