The Collection

The Canal Museum Trust
London Canal Museum Collections Management Policy
(incorporating acquisition and disposal policy)
September 2001

Date of approval by the Council of Management:

September 3^rd 2001 with addition November 5th 2001

Date at which policy due for review:

(5 years after approval date) - September 2006

(Extended for a further yea in March 2007 by Council of Management)

Version 4.4

1. Introduction

The London Canal Museum's mission is set out in the Constitution of the Canal Museum Trust and the museum's Forward Plan. The museum's collections exist to support the mission, to preserve and interpret the history of London's canals and the ice trade. They include social historical objects, industrial objects, archives, photographs and records on other media.
The purpose of this Collection Management Policy is to be a guide for museum staff, supporters, and the public, to the professional standards the museum will observe towards the objects in its care. It seeks to reassure the public that the museum is operating within an ethical framework and is publicly accountable.
This document will be published on the museum's Internet website and a copy on paper will be supplied to any person who wishes to receive it at no greater charge than is sufficient to cover the expenses of stationary and postage in so doing.
The Trust's Council of Management is the governing body of the museum.

2. The Existing Collection

The museum's collections include objects related to canals, social history, industry, and art. The museum also includes archives which contain papers, maps, photographs, audio and video tapes.
Specific areas in which the museum has a collection of artefacts are:
- Canal equipment
- Canal art
- Equipment related to the ice trade
- Horses and their care and use for transport
- Cargo handling and weighing equipment
The museum recognises that it has an obligation to care for its collections in perpetuity.

3. Period of time and geographical scope of collecting

Most items relating to the areas of collection will be from the 18^th, 19^th, 20^th and 21^st centuries but the museum will be free to accept earlier items if they are offered.
There is a strong bias towards collecting items which were used in or are otherwise connected with the greater London area and surrounding counties. However, the museum will not forbear to collect items from other areas which are representative of items of a type used throughout the country, or which help to illuminate the general context of the history of inland waterways in the London area.
Items related exclusively to the river Thames will only be collected if they illustrate a general point or the interchange between canal and river navigation.
Items related to the ice trade and ice cream will be collected irrespective of geography
Items related to the history of the museum's building and the family of Carlo Gatti will be collected irrespective of geography.

4. Limitations on Collecting

The museum will not accept all artefacts which may be offered to it. In particular offers of artefacts will be declined in the following circumstances:

where the proposed gift is encumbered by conditions considered unacceptable.
Where the item is infested with pests or disease, unless it can be easily treated or the item is rare and the cost or difficulty of treating it is judged worthwhile.
If the museum cannot provide long term care for the artefact.
If the museum has insufficient storage space or other resources needed to accept the item.
If accepting the item would be prejudicial to the health and safety of museum staff or visitors.

5. Collecting Policy of other museums

The museum will take due account of the collecting policies of other museums collecting in the same or related areas or subject fields and will consult with such organisations where conflicts of interest may arise or to define areas of specialisms, in order to avoid unnecessary duplication and waste of resources. Specific reference is made to the following other museums:
- National Waterways Museum
- The Boat Museum, Ellesmere Port
- Canal Museum, Stoke Bruerne
- Foxton Canal Museum
- Kennet and Avon Canal Museum
- Museum of London
- River and Rowing Museum

6. Policy Review Procedure

This policy will be reviewed at least once every five years and is therefore due for review in 2006 or sooner. The London Museums Agency (as agent for the Council for Libraries, Museums and Archives) will be notified of any changes to the Acquisition Disposal Policy, and the implications of any such changes for the future of existing collections.

7. Acquisitions not covered by the Collections Management Policy

Acquisitions outside the current stated policy will only be made in very exceptional circumstances, and then only after proper consideration by the Council of Management, having regard to the interests of other museums.
The museum may acquire collections of items, some of which are outside the collection policy, where the donor wishes to deal with a single museum only, and has a variety of different items to donate, especially if the items could be at risk of destruction by the owner if not accepted. In such cases items every effort will be made to pass such items to the most suitable other museum, giving preference to Registered Museums. Such items will either be accessioned or passed to another museum within a timescale agreed with the donor, failing which they will be returned to him or her.

8. Acquisition Policy

The museum will collect artefacts which can be used to preserve and interpret the history of London's canals and the ice trade. This may include objects, archives, photographs and other media related to:
- the lives and culture of the canal community
- inland waterway trades
- inland waterway construction and operation
- the ice trade, including ice cream
- London canals and related waterways including the Lee and Stort navigations.
- canal boats, their construction and maintenance
- canal and ice trade horses, and other motive power
- the building at 12-13 New Wharf Road in which the museum is housed.
The museum may acquire artefacts by means of gift, purchase, or bequest. It may also accept loans (See section 13, below)
The Museum will not acquire, whether by purchase, gift, bequest or exchange, any object or specimen unless the governing body or responsible officer is satisfied that the museum can acquire a valid title to the item in question, and that in particular it has not been acquired in, or exported from, its country of origin (or any intermediate country in which it may have been legally owned) in violation of that country's laws. (For the purposes of this paragraph `country of origin' includes the United Kingdom).
In cases of doubt the decision for or against the acceptance of any artefact which is offered will be made by the Collections Management Committee or the Council of Management, whichever can consider the matter first. In so deciding consideration will be given to the value which the object could potentially offer to future generations. If an urgent decision is necessary it may be made by any member of the Council of Management who will consult other members to the extent that is practicable in the circumstances.
Generally the museum will not actively seek to acquire duplicate artefacts. However duplicates are considered of value and are actively collected where there is scope for them to be offered for temporary loan to other museums etc., or where the value of the items is enhanced by the holding or display of several such items together. In the case of printed ephemera which are potentially vulnerable duplicate copies will be collected where available.
So far as biological and geological material is concerned, the museum will not acquire by any direct or indirect means any specimen that has been collected, sold or otherwise transferred in contravention of any national or international wildlife protection or natural history conservation law of treaty of the United Kingdom or any other country, except with the express consent of an appropriate outside authority (e.g. British court in the case of a specimen seized from a third party under the Protection of Birds Acts).
So far as British or foreign archaeological antiquities (including excavated ceramics) are concerned, in addition to the safeguards under sub-paragraph 8.3 above, the museum will not acquire objects in any case where the Council of Management or responsible officer has reasonable cause to believe that the circumstances of their recovery involved the recent unscientific or intentional destruction of damage of ancient monuments or other known archaeological sites, or involved a failure to disclose the finds to the owner or occupier of the land, or the proper authorities in the case of Treasure Trove (England Wales and Northern Ireland) or Bona Vacantia (Scotland).

9. Material not accepted for the permanent collections.

The museum may acquire certain items which are not intended to be retained for the permanent collections. These items may be used if appropriate for educational or promotional purposes, including loans to schools and other educational groups. The museum may also acquire consumable and other spare parts for boats or industrial equipment in its collection.
The museum may acquire items as spare parts or consumables for its working Tug or other industrial machinery or canal related equipment which it owns, or acquires. Such items will be recorded separately outside the main accession record and shall not be treated as part of the permanent collection since their intended use implies that preservation cannot be guaranteed. If such items are donated the donor will be made aware of the intended use of the item(s) at the time of donation.

10. Models

Models can be of value in conveying information and understanding more vividly than other means, and they allow representation of large objects which could not be displayed. The museum will only acquire models if they are considered to reasonably accurate or demonstrative representations of the original or are themselves of historical interest. If of historic interest they will be accessioned.

11. Management of Archives

The museum holds archives including documents, printed ephemera, and photographs. It is guided by the Code of Practice on Archives for Museums in the United Kingdom, and also aims to meet the standards outlined in the Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts' Standards for Record Repositories.
The policy contained in this document is generally applicable to the archive collection. In respect of archive materials the museum will not be constrained by geographical considerations in accepting material offered to it where this is of potential value to persons conducting research who may wish to use the archive collection.
The museum shall maintain a catalogue of its archive collection on a computer database, and update it as possible subject to resources being available.

12. Disposal Policy

By definition, the museum has a long term purpose, and must possess permanent collections in relation to its stated objectives. The Council of Management accepts the principle that there is a strong presumption against the disposal of any items in the museum's collection except as set out below.
Disposal will be considered where it is believed that another institution would be better able to offer long term care for the object concerned or where the item is of limited value to the museum but of greater value to the collections of another museum.
All disposals will be by gift or exchange, never by sale. In those cases where the museum is legally free to dispose of an item (if this is in doubt, advice will be sought) any decision to dispose of material from the collections will be taken only after due consideration. Once a decision to dispose of an item has been taken, priority will be given to retaining the item within the public domain, and with this in view it will be offered first to registered museums before disposal to other interested individuals or organisations is considered.
In cases in which an arrangement for the exchange or gift of material is not being made with an individual registered museum, the museum community at large will be advised of the intention to dispose of material. This will normally be through an announcement in the Museums Association's Museums Journal and other professional journals if appropriate. The announcement will indicate the number and nature of the specimens or objects involved, and the basis on which the material will be transferred to another institution. A period of at least two months will be allowed for an interest in acquiring the material to be expressed.
A decision to dispose of a specimen or object, whether by exchange, gift, or destruction (in the case of an item too badly damaged or deteriorated to be of any use for the purposes of the collections) will be the responsibility of the Council of Management, after taking appropriate curatorial advice and not of any individual acting alone. Such decisions will be recorded in the minutes of the Council of Management. Full records will be made of the items involved and arrangements will be made to preserve or transfer, as appropriate, all documentation relating to the items concerned, including photographs where practicable.
Where a museum object has been acquired with the aid of an external funding organisation or individual, permission from that organisation or individual will be sought before the object is deaccessioned or transferred to another museum.
Any monies received by the Trust in compensation for the loss of or damage to any item in the collections will be applied for the benefit of the collections. This will normally mean the purchase of further acquisitions but in exceptional cases improvements relating to the care of the collections may be justifiable. Advice on these cases may be sought from the London Museums Agency.

13. Loans to the museum

The museum will accept items on loan from individuals or organisations, including other museums, for the purpose of temporary and long term exhibition, where no suitable alternative artefact owned by the Canal Museum Trust is available. Items will not be accepted on loan if they are not required for display, or likely to be so required in the foreseeable future. Loans will be authorised either by the Council of Management, or by the Collections Management Committee.
Loans of photographs and other media may also be accepted on a short term basis for copying.
Loans will be accepted only if the museum is able to offer a standard of care equivalent to that given to items in the permanent collection, and has the resources so to do.
In all cases a loan agreement in writing shall be signed by the owner and a representative of the museum. Such agreements will be for specified terms of no more than ten years (and normally no more than five) and in no circumstances will be described as permanent loans. Loan agreements may be renewed for a further period by agreement with the owner, when they expire.
Items on loan will be recorded as loans on a computer database in like manner to items which are accessioned to the permanent collection.
Items may be accepted on a temporary loan basis for examination or assessment prior to a decision being made on acceptance of the item as a gift or longer term loan.

14. Loans by the museum to others

Loans of artefacts in the museum's permanent collection may be made. The museum may impose conditions on the loan. All loans must be authorised by either the Council of Management or the Collection Management Committee who may refuse at their discretion. The loan period shall be decided according to circumstances but for a maximum of five years.
In all cases a loan agreement will be signed by the borrower and a representative of the museum. The agreement must cover:
- The duration of the loan
- Any questions of copyright which arise
- Acknowledgement of the London Canal Museum
- Requirements for security if applicable
- Requirements for transport of the item
- Care of the item during the loan period
- Requirements for insurance
- If applicable, whether the item may be worked or used.
3 Loans will only be made if by so doing the museum's exhibitions are not seriously diminished.

15. Access to collections

A high proportion of the museum's collection is on regular exhibition to the public. Where objects are held in store, persons wishing to view may do so by prior arrangement. Such appointments will not be unreasonably withheld but persons wishing to see objects will be offered appointments when appropriate museum staff are available and they may not be possible at short notice.
Access to the museum's library and archive collection is restricted to bona fide researchers and students and is by prior arrangement only. Such appointments will not be unreasonably withheld but persons wishing to study the archives or use the library will be offered times and dates when appropriate museum staff are available and an appointment may not be possible at short notice. The museum reserves the right to refuse access to vulnerable material in the interests of its safe preservation. Where the field of study can be pursued using the resources of public or university libraries or the purchase of currently available books the museum may at its discretion direct the student or researcher to those sources. In certain cases references may be required of the researcher or student.

16. Education Handling Collection

The museum will maintain a separate Education Collection for the purpose of providing material for handling and outreach work.
In the case of such material, documentation will clearly show the intended use of the object and donors will be made aware of the possibility of use in this way.
These objects will be recorded separately outside the main accession record and shall not be treated as part of the permanent collection since their intended use implies that preservation cannot be guaranteed.
When such materials are loaned to schools or other organisations for educational purposes, the policy described in section 14 above will not apply. Reasonable arrangements will be made by the museum's Education Officer appropriate to the circumstances.

17. Documentation

The museum will maintain the following documentation in respect of its collection:
- Records to indicate what items are held, whether owned or on loan, and where each item is located
- Records of all objects leaving the premises and in transit
- Records in an Object Entry Register of all in-incoming items, whether for accession, identification or loan,
The museum will maintain procedures for the return of items received for identification or possible acquisition once a decision has been made.
Artefacts in the permanent collection and on long term loan are assigned with an accession number recorded in the computerised Accessions Register and where practicable without risk of damage to the item are discretely labelled, tagged, or otherwise physically identified by the number. The computer records include a detailed description, and as much information as available on the provenance of the artefact, together with a record of the current location.
A backup copy of the registers will be kept off the premises in a bound paper volume and also in an electronic format.

18. Security and insurance

The museum strives to educate its staff, including casual volunteers, to make them aware that it is their responsibility to protect and preserve the items in their care and of issues of security in relation to theft, accidental damage and danger from the elements.
Staff involved in the handling of objects will receive appropriate basic training
Rooms housing archive materials and collection items in store are kept locked at all times except when in use. The keys to these rooms are in restricted circulation. Risks to other items are minimised by practical, common sense procedures and good ‘house keeping’.
The Canal Museum Trust maintains a comprehensive insurance policy covering the building, its contents, and liabilities to volunteers and the public