Collection Policy
This document is a tool for Museum staff to help them maintain and improve the quality of the Museum's collections.
Collection Types
Set out below are the key aims within each discipline. All are subject to the conditions of acquisition in 2. In addition the Museum will attempt to be representative in each of these areas where possible, in terms of sex, race, age and ability.
Archaeology
To collect archaeological material from this area from the earliest times. This will be through organised excavation work or through casual finds. Archaeologists will be consulted in order to help decide what finds should be preserved.
Conditions will be stipulated in the case of organised excavations about how the material should arrive at the Museum. i.e. it should be washed, marked bagged, boxed and written up.
It should also be accompanied by the site paper archive. These conditions are formalisedin a Hertfordshire Museums' Group policy.
'Collection' of archeological material will not always be necessary, if the sites of any finds are notified to the County's Archaeological Unit for inclusion on the County Sites and Monuments Record.
Applied Art
To collect works of applied art of all periods which depict local scenes, is locally produced or is produced by artists with direct local connections, provided the work is of more than local significance.
Costume and Textiles
To collect a representative selection of costume and textiles made, worn or purchased locally, of all periods including current fashion and textiles.
Fine Art
To collect works of fine art depicting local scenes or people, of any period. To also collect the work of local artists with direct local connections if their work is of more than local significance.
Natural Sciences
To collect only such specimens as are needed to maintain a small local reference collection and to provide adequate displays of local natural science in the Museum's galleries.
Industry and Technology
To collect items which illustrate the development and products of local industries. The collection of objects will be supplemented by photographs, printed ephemera, books, plans, sound recordings etc as appropriate.
Social History
To collect items which were made or used in Stevenage and which illustrate the way of life of the people who live/lived here.
Photographs
To collect good quality images of the town and surrounding area which can be used for research, exhibition and publication. The Museum will aim to keep to the Code of Practice on Archives for Museums in the United Kingdom (1996) with respect to the photograph collection.
The Museum has an extensive bank of professional images given to the Museum by the Development Corporation and the Stevenage Gazette. They are good quality original prints and an attempt should be made to continue with this standard of image.
Preference will be given to black and white images because of the slower rate of their deterioration when stored.
Photographs taken into the collection must be accompanied by background information on the content of the shot.