Appendix A
COLLECTIONS DEVELOPMENT POLICY
HARROGATE, MUSEUMS & ARTS
Mercer Art Gallery
Royal Pump Room Museum
Knaresborough Castle – Courthouse Museum
25 February 2014
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COLLECTIONS DEVELOPMENT POLICY
Name of museum: Harrogate Museums & Arts (HM&A), Mercer Art Gallery, Royal Pump Room
Museum, Knaresborough Castle – Courthouse Museum
Name of governing body: Harrogate Borough Council (HBC)
Date on which this policy was approved by governing body: 25 February 2014
Date at which this policy is due for review: February 2019
1. Museum’s statement of purpose
Harrogate Museums & Arts is part of Harrogate Borough Council’s Culture, Tourism & Sports
Service. We have 3 historic sites – the Mercer Art Gallery, Royal Pump Room Museum and
Knaresborough Castle – where we provide a museums and arts service for the public.
Our collections, which include fine art, social history and antiquities and other small specialist
areas, are stored at the Mercer and displayed at our 3 sites and elsewhere.
We care for the collections and display, interpret and promote them as inspiration for learning to a
wide range of all ages and cultures. We have a thriving schools service and adult programmes.
We are also concerned more broadly with arts and culture in the Harrogate District and beyond,
offering small arts and heritage grants for community activities and professional advice to artists.
Harrogate Borough Council is committed to investing in its museums and arts facilities. The
Mercer Art Gallery was refurbished in 2011 and we are working on redevelopment proposals for
the Royal Pump Room Museum.
2. An overview of current collections
Please describe existing collections, identifying the core and supporting collections, and including
subjects or themes and periods of time and/or geographic areas covered.
British Archaeology
Archaeological material within the collections represents all periods of human occupation in
England. The bulk of the material has come from individual antiquaries, who gifted their
collections to Harrogate Museums & Arts. The majority of material is prehistoric, although the
Roman and Medieval periods are represented. More recent acquisitions have been the result of
archaeological fieldwork carried out in the district.
Foreign Antiquities
Harrogate Museums & Arts holds a significant collection of foreign antiquities, most of which form
part of the Kent collection, although a small number of pieces were donated by other collectors
e.g. James Ogden. The collection consists principally of Egyptian, Roman, Greek and South
American material. Pottery vessels form the largest proportion of the material, with a significant
amount of glass vessels. There are smaller numbers of other items, such as metalwork, jewellery
and stone.
Social History
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The Social History collections encompass a wide range of material, especially those objects which
relate to domestic and personal material, community and working life in the Harrogate District.
The objects date mainly from the 19th and 20th centuries, with a small number of earlier items.
There are a number of areas within this that are significant enough to warrant individual policies.
Costume, Textiles and Fashion Accessories
The costume and textile collection forms a significant part of the social history collections with
many fine examples of mainly 19th century/early 20th century origin with a few earlier items,
including samplers dating from the 17th century. There has been a gradual growth in post 1960’s
collections in recent years. A wide range of fashion accessories includes hats, shoes, fans, and
bags.
Ephemera, photographic and archive material
A significant amount of the social history collections consist of ephemera including 16 boxes of
paper material such as booklets, programmes, as well as books and packaging materials and in
excess of 400 greetings cards from the 19th and 20th centuries.
The photographic collections contain local and social history photographs, ambrotypes, cartes de
visite, stereo views and postcards as well as photographic equipment.
Our collection does not contain sound recordings (oral history) or moving film archive material.
Coins and Medals
These collections are mainly the result of incidental acquisition rather than a deliberate collection
policy. They are not substantial enough to constitute a prime reference collection, although there
may be a few interesting individual items.
Militaria
Militaria is a very small area of the existing collections, including some items of uniform, swords
and firearms which are kept in store. Harrogate Museums & Arts hold an appropriate Museums
Firearms Licence for the collections, as required by Firearms legislation.
Apart from those items that fall within the Archaeological collections or items of significant local
interest it is not proposed to make further additions to these collections.
Furniture
The collections include a small amount of furniture, which is mainly in store. The collections
include: 2 long case clocks; small decorative tables; chairs; and 17th century and pre-17th century
chests.
Transport
There are a relatively small number of items of transport in the collections including historic cycles,
two fire engines and the Harrogate Park Drag. The Park Drag has been conserved and is
currently in storage.
Decorative and Applied Arts
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These collections consist of ceramics, glass, silver and jewellery. The Holland Child ceramic
collection is one of national significance. The Hull Grundy Collection of jewellery, glass and silver
contains nearly 600 items tracing the history of style, fashion and materials from the 18th century to
the 1950s.
Fine Art
The Mercer Art Gallery, Harrogate, is home to Harrogate Borough Council’s permanent art
collection. Founded in 1991, the Mercer, named after one of its benefactors, was created in the
former Promenade Rooms. Until that date the Harrogate Art Gallery had been housed in the
Library building in Victoria Avenue. Opened in 1930, the gallery built on a collection of works of art
gifted to the municipality from about 1900. From its foundation it amassed an art collection not
dissimilar to others of its time; essentially good Victorian pictures, acquisitions of local significance
and contemporary art acquisitions. The collection amounts to 2,500 works.
The Mercer has outstanding early 20th century pictures bought in the immediate post-war period,
including works by W R Sickert, Paul Nash, Christopher Wood, Edward Wadsworth and Ivon
Hitchens. Harrogate’s most famous artist is the great Victorian painter, William Powell Frith, of
whose work the gallery has excellent holdings. Other great Victorians in the collection include
Leeds landscape painter Atkinson Grimshaw, the Pre Raphaelite Edward Burne –Jones,
landscapist James Buxton Knight, horse painter John Herring and pioneer photographer, Julia
Margaret Cameron.
Harrogate has many works depicting famous local picturesque sites, such as Fountains Abbey,
Wharfedale, Nidderdale, and aspects of the built heritage in Harrogate town itself, plus Ripon and
Knaresborough. There are also watercolours and cartoons relating to Harrogate’s
Spa town history, by Rowlandson, Templar and others, plus prints and posters relating to the
region’s long history of tourism.
British women artists of the 20th century are particularly well represented in the collection,
including Nina Hamnet, Anna Zinkeisen and Dame Laura Knight. There is a strong and growing
element of contemporary British art, including works by Alan Davie, David Mach, Tacita Dean and
Andy Goldsworthy.
Ethnography
Ethnographic material is represented mainly in the Kent Collection and the Wilkinson collection
and includes Armenian and Jordanian costume.
Natural Sciences
This collection includes 16 geological specimens and a small quantity of taxidermy.
Periods of time and geographical areas covered:
The existing Human History collections cover the area within the current boundaries of Harrogate
District Council and elsewhere in Yorkshire and the UK, as well as the near East, Europe and
South America. The periods covered by the collections extend from c5000BC to c2000AD.
Future collecting for the Human History collections will be material with a connection to the
geographical area covered by the Harrogate District as defined by the borders administered by
Harrogate Borough Council and all periods from prehistoric to 21st century.
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Material from outside this geographic area will only be considered in exceptional circumstances
where it forms part of a larger collection formed by somebody local and offered to us as a whole,
or complements existing discrete collections.
The Harrogate Museums & Arts Fine Art collection currently covers the period c. 1650 to the
present, but we will collect back to the 15th century should the opportunity arise. It is principally
concerned with British art in all media, although that does not rule out the acquisition of fine art
from other cultures and periods where there is a connection to the district, for example, the
acquisition of works of art from temporary exhibitions at the Mercer.
Harrogate Museums & Arts is committed to extending the wealth, breadth and richness of our Fine
Art collections, for the enjoyment and education of as wide an audience as possible. We have a
particular commitment to increasing the representation of contemporary art in all its forms,
including photography and New Media, in the collection - for example, through membership of the
Contemporary Art Society. Also, we have a very fine core collection of early art photography and
an ambition to develop this aspect of the collections.
We will continue to collect the work of artists of quality and distinction, who have a connection with
the Harrogate District and the region, especially works with local subjects, such as architectural
studies and landscapes.
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At a glance table for HM&A collecting parameters.
Collection subject
British Archaeology
Foreign Antiquities
Time parameters
Prehistoric to present
Donations only & if of relevance
to existing collections
Medieval to present
Medieval to present
Geographical limits
Harrogate District
N/A
19th C - present
Harrogate District
Harrogate District
N/A
Harrogate District
Fine Art
Roman - present
Closed collection
Limited collecting subject to size
& storage capacity – medieval to
present
Closed collection
Limited collecting subject to size
& storage capacity – medieval to
present
15thC - present
Craft
Ethnography
Natural Sciences
Closed collection
Closed collection
Closed collection
Social History
Costume, Textiles and
Fashion Accessories
Ephemera,
photographic and
archive material
Coins and Medals
Militaria
Furniture
Transport
Decorative and Applied
Arts
Harrogate District
Harrogate District
Harrogate District
Harrogate District
Principally British &
European art & art of
other cultures where
appropriate (see above)
N/A
N/A
N/A
3. Themes and priorities for future collecting
Please ensure that this section covers subject or themes, defines periods of time and/or
geographical areas and mentions any collections which will not be subject to further acquisition.
General Criteria:
Relevance of objects to existing collections
Relevance of objects to themes for collecting
Condition of objects
Provision of suitable storage space and conditions
Subjects and Themes:
Human History:
British Archaeology
Harrogate Museums & Arts will collect archaeological material from within the political boundaries
of the Harrogate District and from all periods. This may include both individual objects and
fieldwork archives consisting of objects, written and computer records, and maps or plans. There
is a presumption against a split archive, so that when Harrogate Museums & Arts acquire
archaeological material, we will collect and preserve the complete archive with objects, written
records, photos and drawings.
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A charge will be made for the storage of archaeological archives and prior arrangement will be
made regarding deposition. Harrogate Museums & Arts reserve the right to refuse to accept an
archive where we cannot provide suitable storage space and conditions. Harrogate Museums &
Arts will liaise with other accredited museums within the region regarding alternative storage
space.
Where individuals within the Harrogate District have amassed a collection of archaeological
materials from the Harrogate District, Harrogate Museums & Arts professional staff will assess the
intrinsic value of the material and the legality of its acquisition by the individual offering it and may
consider the acquisition of such a body of objects.
Foreign Antiquities
In accordance with international agreements on the importation of foreign cultural material,
Harrogate Museums & Arts will not seek to add to these collections through purchase or gift. We
would consider donations from private collectors, where these meet all legal requirements and
international agreements and the objects complement existing collections.
Social History
Collecting will continue within those areas relating to domestic, community, personal and working
life and trade in the Harrogate District, to fill any gaps in the collection and to keep it up to date.
Many large social history items such as those relating to agriculture, craft and manufacturing are
currently referred to appropriate Registered/Accredited Museums as we lack adequate space for
storage and display. This will continue until such time as appropriate display and storage facilities
become available.
Costume, Textiles and Fashion Accessories
The costume collections will continue to be expanded to reflect Harrogate’s traditional position as
a centre for fashion, as well as to illustrate the variety of clothing worn by district residents.
Preference will be given to local design labels. Every effort will be made to fill in gaps in the
chronology of styles and will include menswear, children’s wear and ladies wear and fashion
accessories. We will continue to build up 20th century and 21st century material.
Domestic textiles will only be collected to fill gaps or where an item is of significant artistic or
historical merit.
Ephemera, photographic and archive material
Harrogate Museums & Arts will collect printed ephemera of local and Social History interest;
photographs and postcards of Harrogate and District to complement existing material in the
collections; topographical prints of locations within the Harrogate District.
We will continue to review the opportunities for developing archives of sound recordings,
resources permitting. In the absence of a regional sound archive Harrogate Museums & Arts will
direct sound archive material to the National Sound Archive within the British Library. Should a
regional archive be set up we will revisit this policy.
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Coins and Medals
Apart from items that fall within the Archaeological collections or items with a specific local interest
any additional proposed donations will be referred to an appropriate Accredited Museum where
there are major collections.
Militaria
Apart from items that fall within the Archaeological collections or items of significant local interest it
is not proposed to make further additions to these collections.
Furniture
Items of furniture with significant local associations will be considered for acquisition if adequate
resources become available for storage and display.
Transport
We will not collect further items of transport.
Decorative and Applied Arts
It is proposed that selected additions will be made to the Decorative Arts collection when
opportunities arise either to fill gaps in the existing collections or to acquire pieces with a particular
local significance.
Fine Art
The Harrogate Fine Art collection is principally concerned with British art in all media, although that
does not rule out the acquisition of fine art from other cultures and periods where there is a
connection to the district, for example, the acquisition of works of art from temporary exhibitions at
the Mercer.
Harrogate Museums & Arts is committed to extending the wealth, breadth and richness of the
Harrogate Fine Art collections, for the enjoyment and education of as wide an audience as
possible. We have a particular commitment to increasing the representation of contemporary art in
all its forms, including photography and New Media, in the collection - for example, through
membership of the Contemporary Art Society. Also, we have a very fine core collection of early art
photography and an ambition to develop this aspect of the collections.
We will continue to collect the work of artists of national importance, and of artists of quality and
distinction who have a connection with the Harrogate District and the region, in particular the work
of the great Victorian William Powell Frith (1819-1909). We will collect works with local subjects,
such as architectural studies, landscapes and portraits, as long as the quality of the work
measures up to our standards.
Craft
We will not collect further craft material.
Ethnography
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We will not collect further ethnographic material unless a piece becomes available by donation
that was previously part of the Kent or Wilkinson collections prior to their donation to Harrogate
Museums.
Natural Sciences
We will not collect further Natural Science Material.
4. Themes and priorities for rationalisation and disposal
Responsible, curatorially-motivated disposal takes place as part of a museum’s long-term
collections policy, in order to increase public benefit derived from museum collections1. Please
ensure this section sets out the museum’s approach to rationalisation and disposal referring to
template clause 13 (e) and 13 (f).
When disposal is motivated by curatorial reasons the procedures outlined in paragraphs
13g-13s will be followed and the method of disposal may be by gift, sale or exchange.
The museum will not undertake disposal motivated principally by financial reasons
5. Limitations on collecting
The museum recognises its responsibility, in acquiring additions to its collections, to
ensure that care of collections, documentation arrangements and use of collections will
meet the requirements of the Accreditation Standard. It will take into account limitations on
collecting imposed by such factors as staffing, storage and care of collection
arrangements.
6. Collecting policies of other museums
The museum will take account of the collecting policies of other museums and other
organisations collecting in the same or related areas or subject fields. It will consult with
these organisations where conflicts of interest may arise or to define areas of specialism,
in order to avoid unnecessary duplication and waste of resources.
Specific reference is made to the following museum(s):
York Museums Trust
Nidderdale Museum
Ripon Museums Trust (Law and Order Museums)
Craven Museum, particularly in relation to archaeological material from the Dales area.
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See Museums Association ‘Disposals Toolkit’ pg 5.
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7. Policy review procedure
The acquisition and disposal policy will be published and reviewed from time to time, at
least once every five years. The date when the policy is next due for review is noted above.
Arts Council England will be notified of any changes to the acquisition and disposal policy,
and the implications of any such changes for the future of existing collections.
8. Acquisitions not covered by the policy
Acquisitions outside the current stated policy will only be made in very exceptional
circumstances, and then only after proper consideration by the governing body of the
museum itself, having regard to the interests of other museums.
9. Acquisition procedures
a. The museum will exercise due diligence and make every effort not to 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.
b. In particular, the museum will not acquire any object or specimen unless it is
satisfied that the object or specimen 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).
c. In accordance with the provisions of the UNESCO 1970 Convention on the Means
of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership
of Cultural Property, which the UK ratified with effect from November 1 2002, and
the Dealing in Cultural Objects (Offences) Act 2003, the museum will reject any
items that have been illicitly traded. The governing body will be guided by the
national guidance on the responsible acquisition of cultural property issued by
the Department for Culture, Media and Sport in 2005.
d. The museum will not acquire any biological or geological material.
e. The museum will not acquire archaeological antiquities (including excavated
ceramics) in any case where the governing body or responsible officer has any
suspicion that the circumstances of their recovery involved a failure to follow the
appropriate legal procedures.
f. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland the procedures include reporting finds to
the landowner or occupier of the land and to the proper authorities in the case of
possible treasure as defined by the Treasure Act 1996.
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g. Any exceptions to the above clauses 8a, 8b, 8c, or 8e will only be because the
museum is:

acting as an externally approved repository of last resort for material of local
(UK) origin

acquiring an item of minor importance that lacks secure ownership history but
in the best judgement of experts in the field concerned has not been illicitly
traded

acting with the permission of authorities with the requisite jurisdiction in the
country of origin

in possession of reliable documentary evidence that the item was exported
from its country of origin before 1970
In these cases the museum will be open and transparent in the way it makes
decisions and will act only with the express consent of an appropriate outside
authority.
h.. As the museum holds or intends to acquire human remains from any period, it
will follow the procedures in the ‘Guidance for the care of human remains in
museums’ issued by DCMS in 2005.
10. Spoliation
The museum will use the statement of principles ‘Spoliation of Works of Art during the
Nazi, Holocaust and World War II period’, issued for non-national museums in 1999 by the
Museums and Galleries Commission.
11. The Repatriation and Restitution of objects and human remains
The museum’s governing body, acting on the advice of the museum’s professional staff, if
any, may take a decision to return human remains (unless covered by the ‘Guidance for the
care of human remains in museums’ issued by DCMS in 2005) , objects or specimens to a
country or people of origin. The museum will take such decisions on a case by case basis;
within its legal position and taking into account all ethical implications and available
guidance. This will mean that the procedures described in 13a-13d, 13g and 13o/s below
will be followed but the remaining procedures are not appropriate.
The disposal of human remains from museums in England, Northern Ireland and Wales will
follow the procedures in the ‘Guidance for the care of human remains in museums’.
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12. Management of archives
As the museum holds / intends to acquire archives, including photographs and printed
ephemera, its governing body will be guided by the Code of Practice on Archives for
Museums and Galleries in the United Kingdom (third edition, 2002).
13. Disposal procedures
Disposal preliminaries
a. The governing body will ensure that the disposal process is carried out openly
and with transparency.
b. By definition, the museum has a long-term purpose and holds collections in trust
for society in relation to its stated objectives. The governing body therefore
accepts the principle that sound curatorial reasons for disposal must be
established before consideration is given to the disposal of any items in the
museum’s collection.
c. The museum will confirm that it is legally free to dispose of an item and
agreements on disposal made with donors will be taken into account.
d. When disposal of a museum object is being considered, the museum will
establish if it was acquired with the aid of an external funding organisation. In
such cases, any conditions attached to the original grant will be followed. This
may include repayment of the original grant and a proportion of the proceeds if
the item is disposed of by sale.
Motivation for disposal and method of disposal
e. When disposal is motivated by curatorial reasons the procedures outlined in
paragraphs 13g-13s will be followed and the method of disposal may be by gift,
sale or exchange.
f. The museum will not undertake disposal motivated principally by financial
reasons
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The disposal decision-making process
g. Whether the disposal is motivated either by curatorial or financial reasons, the
decision to dispose of material from the collections will be taken by the governing
body only after full consideration of the reasons for disposal. Other factors
including the public benefit, the implications for the museum’s collections and
collections held by museums and other organisations collecting the same
material or in related fields will be considered. External expert advice will be
obtained and the views of stakeholders such as donors, researchers, local and
source communities and others served by the museum will also be sought.
Responsibility for disposal decision-making
h. A decision to dispose of a specimen or object, whether by gift, exchange, sale or
destruction (in the case of an item too badly damaged or deteriorated to be of any
use for the purposes of the collections or for reasons of health and safety), will be
the responsibility of the governing body of the museum acting on the advice of
professional curatorial staff, if any, and not of the curator of the collection acting
alone.
Use of proceeds of sale
i.
Any monies received by the museum governing body from the disposal of items
will be applied for the benefit of the collections. This normally means the
purchase of further acquisitions. In exceptional cases, improvements relating to
the care of collections in order to meet or exceed Accreditation requirements
relating to the risk of damage to and deterioration of the collections may be
justifiable. Any monies received in compensation for the damage, loss or
destruction of items will be applied in the same way. Advice on those cases
where the monies are intended to be used for the care of collections will be
sought from the Arts Council England.
j. The proceeds of a sale will be ring-fenced so it can be demonstrated that they are
spent in a manner compatible with the requirements of the Accreditation
standard.
Disposal by gift or sale
k. Once a decision to dispose of material in the collection has been taken, priority
will be given to retaining it within the public domain, unless it is to be destroyed.
It will therefore be offered in the first instance, by gift or sale, directly to other
Accredited Museums likely to be interested in its acquisition.
l. If the material is not acquired by any Accredited Museums to which it was offered
directly as a gift or for sale, then the museum community at large will be advised
of the intention to dispose of the material, normally through an announcement in
the Museums Association’s Museums Journal, and in other specialist journals
where appropriate.
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The announcement relating to gift or sale will indicate the number and nature of specimens
or objects involved, and the basis on which the material will be transferred to another
institution. Preference will be given to expressions of interest from other Accredited
Museums. A period of at least two months will be allowed for an interest in acquiring the
material to be expressed. At the end of this period, if no expressions of interest have been
received, the museum may consider disposing of the material to other interested
individuals and organisations giving priority to organisations in the public domain.
Disposal by exchange
m. The museum will not dispose of items by exchange.
Documenting disposal
o/s.Full records will be kept of all decisions on disposals and the items involved and
proper arrangements made for the preservation and/or transfer, as appropriate,
of the documentation relating to the items concerned, including photographic
records where practicable in accordance with SPECTRUM Procedure on
deaccession and disposal.
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