BLAKE MUSEUM, BRIDGWATER
ACQUISITIONS AND DISPOSAL POLICY
2005
1. INTRODUCTION
The Blake Museum Management Committee first reviewed this policy in 1997 in line
with the requirements of Museum Registration, it was reassessed in 2002, and is
now renewed to comply with the requirements of the Museum Accreditation scheme,
administered by MLA (the Museums Libraries and Archives Council).
2. BACKGROUND
2.1
Aims and Objectives of the Museum
Principal Aim:
"The Museum collects, documents, preserves, exhibits and interprets material
evidence of local archaeology and history, and associated information, to
promote understanding of local heritage among the public, especially the Life
of Admiral Blake, the Monmouth Rebellion and local carnivals.
Objectives
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2.2
To have displays and activities appropriate to the aims and collections of the
Museum
To develop the use of the Museum’s resources for educational activity for all
sectors of the community
To provide a relevant outreach service
To provide public access to stored collections as required
To provide environments for all the collections, whether displayed or stored,
that are suitable for their conservation and secure
To fully document the collections in accordance with SPECTRUM standards
and at least to accreditation requirements
To develop collections in line with the Museum’s acquisition and disposal
policy.
To maintain appropriate management arrangements and ensure future
funding and public access
To maintain an adequate staffing base, including voluntary support
To use appropriate opportunities for partnership with related organisations.
Governance and History of the Museum
The Museum is a service provided by Sedgemoor District Council in
collaboration with The Friends of Blake Museum and Bridgwater and District
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Archaeological Society. The Museum was opened in 1926 and is housed in
the reputed birthplace of Admiral Robert Blake (1598 - 1657) in Blake Street,
Bridgwater. Until local government re-organisation in 1974 the Museum was
run by Bridgwater Borough Council and managed part-time by the Borough
Librarian.
Under Sedgemoor District Council the Museum's Management Committee
met for the first time in 1976, and a Custodian was appointed. After his
departure in 1983, the Bridgwater Museum Society organised a team of
volunteer custodians, who are today co-ordinated by Museum staff. In 1994
the District Council appointed a Museums Officer (2000 – 2002 titled Cultural
Services Manager) to manage Admiral Blake Museum and other Museums in
the district. The Museum’s governing body is Sedgemoor District Council and
the Museum also has an advisory Committee which meets quarterly.
3. THE COLLECTIONS IN 2005
3.1
The rate of growth of the collection has accelerated since 1997. This is largely
because of the Museum’s higher profile in the community, the acquisition of
additional storage space for archaeology and large items at Colley Lane and a
number of large single donations/purchases.
3.2
The most recent survey of the Museum’s collections (in 2000), indicated that
the museum then held the following collections:
(Based upon Information supplied to the South West Museums Council’s, Mapping
Survey 2000)
Collection Area
Agriculture
Archaeology
Archives
Number of Items
(approx.)
Less than 30
300 groups of material
900
Arms & Armour
100
Costumes &
Textiles
Ethnography
Fine Art
Geology
Maritime
Medals
Numismatics
300
1
200
55
90
Less than 30
200
Blake Museum Acquisition & Disposal Policy 2005
Significance
Quality
Local
Local – Regional
Local – Regional
– National
Regional –
National
Local
D
C
B
International
Local – National
Local
Local – Regional
Local
Local - Regional
– National
D
B
D
B
C
C
D
D
page 2 of 14
Photography
Science &
Industry
Social History
Key to Quality
D=
Over 50% not
matching A, B or
C criteria
10 – 20,000
500
Local – Regional
Local – Regional
– National
Local – Regional
700
C=
 Well
documented
provenance
 Reasonable
range of
representative
objects with
identification
 Collection
Policy
B = C+
 Verified
Quality
 Or verified
rarity
 Associated
research
C
B
D
A=B+C+
 Full range of
representative
objects
 Or verified
uniqueness
 Published
research
Since this survey, the main expansion of collections has occurred in Fine Art (the
Chubb Collection), photographs (Squibb Collections), and general social history.
4 THE ACQUISITION AND DISPOSAL POLICY
4.1 The Acquisition and Disposal Policy will be published and reviewed from time to
time, at least once every five years. It will next be reviewed in or before
November 2010. The South West Museums, Libraries and Archives Council will
be notified of any changes to the policy, and the implications of any such
changes for the future of existing collections.
4.2 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.
4.3 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.
4.4 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).
4.5 In accordance with the provisions of the UNESCO 1970 convention on the
Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of
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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 DCMS in 2005.
4.5 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 or treaty of the United
Kingdom or any other country, except with the express consent of an appropriate
outside authority (e.g. a British court in the case of a specimen seized from a third
party under the Protection of Birds Acts).
4.6 In addition to the safeguards under sub-paragraph 4.4 above, 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, such as 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 (in England Northern Ireland and Wales) or reporting finds
through the Treasure Trove procedure (in Scotland), or the recent unscientific or
intentional destruction or damage of ancient monuments or other known
archaeological sites.
4.7 Any exceptions to the above clauses 4.3 to 4.6 will only be because the Museum
is either; a. acting as an externally-approved repository of last resort for material
of local origin, or b. 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, or c. acting with the permission of authorities with the
requisite jurisdiction in the country of origin, or d. 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.
4.8 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.
4.9 As the museum holds and 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 (3 rd edition 2002).
4.10 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 inadequate
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staffing, storage and care of collection arrangements.
4.11 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 define
areas of specialisms, in order to avoid unnecessary duplication and waste of
resources.
In the case of Blake Museum, these currently are;
Somerset Rural Life Museum
Somerset County Museum
Somerset County Record Office
The Museum will undertake to advise potential donors of other appropriate
museums wherever possible.
5 Disposal
5.1 By definition, the Museum has a long-term purpose and should possess (or
intend to possess) permanent collections in relation to its stated objectives.
Sedgemoor District Council accepts the principle that, except as set out below,
there is a strong presumption against the disposal of any items in the Museum’s
collection.
5.2 The Museum will establish that it is legally free to dispose of an item (if this is in
doubt advice will be sought). Any decision to sell or otherwise dispose of material
from the collections will be taken only after due consideration. 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.
5.3 Decisions to dispose of items will not be made with the principal aim of
generating funds.
5.4 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 be therefore be offered in the first instance, by exchange, gift or sale directly
to other Accredited museums likely to be interested in its acquisition.
5.5 If the material is not acquired by any Accredited museums to which it was offered
directly, then the museum community at large will be advised of the intention to
dispose of the material. This will normally be through an announcement in the
Museums Association's Museums Journal, and other professional journals where
appropriate.
5.6 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. Preference will be given to expressions of interest from other
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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.
5.7 A decision to dispose of a specimen or object, whether by exchange, sale, 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 governing
body acting on the advice of professional curatorial staff, and not of any member
of the Museum staff acting alone.
5.8 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.
5.9 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 acquisitions but in exceptional cases improvements relating to the
care of the collections may be justifiable. Advice on these cases will be sought
from MLA.
5.10 A museum’s governing body, acting on the advice of the museum’s
professional staff, may take a decision to return human remains, 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.
5.11 The museum will not acquire any material to which any special conditions
apply, except for limited temporary purposes, such as an exhibition.
6.Gifts
The Museums Officer and Curatorial Assistant of the museum have authority
to accept or reject gifts and bequests of items falling within paragraphs 4.3 to
4.11 of this policy.
7. Purchases
The Museums Officer may authorise the purchase of items within the terms of
the agreed collecting policy, within budget and subject to Sedgemoor District
Council’s financial regulations.
8
Incoming Loans
Whilst it is acknowledged that it is preferable to acquire material by gift or
purchase there will be occasions when there is no alternative to a loan, e.g.
for temporary exhibitions or when the owners are unwilling to relinquish their
title to an object that falls within the collecting policy.
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The museum’s curatorial staff have authority to accept or reject loans falling
within the terms of the agreed collecting policy, but may consult with the
relevant Portfolio Holder and the Museum Committee.
Incoming loans will not be accessioned.
Loans may be short-term or long-term but will be made for a specified
period of time and supported by legal documentation setting out the
terms of the loan. Loans to the Museum will be regularly audited. The
term "permanent loan" has no legal status. The valuation of loans for
insurance purposes is the responsibility of the owner.
9. The Collecting area
The museum will acquire items originating from, used in, or having authentic
connections with, the parishes of: Ashcott, Bawdrip, Bridgwater, Bridgwater Without,
Broomfield, Burtle, Cannington, Catcott, Chedzoy, Chilton Polden, Chilton Trinity,
Cossington, Durleigh, East Huntspill, Edington, Enmore, Fiddington, Goathurst,
Greinton, Lyng, Middlezoy, Moorlinch, Nether Stowey, North Petherton, Othery,
Otterhampton, Over Stowey, Pawlett, Puriton, Shapwick, Spaxton, Stawell,
Stockland Bristol, Thurloxton, Wembdon, West Huntspill, Westonzoyland,
Woolavington and in the District of West Somerset, Stogursey.
This is based on the area of the former Bridgwater Rural District. The Museum may
also collect items relating to Burnham and Highbridge Carnival which relate to
Bridgwater carnival clubs.
10. THE COLLECTION
10.1
Archaeology
A very large category of material held in the Museum, the collection consists
mainly of finds (and chance finds). It also includes plans, drawings and some
archive material (site notebooks etc.) from various sites. Approximately 50%
of the material is from Bridgwater itself and the remaining half from the
surrounding area.
The Prehistoric period is well represented. The majority of Roman material
comes from Romano-British rural settlements around Bridgwater, whilst from
the town itself, mediaeval and post-mediaeval material predominates.
The principal source for much of the collection has been from the fieldwork of
Bridgwater and District Archaeological Society. The collection has been
formally accessioned and recorded, and is stored off site at Colley Lane in
Bridgwater.
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Policy - The Museum will seek to acquire
a) Items actively collected through fieldwork of a high standard, by the
Bridgwater and District Archaeological Society, and others
b) Well documented items associated within the defined
collecting area from members of the public.
Detail: For casual finds there are a series of criteria that should be considered:
i)
ii)
iii)
iv)
v)
10.2
the rarity and completeness of the object
the existing knowledge of the period
the existing knowledge of the site
the potential use of the material for research and display
whether the find has been reported, if appropriate under the
requirements of the Treasure Act.
Social History
This collection, which reflects the life and work of the people of Bridgwater
and the surrounding area, is largely derived from passive collecting. In the
past Social and Industrial History artefacts have been grouped together under
the classification "Bygones", and the existing material can be divided into four
categories: domestic, agricultural, maritime and industrial (see paragraphs
10.3 & 10.4).
The collection contains a number of typological groups, such as Friendly
Society Brasses, Horse Brasses and Constables’ Staves and Truncheons, as
well as some unique and interesting individual items; e.g. the L'Escopette
Camera (one of only three known in existence, it has a Bridgwater
association). Domestic life includes artefacts associated with the home,
laundry, preparation of food, and leisure pursuits. Scattered items that reflect
community life include that from educational establishments, societies,
churches and public houses. Of importance to the district is material
associated with local Guy Fawkes Carnivals. Rural Life is represented by a
small collection of agricultural machinery and tools, blacksmiths' bellows,
saddlers' tools and dairy equipment.
The majority of this incohesive material predates 1920 but includes some
examples of Second World War memorabilia.
Much of the collection is unsupported by documentary evidence of its
provenance and use by the people of Bridgwater.
Policy - The Museum will seek to acquire well documented and
provenanced items and pictorial records, which reflect the life and work
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of the people of Bridgwater, from the Tudor period to the present day.
Detail: a)
b)
c)
d)
10.3
although the existing collections mainly reflect the years before
the First World War, collecting will be extended to reflect later
and contemporary social and economic developments
emphasis will be given to the combined collection of
documentary and oral material with objects
in particular, material will be collected which reflects
developments in personal, domestic and community life. Items
will be acquired to build upon existing strengths in the collection,
for example the Carnival, and to strengthen weaknesses
particular regard will be taken of the Somerset Joint Acquisitions
Policy for Social History Material, to tackle issues of co-operative
collecting.
Industrial History
Bridgwater has a rich industrial past, with activities, which include the brick, tile
and Bath Brick industries, brewing, glass making, bell founding, and the port
trades of shipbuilding and rope and sail making.
The museum has a particularly important brick and tile collection, which
included bricks, tiles, moulds, stamps, tools and trade literature. There are
also a number of associated photographs. The collection's growth and display
has been restricted within the Museum, and the Somerset Brick and Tile
Museum in Bridgwater (opened 2001) provides a valuable opportunity for
partnership with Somerset County Council for new and comprehensive
displays.
In the past there has been little in the collection to reflect the dynamic
industrial growth of the area in the 20th Century, particularly in textile, plastics,
film and packaging sectors. The Museum began to address this with an
exhibition in 2000, and will collect archive material and ephemera. There is
much still to be done in this area. Some material was acquired on the closure
of the British Cellophane works in 2005, on which the Museum hopes to build.
Policy - The Museum will seek to acquire well documented and
provenanced items and pictorial records which reflect the industrial past
and present of Bridgwater.
Detail: a)
collecting will be confined to artefacts with authentic associations
to Bridgwater and the surrounding area, such as products
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b)
c)
10.4
manufactured in the town, or used in local industry
emphasis will be given to the combined collection of
documentary and oral material with objects
in particular, material will be collected, where possible, from
those industries not yet fully represented by the Museum's
collection, e.g. the foundries, engineering, and modern light
industries.
Maritime History
The Port of Bridgwater, which includes Combwich, Dunball, Highbridge and
the River Parrett, was an important feature of international and coastal trade
along the Bristol Channel from mediaeval to modern times. This mercantile
and marine past is reflected in the maritime collection, which includes a
sizeable collection of model ships, a model of Bridgwater Docks in about
1900, various documents, and a selection of craft tools from associated
trades.
Policy - The Museum will seek to acquire well documented and
provenanced items and pictorial records which illustrate the maritime
past and present of the Port of Bridgwater.
Detail: a)
b)
c)
d)
10.5
collecting will concentrate upon artefacts with authentic
associations to the Port of Bridgwater and the Bristol Channel
trade;
general items associated with trade and port industries, such as
ship building, rope making etc. may be collected to illustrate the
importance of these industries to the history of the Port;
Items from the port area of Burnham and Highbridge (outside
the museum’s collecting area) will be considered for collection in
discussion with Axbridge and District Museum;
emphasis will be given to the combined collection of
documentary and oral material with objects.
Costume and Textiles
Much of the collecting of costumes and textiles was completed during the
1980's. The collection consists mainly of women's garments dating from the
nineteenth century, with some examples of twentieth century items. Menswear
is under-represented, but there is a stronger selection of underwear and
children's garments, and fashion accessories of the Victorian period.
There is a small collection of samplers which includes some eighteenth
century examples, and lace making paraphernalia.
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In 2000 the Museum acquired material to represent the products produced by
the textile industries in Bridgwater in the 20th Century. Much of this material is
of national significance, in particular products made by S. Leffman and Son
(later Baird Clothing) and shirt and collar manufacturers.
The collection is severely constrained by storage and display space, which is
inappropriate for much of the material.
Policy - The Museum shall seek to acquire only material with well
documented and provenanced associations within the collecting area.
Detail:a)
b)
10.6
items of fashion costume will, where necessary, be referred to
Somerset County Museums Service. The Service has a defined
collecting policy regarding costume, which the museum should
support, if it is unable to accept items itself;
collecting in this area will be restricted to items that develop the
strong social and industrial themes in the collection, e.g.
changes to personal, domestic and community life within the
collecting area and the textile industry within Bridgwater,
especially in the 20th century.
Decorative Arts
The Museum has a small collection of Decorative Art items, which are
illustrative of its major themes, in particular furniture and artefacts, associated
with the seventeenth century and with Robert Blake. Of particular note are
Blake's sea-chest, and a stained glass panel by Edward Frampton dated 1889
depicting Blake's funeral.
On loan from the Alford family are items of personal effects connected with
three Somerset families.
The Museum also has a small collection of presentation silver and artefacts
associated with the Borough of Bridgwater. Of individual interest is a
nineteenth century replica of the Alfred Jewel, as well as several clocks made
in the town.
Policy - the Museum will seek to build selectively on the existing
collections, with particular emphasis on material associated with people
and organisations, and that produced by manufacturers working within
the collecting area.
10.7
Fine Art
Blake Museum has a sizeable Fine Art section. This is almost exclusively
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confined to two-dimensional graphic art, and comprises maps and prints of a
local and topographic nature, watercolours and oil paintings dating from the
seventeenth century.
The material includes pencil drawings, pictures and silhouettes of three
Somerset families, on loan to the museum.
Of major importance is the Chubb Collection acquired in 2004 with grant aid
from several national bodies. Over 300 drawings, paintings and water colours
by John Chubb (1746-1818) represent a substantial proportion of the work of
the Bridgwater-born artist. The collection is complemented by nineteenth
century prints of his sketches of the town.
Policy - the museum will seek to acquire fine art illustrative of, or
associated with the area, primarily as social history.
10.8
Military History
The collection consists mainly of material from the Civil War period and the
Battle of Sedgemoor, and includes some interesting artefacts.
Policy - The museum will seek to acquire only those items which build
on the existing collections, with particular emphasis on the seventeenth
century.
Detail:a)
b)
10.9
The holding of weapons will be limited to those needed to
support displays; there is no requirement for an armoury of
weapons outside this.
Priority will be given to material that illustrates military life in the
seventeenth century, during the Civil War period and the
Monmouth Rebellion
Numismatics
The Museum has a small but interesting collection of coins and medals. It
includes a number of coins found in the bank of Kings Sedgemoor Drain, a
few military commemorative medals of local significance, a small number of
Somerset bank notes and about forty public house and trade tokens of local
provenance.
Policy - the museum will seek to acquire numismatic material made in
or for a specific use in the district.
10.10 Archive and Printed Ephemera
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The material held by the museum supports the social, industrial, and military
history collections. Of importance are some letters of Admiral Blake and the
Duke of Monmouth, trade catalogues and carnival and political posters, etc.
Policy - The Museum will only seek to acquire printed material which
complements the collections.
Detail:a)
b)
Archive material will be stored, where appropriate, with the
Somerset Archive and Record Service.
Particular collecting areas will include:i) material in relation to the recording/collecting projects
undertaken by the museum;
ii) material in relation to permanent and temporary exhibitions
produced at the museum;
iii) material gathered for educational purposes, in order to
produce background information relevant to the object
collections.
10.11 Photographic Collections
The photographic record held by the museum is a valuable reference
collection for the history, people and life in Bridgwater and the surrounding
area, as well as of the museum and its collections.
This area of the collection has grown significantly in recent years, through the
active collection of photographic material through gifts, loans and transfers
from other bodies. Digital media can only be accepted where the Museum has
the capacity to download it. Of particular interest is the work of the Douglas
Allen Photographic Studio in Bridgwater, acquired in 1999 and the Squibb
Collection, loaned and given to the Museum in 2001.
Few of these original prints, negatives, transparencies and copy prints are of
intrinsic significance as artefacts, for example, to illustrate technological
developments in photography, but they are valuable for the images they
record.
Policy - the museum will seek to collect and preserve images:Detail:a) those of direct relevance to the collecting area, and in particular to
photographs associated with objects acquired by the Blake
Museum. Photographs of towns and villages outside Bridgwater are
particularly sought after.
b) contemporary records of the towns and villages within the collecting
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area, including the landscape, buildings, activities, people, customs
and lifestyles. Particular emphasis will be given to the theme of
change and recording of places, items or practices to be destroyed
or discontinued.
c) representative work of professional photographers working within
the collecting area
d) recording the museum in all its functions, buildings, collections,
activities, developments, staff, volunteers and visitors.
10.12 The Museum will not seek to acquire:
a)
Unprovenanced or non-local items, unless they are of use
to the Education Service (these will not be accessioned).
b)
Objects in serious need of conservation where there are no
realistic expectations that conservation can be completed.
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