Collections Policy, Section A
STROUD DISTRICT (COWLE) MUSEUM SERVICE
COLLECTIONS POLICY
March 1999
TABLE OF CONTENTS
SECTION A: BACKGROUND TO THE POLICY
3
1.0 THE PURPOSE OF THE POLICY
3
2. 0 THE MUSEUM GOVERNING BODY
2.1 The History of the Museum
2.2 Stroud District Council and the Cowle Trust in Partnership
3
3
3
3.0 THE COLLECTIONS
3.1 The Cowle Collections
3.2 Associated Collections
4
4
5
4.0 COLLECTIONS EXPERTISE
6
5.0 MISSION AND AIMS
7
SECTION B: GENERAL POLICY
9
1.0 THE APPROACH
9
2.0 COLLECTING CRITERIA
9
3.0 POLICY FOR ACQUISITIONS
3.1 Active and Passive Collecting
3.2 Future Policy for Donations, Transfers, Bequests and Purchases
12
12
12
4.0 POLICY FOR LOANS
13
5.0 POLICY FOR DISPOSALS AND TRANSFERS
15
6.0 DOCUMENTATION PROCEDURES
6.1 Acquisitions
6.2 Loans
6.5 Reviewable Material
17
17
20
21
7.0 THE POLICIES OF OTHER MUSEUMS
22
8.0 MGC REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS
23
9.0 ACQUISITIONS NOT COVERED BY THE POLICY/ EXCEPTIONS TO THE POLICY 23
SECTION C: THE EXISTING COLLECTIONS AND POLICY FOR FUTURE
ACQUISITIONS
24
1.0 GEOLOGY
24
2.0 NATURAL HISTORY
28
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Collections Policy, Section A
3.0 ARCHAEOLOGY
29
4.0 ETHNOGRAPHY
33
5.0 NUMISMATICS
33
6.0 SOCIAL HISTORY
34
7.0 FINE ART
42
8.0 DECORATIVE ARTS
44
SECTION D: CONSULTATION & REVIEW
46
1.0 PROCEDURES FOR REVIEW & CONSULTATION
46
2.0 REFERENCES
46
3.0 AUTHORISATION
47
APPENDIX ONE: GEOGRAPHICAL COLLECTING AREA
48
APPENDIX TWO: NOTES ON COLLECTIONS MANAGEMENT ISSUES
49
TABLE OF FIGURES
Figure 1: Breakdown of the Collections by Subject Classification ______________________ 4
Figure 2: Staff Resources and Areas of Expertise __________________________________ 7
Figure 3: Breakdown of the Geology Collections __________________________________ 24
Figure 4: The Relative Strengths of the Archaeology Collections _____________________ 29
Figure 5: Breakdown of the Social History Collections ______________________________ 34
Figure 6: Breakdown of the Fine Art Collections __________________________________ 42
Figure 7: Breakdown of the Decorative Art Collections _____________________________ 44
Figure 8: Civil Parishes of the Stroud District _____________________________________48
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Collections Policy, Section A
SECTION A: BACKGROUND TO THE POLICY
1.0 THE PURPOSE OF THE POLICY
The purpose of this policy is:
1.1 To foster confidence amongst the public that Stroud District (Cowle) Museum
Service is a suitable repository for material.
1.2 To describe the range and quality of the existing Collections and the background
to their development.
1.3 To support the principal aims of the Service by providing a strategic framework
and detailed guidance to inform future collecting activities.
1.4 To ensure that the most efficient use is made of staff, premises and financial
resources available for the maintenance and development of the Collections, by
identifying priorities.
1.5 To foster good professional relations with museum bodies locally and nationally
by seeking to avoid competitive or overlapping collecting strategies and encouraging
the transfer of objects where appropriate.
1.6 To comply with the requirements of the Museums & Galleries Commission
(MGC) Registration Scheme concerning the acquisition and disposal of museum
collections.
2. 0 THE MUSEUM GOVERNING BODY
2.1 The History of the Museum
Accommodation for a museum was reserved in the School of Art and Science in
Lansdown, Stroud by a land conveyance of 1887. The building was completed in
1899, but did not open to the public until 1931 when the first Curator took up his
appointment. Initially an independent concern, the Museum was endowed by local
landowner William Cowle, whose will nominated 4 executors and trustees to be
responsible for its management.
2.2 Stroud District Council and the Cowle Trust in Partnership
Since 1983 Stroud District (Cowle) Museum Service has been jointly managed by the
Stroud District (Cowle) Museum Trustees, known as the Cowle Trust, and Stroud
District Council. The two parties form a joint museum governing body; the Council
provides the premises, staff and funding for the Museum Service and the Cowle
Trust provides accommodation in the Cowle building in Lansdown and the
Collections which are held in public trust. The Trust are the legal guardians of the
Collections and are a Registered Charity (no 311486).
A revised operating convention between the Council and the Cowle Trust was
agreed in September 1997. This document describes the aims, basic principles and
operational arrangements governing their working relationship and sets out the
obligations of each party. In 1998 a legal agreement based on the Convention has
recently been drawn up and signed by both parties.
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Collections Policy, Section A
3.0 THE COLLECTIONS
3.1 The Cowle Collections
Size and Scope
Acquisitions were sporadic until 1931, when the first Curator began collecting in
earnest. Since then collections have grown to include natural history, geology,
archaeology, social history and fine and decorative arts (costume, ceramics,
glassware etc)
The collections database contains records for approximately 35,000 accessioned
items. Over the last 5 years the collections have been growing at a rate of 100-150
groups of items (ie 150-500 individual items) per year of all disciplines.
It is not possible to give a definitive quantitative assessment of the collections,
however, recent progress on documentation and sample audits indicate that 20-25%
are undocumented. It is therefore estimated that there are 50, 000 objects or groups
of objects in total. A study by the Area Museum Council has shown that the Cowle
Collections occupy floor/shelf space of approximately 800 m sq (Hill, 1993).
The collection is very varied, predominantly local and contains much material not
only of strong local interest, but in some cases even national interest. As would be
expected in a local museum of this type, the largest single category is social history.
Figure 1 provides a numerical analysis of subject classifications based on
documentation to-date. These figures are thought to be representative of the whole
collection, documented and undocumented.
Figure 1: Breakdown of the Collections by Subject Classification
The figures are derived from objects documented on computer 1 January 1998
Collections Classifications
Numismatics
6%
Arts
5%
Natural History
1%
Archaeology
12%
Social History
59%
Geology
17%
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Collections Policy, Section A
3.2 Associated Collections
3.2.1 The Textile Group’s Collection
The Rationale for the Collection
In addition to the Cowle Trust’s own textile history collections (described in Section
C.6.5.1 below), a separate collection of material has been acquired by the Friends of
Stroud District Museum (FSM) Textile Group. This is not part of the Museum’s
collections. However, it was understood that the Group’s collection would be
transferred to the Museum for display in the planned industrial museum for the
District as described in Stroud District Council‘s previous Local Plan (1994) and
Tourism Strategy (1993). Initially the Council had considered the possibilty of storing
and displaying the museum collections (including the Textile Group’s material) at
Stanley Mill, a privately owned Grade 1 listed former textile mill at Kings Stanley.
Prior to the collections analysis which took place 1989 -1993, there was a popular
misconception about the nature of the Museum’s collections. It had been assumed
that the Museum’s collections were predominantly industrial. The collections
assessment process revealed that:
1. The Cowle Collections contain a small number of large industrial items, but these
are not of sufficient range or scope to constitute an industrial collection.
2. The strengths of the Cowle Collections were more general in nature.
3. Together the Cowle Trust’s and Group’s textile history collections are ‘fairly
comprehensive’ (Wigley, 1993).
In January 1994 Stroud District Council adopted the Museum Development Plan
(PLPS.142/1/94) which determined that museum displays and visitor services were
to be based at Stratford Park Mansion (Phase 2 of the Plan). It also rescinded its
policy to locate displays at Stanley Mill. However, in the event of the successful
completion of the owners’ plans for Stanley Mill, the Council agreed that it would
consider the possibilty of displaying existing industrial/ textile in that building.
Aspirations for the industrial/ textile collections were called Phase 3 of the
Development Plan. There is currently no timetable or budget for this phase, and the
Council has not committed itself financially to its implementation.
The Textile Group’s Collection and Activities
The collection consists mainly of textile manufacturing machinery, but also includes
pattern books, cloth samples and important research material comprising
photographs, tape-recordings and documents relating to the history of the local
textile industry and mills. A proportion of the machinery was acquired from Mid
Wales (some of it manufactured in the Stroud area); there are nevertheless a
significant number of locally-acquired pieces.
The Textile Group undertake the research, care, and restoration of this machinery
and provide an active programme of educational activities. The aim of their
collection is to represent technological and social aspects of the West of England
cloth manufacturing industry.
Much of the collection is beyond the scope of this Museum due to it’s:
a) Size (and inevitable resource implications)
b) Non-local provenance
c) Rationale as a technology collection (which differs from the Museum’s purpose
and aims (see Section A. 5 below).
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Collections Policy, Section A
The Way Forward
A number of steps have been taken to try to address these problems:
i) Reports were commissioned from Linda Wigley, a museum textile history expert.
These comprise An Assessment of the Collections (Wigley, 1993) and Textile
Machinery Collections, Collections Management Plan (Wigley, 1996).
ii) A Working Party has been set up to:
 examine options for the ownership, future policy and plans for the Textile Group’s
Collection.
 establish ground rules for the future relationship and partnerships with the
Museum.
iii) Future versions of this Collecting Policy will:
 take account of these future partnership arrangements
 endeavour to avoid duplication of effort and collecting activity
 maximise the use of limited/ finite resources
In recent months the Group has made much progress on work to determine its future
direction and has initiated arrangements to establish an independent charitable trust.
3.2.2 The Lister-Petter Collection
This is a company collection formerly housed at Lister’s in Dursley. It is owned by
Lister Ltd. and has been on loan to Stroud District Council since 1989. It consists
mainly of stationary engines produced locally, but also other products and associated
material. This nationally important collection includes a range of Petter and Lister
engines, Pedersen bicycles, a Goldstar tractor and Lister's original lathe. The Petter
element was acquired with the take-over of Petter of Yeovil. It is recognised that this
part of the collection would be more appropriately housed in a museum in Somerset.
The collection is cared for by the Museum on the Council's behalf. The Collections
are currently housed at a Council owned site in Stroud.
Although this
accommodation is not ideal, it is accessible, secure and provides basic protection
against the elements. There is a possibility that some key items could be
incorporated into the Museum in the Park displays.
Recent Developments, February 1999
Listers Ltd recently informed the Museum that they have decided to review the future
of their collection. A Listers employee was appointed to carry out an audit and
assessment of the collection and to discuss future arrangements. Museum staff
have recommended that:
1. a number of the most significant local items should be transferred to this museum.
These would include Lister’s lathe, the renowned cream separator and one or two
engines.
2. some of the Petter material be offered to a museum in Somerset.
These discussions have yet to be concluded.
4.0 COLLECTIONS EXPERTISE
4.1 In-house Expertise
As with most small local museums, each member of the Museum’s professional staff
has a particular area of specialist responsibility together with a number of other
areas for which they are generally responsible. We all wear many hats! Figure 2
shows the levels of staff resources and areas of expertise currently available to the
Museum Service.
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Collections Policy, Section A
Figure 2: Staff Resources and Areas of Expertise
Project Phase: September 1997 - September 2000
3 FTE (full-time equivalent) permanent professional staff
4 FTE temporary professional staff comprising:
 Heritage Lottery Funded (HLF) posts 2 conservators each for one year and 1 researcher
for 15 months
 1 in-house funded research coordinator for 2 years
1.62 FTE temporary support staff
Natural History
Geology
Decorative Arts
Fine Art
Numismatics
Archaeology
Social History
Industrial History
Permanent Phase: September 2000 4 FTE permanent professional staff
3.88 FTE permanent support staff
CURATORIAL STAFF
Permanent
Curator
Collections Manager
Registrar
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
Temporary
Displays Research Coordinator
Displays Research Officer
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
No
The Museum will seek opportunities to augment the expertise available in-house in
the following ways:
1. future staff appointments
2. special projects (fieldwork, research, exhibitions etc) carried out by outside
bodies, volunteer experts and temporary staff
4.2 External Expertise:
4.2.1 The Museum in the Park Project
In addition to the above in-house expertise, the Museum in the Park project provides:
 Council funding for freelance archaeology and geology researchers
 HLF funding for the documentation of geological material selected for display
4.2.2 Reports on the Collections
With the assistance of AMCSW, Stroud District Council and the Cowle Trust have
commissioned reports on the Collections from various external experts:
Subject
Author
Date
Geology
Archaeology
Social History
Industry & Technology
Fine Art
Decorative Arts
Textile History
M. Taylor
S. Swansborough
N. Thomas
D. Eveleigh
N.Thomas, P.Elkin, A.King
A. Wilson
A. Carruthers
L. Wigley
1983 & 1984
1989
1989
1989
1989
1989
1989
1993, 1996
5.0 MISSION AND AIMS
The Museum Policy for the Stroud District is set out in Section 3 of the Museum
Development Plan (Hayward, 1993).
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Collections Policy, Section A
The Museum’s Collections are a rich public resource on which a range of services
are based.
The Mission of the Museum Service is:
To collect, conserve, research, and make accessible the local heritage for the
education and enjoyment of the people of the Stroud District and its visitors.
The principal aims of the service are:
1. Through our Collections and our services to capture a sense of the people and
place of the Stroud District.
2. To collect and record evidence of:
The lives and achievements of the people of this area, the special identity of the
area, the townscapes and landscapes in a time of constant change.
3. To manage the Collections to the recognised national standards in order to ensure
their preservation for the benefit of future generations.
4. To keep abreast of current museum and academic thinking and practice.
5. To provide a high standard of facilities and a venue for:
 The short and long-term display of artefacts and the arts from the Collections and
other local sources.
 Exhibitions from regional and national sources.
 Educational programmes.
 Cultural programmes.
These should reflect current scholarship and professionalism.
6. To enhance the varied facilities of the District, and to promote the cultural quality
of life of its inhabitants.
7. To contribute to the promotion of tourism and economic development in the area.
8. To ensure that the Museum offers a high standard of customer care and
presentation in order to provide an outstanding service of which the community is
proud.
The Collecting Policy supports these aims (Section A.1.3 above).
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Collections Policy, Section B
SECTION B: GENERAL POLICY
1.0 THE APPROACH
1.1 The Importance of Collecting
The Museum is custodian of the material evidence of the community’s activities and
achievements. It must collect if its collections are to develop and if the Museum as
an institution is to continue to make a significant contribution to the cultural life of the
community.
1.2 Future Collecting Priorities
The priority is to consolidate the existing collections rather than open up completely
new areas or duplicate holdings of other museums in the area. Future collecting
should:
a) Complement, extend & fill gaps in:
 existing displays
 potential/ future temporary exhibition material
 reference collections
b) Provide material for educational & handling purposes. New material acquired
specifically for this purpose will not be fully accessioned into the collections.
2.0 COLLECTING CRITERIA
The following criteria will act as a general guide to future collecting. It is recognised
that given the complexities of the issues involved, a rigid approach is not always
appropriate and that a degree of flexibility is sometimes needed. The policy for
specific subject areas is given in Section C.1-8 below.
2.1 Geographical Area
In normal circumstances, collecting will be confined to the Stroud District
administrative area as defined at 1.1.1999; the principle aim being to collect material
which is typical, and / or distinctive to the local area (see B.5.1-2). Appendix One
provides a list of the relevant Civil Parishes and a map.
Material from outside this area will only be accepted in very exceptional
circumstances eg an item to fill a significant gap within a display where locally
provenanced material is not currently available.
The Museum will be mindful of:
 the permanent responsibilities concomitant with accessioned material
 presenting an unbalanced picture by importing atypical or unrepresentative
material
Where such material is acquired, it will:
 not be fully accessioned into the Collections (see B.6.5)
 the Museum will seek to replace it with locally provenanced material
Repatriation & Exchange with Other Museums
At the discretion of the Trustees, material from other museums’ collecting areas can
be returned. This is, of necessity, a time-consuming process and will therefore be
carried out:
a) largely, as part of a prioritised collections management plan
b) occasionally, in response to specific opportunities as advised by the Curator
in consultation with appropriate experts
Local material can be accepted in exchange for repatriated items provided that it falls
within the Collecting Policy.
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Collections Policy, Section B
2.2 Local, National and International Significance
Priority will be placed on acquiring material which is deemed to be significant:
 due to its intrinsic quality, rarity or uniqueness or
because it illustrates important aspects of local life and the local environment
2.3 Relevance to Museum Policies
Priority will be placed on acquiring material which furthers the Museum’s service
aims and objectives by fulfilling:
 interpretation and education policies (ie material which is suitable for use in core
or temporary displays, for education/ handling purposes)
 research objectives (eg filling important gaps in the reference collections)
2.4 Collections Management Requirements
The long-term implications of acquisition must be capable of being met within the
resources available, namely the requirements for:
 conservation (preventive and remedial)
 environmental management
 accommodation
 documentation
 public access
Potential acquisitions which carry significant
requirements will not normally be accepted.
spatial
or
restricted
access
As a general principle, the Museum Service may refuse material which may be best
cared for elsewhere, or which it may have inadequate resources to care for.
Exceptions can be made:
 Where specific one-off requirements (eg conservation treatments) can be met by
external resources, grant aid etc.
2.5 Documentation Status
Emphasis will be placed on acquiring well-documented and provenanced material
with associated information.
2.6 Acquisition Status
 Donations, exchanges, transfers and bequests will be accepted.
 Loans will generally be avoided unless there is a specific time-bounded purpose
eg display where the Museum failed to acquire local material by other means (see
B.4 below).
2.7 Conditions
For legal, ethical and financial reasons, the Museum will not normally accept special
conditions attaching to acquisitions or loans. The following exceptions can apply:
1. Standard (environmental, security, insurance and acknowledgement) conditions
attached to loans.
2. Specific conditions will be considered where a strong case can be made and
where Trustees are satisfied that it is within their power to fulfil any such
conditions.
In these circumstances, both donor/ owner and Museum Governing Body should fully
apprise each other of any terms or such conditions. This should be in writing at the
time of acquisition.
Standard conditions will be attached to the Control
documentation (Entry & Transfer of Title Forms).
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Collections Policy, Section B
2.8 Copyright
Wherever possible, the Museum will seek to acquire full copyright to acquisitions.
This will be clearly stated in writing at the time of acquisition and attached to the
relevant Transfer of Title Forms.
2.9 Legal Status/ Valid Title
The Museum Service will not acquire, whether by purchase, gift, bequest, or
exchange, any object or specimen unless the Curator 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. (MGC
Registration Guideline 4.2.5a)
2.10 Health and Safety
The Museum will not acquire material which has significant health and safety
implications, for example:
1. Objects known or suspected to contain asbestos (eg gas masks), chemicals (eg
poisons and pesticides such as sheep dip) or other substances known to be
hazardous to health unless:

these can be removed in a safe and cost-effective manner according to
methods approved by the Council’s Health & Safety Officer (eg disposal of
chemicals etc).
2. Objects whose constituent materials are known or suspected to pose a significant
health and safety hazard eg toxic and radio-active minerals, live ammunition and
unexploded bombs. In the case of edged weapons, objects with sharp edges,
blades, heavy or awkwardly shaped objects, these will be acquired in the following
circumstances:

when they can be rendered safe by the normal storage, labelling, handling and
display precautions

when the necessary resources (staff, equipment, accommodation and
materials) can be made available
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Collections Policy, Section B
3.0 POLICY FOR ACQUISITIONS
3.1 Active and Passive Collecting
There are 2 methods of acquiring material:
 Passive Collecting: collecting material and data offered by individuals as gifts
and bequests, or by institutions as gifts and transfers.
 Active Collecting: collecting material and data through specific programmes of
fieldwork and research, or by actively targeting specific items or types of items by
searching sales and auction catalogues, or by public appeal or direct approach to
owner etc.
Historically the Museum has accumulated its collections on an ad hoc passive basis
and has relied very heavily on the generosity of private individuals and local
organisations. Exceptions to this have been material acquired through fieldwork
undertaken by:
 archaeological units as the result of planning legislation and guidance (PPG16)
 museum staff. For example, geological fieldwork by C.I.Gardiner and vernacular
architecture fieldwork by L.Walrond.
Active collecting has been hampered by 2 factors:
1. the acquisition fund is very meagre (£100 per year)
2. the limited resources, staff and financial, available to undertake active
programmes of fieldwork and research
3.2 Future Policy for Donations, Transfers, Bequests and Purchases
A judicious combination of both methods of developing the collections is the best
way to ensure that the resources of Museum Service are deployed to best effect.
3.2.1 Passive Collecting
Due to lack of funds, it is likely that donation will continue to be the most common
method of acquisition together with occasional transfers and bequests.
3.2.2 Active Collecting
The Museum will encourage active collecting by:
1. discussing research and fieldwork objectives for activities within the District with
outside bodies
2. undertaking in-house programmes of fieldwork with the support of grant giving
bodies and other sources charitable sources, including the Friends of the Museum
3.2.3 Purchases
The Museum’s annual acquisition budget is transferred into an accumulating fund
according to the powers given to local authorities under the Libraries & Museums
Act, 1964. Provided that sufficient funds are available at the time of purchase, the
Curator may purchase items within the terms of this policy up to a limit of £1000.
The Trustees may authorise purchase of items valued above £1000.
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Collections Policy, Section B
4.0 POLICY FOR LOANS
4.1 Historic Loans
The term historic loans applies to loans acquired before the introduction of Museums
Documentation Association (MDA) control documentation in 1993. Priority should be
given to:
 resolving outstanding loans which are instrumental to the activities described in
the Museum Development Plan (Hayward 1993) eg. public services and
collections management programmes.
 responding to specific opportunities/requests to review loans.
4.2 Loans In
Whilst it is preferable to acquire material by gift or purchase, there will be occasions
when there is no alternative to a loan, eg for temporary exhibitions or when an object
within the collecting policy can only be obtained through a loan agreement.
1. The Museum will undertake responsibility for the physical safety and security of
the object.
2. The Museum will undertake to insure against loss and damage for the whole of
the time it is in our possession, including its transportation.
3. The object(s) will remain in the sole possession of the Stroud District Museum.
4. The object(s) will under no circumstances be subject to scientific or other
examination or treatment which may result in damage or alteration, without the
express consent of the owner.
5. Loans will be accepted for a specific, fixed term not to exceed 5 years, although
by mutual agreement this term may be extended (eg objects in core displays).
6. Incoming loans will be accessioned in accordance with the procedures set out in
B.6.2 and a photographic record will be made.
7. Incoming loans exceeding 1 year in duration will be reviewed annually.
4.3 Loans Out
The loan of objects for display and certain other purposes is one method of providing
access to the Museum’s collections and as such is part of our Outreach Service. It
must be emphasised, however, that care of the collections is our primary function
and for this reason it is necessary to impose conditions:
Care of Objects on Loan
1. The object(s) must not leave the custody of the borrower, who will be responsible
for its safekeeping until it is returned to the possession of Stroud District Museum
Service.
2. Any damage, whether in transit or on the borrower’s premises, must be reported
immediately.
3. The objects must remain in the condition in which they were lent. Parts of objects
must not be removed for any purpose. Objects must not be cleaned, marked,
repaired or altered in any way, subjected to technical examination (except optical
examination) or reproduction process.
4. Any misuse of the material on loan will lead to its immediate recall and the
withdrawal of all facilities from the borrower.
5. The Museum will stipulate requirements for the handling, security and
environmental conditions according to the nature of the object(s) in question. At
the very least a secure, lockable glass display case will be required for loans for
exhibition within a building of adequate security.
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Collections Policy, Section B
Photography, Publication and Exhibition
6. Photography or other forms of replication are not permitted without the prior
written consent of the Curator.
7. If objects or illustrations of objects are exhibited, or if objects are referred to or
illustrated in any published or unpublished work, a copy must be donated to the
Museum Service. In the case of a major work, this condition can be fulfilled by
supplying a copy of the relevant chapter/section together with a full bibliographic
reference. The MDA’s abbreviation for the institution is STGCM: and this should
prefix the accession numbers in all references to the object, published or
unpublished.
Renewal of Loans, Recall of Objects, Responsibility for Costs Incurred etc.
8. Requests for extension of the loan period may be considered, but should be made
in writing and should reach the institution a minimum of 1 month before the
termination of the initial loan period.
9. If the Museum Service wishes to recall an item, 2 weeks notice will normally be
given.
10.Under certain circumstances, the Museum Service may require the object(s) to be
accompanied by one of its officers during part or all of the duration of the loan
period. In such circumstances the borrower may be required to pay the expenses
incurred.
11.The borrower will allow officers of the Museum Service access to objects on loan
at all reasonable times.
12.The borrower is responsible for the objects in transit. Material should transported
by a prior arranged method as specified in writing. The borrower may be required
to pay all of the packing and transport costs.
13.The borrower will give the Museum Service notice of the estimated time and date
of the return of the objects. If he/she does not receive a receipt within 2 weeks of
dispatching the objects, he/she should contact the Museum Service immediately.
Insurance
14.It is the right of the Stroud District Council to approve the terms of the policy and
ensure that all loans be individually insured by the borrower for the sum specified
during the whole period of their absence from the Museum (including periods in
transit). In the event of all risks (fire, theft, destruction etc) payment of a sum
equal to the amount specified will be made by the borrower. In the event of
damage reasonable costs of repairs will be met by the borrower. These are to be
determined by mutual agreement, or in default of agreement, by arbitration. In
the event of such a repair resulting in a loss in the market value, the borrower will
pay an amount equal to such a reduction. In default of agreement, arbitration will
be sought.
Documentation
15.Where a loan is agreed, the borrower may be required to enter into a formal
agreement prepared by the District Council’s Solicitor and incorporating the
conditions set out in this policy together with such terms and conditions as the
Museum Service may consider appropriate.
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Collections Policy, Section B
5.0 POLICY FOR DISPOSALS AND TRANSFERS
5.1 By definition a museum has a long-term purpose and must possess (or intend to
acquire) permanent collections in relation to its stated objectives. The Governing
Body 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. (MGC Registration
Guideline 4.2.5d)
5.2 In those cases where the Museum is legally free to dispose of an item (if this is in
doubt, advice will be sought) it is agreed that any decision to sell or otherwise
dispose of material from the collection will be taken only after due consideration.
Decision to dispose of items will not be made with the principal aim of generating
funds. 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,
by exchange, gift or sale to Registered museums before disposal to other interested
individuals or organisations is considered. (MGC Registration Guideline 4.2.5e)
5.3 In cases in which an arrangement for the exchange, gift of sale 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 Museum 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. (MGC Registration Guideline
4.2.5f).
5.4 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 of the Museum acting on the advice of professional curatorial staff, and not of
the Curator acting alone. Full records will be kept of all such decisions 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. (MGC Registration Guideline 4.2.5g)
5.5 Objects given or bequeathed will not normally be disposed of without prior
consultation with the original donors or their families within the first generation. The
donor will be contacted by letter at the last known address and given 1 calendar
month to respond. Wherever possible their approval should be obtained to the
course of action proposed. This is, however, a matter of courtesy rather than a legal
requirement.
The Curator shall be entitled to waive this requirement where all
reasonable efforts to trace a donor have failed and additionally where no details of
the donor exist.
In appropriate circumstances, having taken account of the disposal procedures set
out in paragraphs 5.2 - 5.4 (MGC Registration Guidelines 4.2.5.e-g) the Curator may
recommend the return of a specimen to its original donor.
5.6 Any moneys received by the Museum Governing Body from the disposal of items
(including insurance claims) will be applied for the benefit of the collections. This
normally means the purchase of further acquisitions but in exceptional cases
improvements relating to the care of collections may be justifiable. Advice on these
cases may be sought from the MGC. (MGC Registration Guideline 4.2.5h)
15
Collections Policy, Section B
5.7 Restitution of Cultural Property
The 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. Any decision should take into account the ethical
implications and the legal position. In these circumstances it is recognised and
accepted that it would be inappropriate to apply the procedure outlined in paragraphs
5.2 and 5.3 above. (MGC Registration Guideline 4.2.6)
5.8 Externally Funded Acquisitions
Where a museum object has been acquired with (or conserved with) the aid of an
external funding organisation, permission from that organisation should be sought
before the object is deaccessioned or transferred to another museum. If the object
is sold repayment of the original grant may be required. (MGC Registration Guideline 4.2.8)
5.9 Archaeological Excavation Archives
The Museum will follow the Society of Museum Archaeologists guidelines on
selection, retention and dispersal (SMA, 1993 & 1997) Section C.3.8.7.
16
Collections Policy, Section B
6.0 DOCUMENTATION PROCEDURES
6.1 Acquisitions
6.1.1 Forms of Documentation
a) Application for Acquisition
All offers of donation or loan are recorded on the Application for Acquisition Form.
This form has been designed to help staff to assess material on offer and to make a
full record of decisions taken by the curatorial team. Once an object has been
formally acquired the original is deposited in the Object History File.
b) Control Documentation.
The Museum uses the series of standard pre-printed Control Forms produced by the
MDA, namely Entry, Exit and Transfer of Title Forms.
These forms contain the following information:
 a unique control form number. This consists of a letter prefix (E for Entry, X for
Exit and T for Transfer of Title) followed by a 6 digit serial number eg T000016 is
Transfer of Title form number 16.
 the name and address of the Museum
 the name & address of the donor/ owner
 a description of the object or objects
 condition of the object(s)
 the purpose of the transaction (donation, bequest, loan etc) and agreed return or
review date in the case of loans.
 an agreed valuation for insurance purposes (in the case of loans)
 the rear of the form contains standard pre-printed notes and conditions
 notes and any special conditions (eg copyright)
 dates of the transaction (arrival or removal from the Museum)
 dated signatures of donor/ owner and museum officer
These triplicate forms are assigned as follows:
1. top copies (white) are stored in the Object History file.
2. middle copies (yellow) are stored in numerical order in the relevant Control Form
file.
3. bottom copies (blue) act as a receipt and are given to the donor/ owner/ third
party involved in the transaction (eg remover or person borrowing an object).
c) Accessions Register
The Museum records all accessions in an archival quality bound accessions register.
Register entries are made by the Museum Registrar (in normal circumstances) in
archival quality permanent ink. Archival standard copies of the manual registers are
bound into volumes and kept separately from the originals at the Collections
Management Centre.
Essential information on the nature/ circumstances of each acquisition is recorded:
1. Date and terms of transfer
2. Name & address of transferor
3. Brief details of the object or group of objects
4. Unique Accession number
5. Entry & Transfer of Title Form numbers
6. Initial location within the Museum
17
Collections Policy, Section B
d) Object History Files
Archival quality files are created for each new accessioned object or group and
contain:
1. Correspondence relating to the object eg acknowledgement of gift etc
2. Control documentation/ receipts
3. Research notes, photographs, drawings etc
4. Copies of conservation records
They are stored in filing cabinets within the relevant subject classification (Social
History, Archaeology etc) in accession number order and are indicated on the
collections database.
e) Computerised Collections Database
All objects, entering or leaving the museum, including acquisitions, incoming and
outgoing loans are entered on to a computerised collections database. This
database is held on a PC network using Microsoft Access v.2.0. Each object record
has the following data fields which can be sorted and retrieved by:












Accession Number / Entry Number
Object Simple Name
Object Description
Transfer of Title Number (if applicable)
Date of Acquisition
Acquisition
Method of Acquisition
Donor
Donor Address
Storage Location
Box Number (if applicable)
Classification











Site
Parish
County
Country
Object production
Object condition
Object conservation
Display status
Display category (if applicable)
Bibliographic references
Disposal information (if applicable)
Data entry is controlled using:
 MDA Data Standards
 Social History Industrial Classification
 Hertfordshire Simple Name List
 Archaeological Thesaurus
 British Museum Materials Thesaurus
 Internal term lists and authority lists
Backup Procedures
Backup copies of the collections database are stored at the Collections Management
Centre. These are held on removable Zip discs. Archival standard printouts are
printed on to archival paper and bound into volumes.
18
Collections Policy, Section B
6.1.2 Acquisitions Procedure
Enter details of the
potential acquisition on
Application for Acquisition Form
(10 days)

Enter MDA Entry Form *
Label object with (E) Number
(1 day)
Update
Collections Database

Collections meeting
to evaluate acquisition
Refer to Collections Policy
(1 month)

Decide acquisition status
Notify Donor
(1 day)



FULLY ACCESSIONED
(14 days)
HANDLING/DEMONSTRATION
(14 days)
REVIEWABLE (FIXED PERIOD)
(14 days)


Label object with
(H) Handling Number
Label object with
(R) Reviewable Status Number


Check and record object
condition
Check and record object
condition
Check and record object
condition



Agree in writing copyright
and other rights to the object.
Agree if object is intended for
handling / demonstration.
Update
Collections Database
Agree re-reviewable conditions of
the acquisition.



Enter MDA Transfer of Title Form
(Record copyright agreement)
Enter MDA Transfer of Title Form
(Record copyright agreement)
Enter MDA Transfer of Title Form
(Record copyright agreement)


Label and pack object with
Accession Number
Record object location


Record Object in
Accessions Register
Send
acknowledgement letter


Photograph the object
(if appropriate)
Review object with Collections
Policy after agreed period.


Record object location
Record object location
If accepted record object in
Accessions Register



Send
acknowledgement letter
Send
acknowledgement letter
Photograph the object
(if appropriate)
Update
Collections Database
If rejected refer to
Disposal Policy
Update
Collections Database
* For a variety of reasons (eg. size) some objects are assessed in situ rather than entering the Museum.
Timescales in brackets indicate performance targets.
19
Collections Policy, Section B
Publication of Acquisitions
Notice of new acquisitions and any restrictions on access should be made public by
publication in the Museum’s Annual Report.
6.2 Loans
See B.4.Policy for Loans
6.2.1 Loans In
Loans in are entered on a triplicate MDA Entry Form (See B.6.1b). For each loan
coming in the following details are recorded:
 Borrower name
 Borrower address
 Object description
 Condition
 Insurance valuation
 Initial storage location
 Agreed loan period
 Special conditions (See B.2.7)
A photographic record will usually be taken.
Loans in are recorded on the collections database using the relevant Entry Form
Number. Letters of confirmation are sent out annually for loans which exceed a
duration of 1 year.
6.2.2. Loans out
Loans out are entered on a triplicate MDA Exit Form (See B6.1b) The following
details are recorded:
 Borrower name
 Borrower address
 Object description
 Condition
 Insurance Valuation
 Agreed loan period
 Special conditions eg. handling, storage/display environment, security, copyright
A photographic record will usually be taken.
Loans out are recorded on the collections database and cross-referenced to the
relevant Exit Form Numbers. Loans of over 1 year are reviewed and confirmed
annually.
6.3 Educational/ Handling Material
Objects acquired exclusively for, or disposed of, for educational or handling
purposes are given unique numbers which distinguish them from the rest of the
collection. These are contiguous numbers prefixed with the letter H. eg. H.123.
6.4 Disposals
6.4.1 Forms of Documentation
The documentation of disposals involves:
 verifying the ownership and legal status of objects intended for disposal
 recording the reason why an object is recommended for disposal eg. poor
condition, outside collecting policy, hazardous to health.
 recording the decision of the Trustees to dispose
 recording the action taken eg transfer to another museum, transfer to the
Handling Collection or destruction.
 removing any labels or physical numbering from the object
20
Collections Policy, Section B
 entering an MDA Exit Form to indicate that the object has been removed from the
collection.
 copying relevant information relating to the object to the recipient where
appropriate.
 updating the register and all existing records relating to the objects to indicate that
they have been removed from the collection.
6.4.2 Procedure
Disposal procedures follow MDA SPECTRUM Standards.
6.5 Reviewable Material
Material may be accepted and allocated ‘reviewable status’ and may be assessed for
selection, retention or disposal at an appropriate review.
6.5.1 Procedure
This material should remain unaccessioned unless a decision is made at a
subsequent review to incorporate it into the collections. Objects with a reviewable
status are labelled with consecutive numbers prefixed with the letter R. These
should not be accessioned beyond the allocation of a number for the group, or
excavation in the case of reviewable archaeological material. The status should be
clearly indicated in the Accessions Register, collections database and on object
packaging.
6.5.2 Dispersal
The appropriate keeper is given delegated authority to make decisions to select or
deselect such material.
21
Collections Policy, Section B
7.0 THE POLICIES OF OTHER MUSEUMS
7.1 The Museum Service shall:
a) Take into account the collecting policies of other museums and institutions (such
as the Gloucestershire Record Office) collecting in the same or related geographical
areas or subject fields.
b) Consult with such organisations where conflicts of interest may arise.
c) Seek to define areas of speciality in order to avoid unnecessary duplication and
waste of resources.
7.2 In particular, the Museum Service will not acquire:
7.2.1 Items relating to the local history (working, domestic and community life) of
Wotton-under-Edge, Ozleworth, Tresham, Alderley, Hillesley, Kingswood, Charfield,
the Berkeley family and Berkeley Castle, unless by agreement with Wotton Heritage
Centre, a registered museum within the Stroud District. However, it has been agreed
that in the absence of the necessary facilities at the Heritage Centre, Stroud District
Museum will acquire geology, archaeology (excepting the town of Wotton), costume
and furniture from these parishes.
7.2.2 Items associated with the life and work of Dr Edward Jenner (as collected by
The Jenner Museum at Berkeley).
7.2.3 Horse-drawn or motorised transport vehicles (as this area is collected by the
Gloucester City and Cheltenham Museums).
7.2.4 Items relating to inland waterways other than the Stroudwater Canal (as this
material is the territory of the National Waterways Museum; Gloucester City
Museums also collect Gloucester and Berkeley Canal material).
7.2.5 Material relating to mental health care (as collected by Gloucester Health
Authority).
7.2.6 Books or manuscripts other than those necessary:
a) for documenting the Museum’s collections
b) to support museum education services
c) for exhibition purposes (eg the work of local authors)
7.2.7 Items relating to the ‘natural and man-made heritage of the Forest of Dean’
(these are collected by the Dean Heritage Centre).
7.2.8 Material relating to horse-drawn or mechanised arable farming (these are
collected by the Cotswold Countryside Collection).
7.2.9 Material which represents the artistic achievement of the British Art and Crafts
Movement (which is collected by Cheltenham Museum & Art Gallery and Holburne
Museum & Crafts Study Centre at Bath), but will collect material which represents
the lives of craftspeople who were associated with the Stroud District.
7.2.10 Large scale textile machinery which duplicates material collected by the FSM
Textile Group or the other significant woollen textile machinery collections for
example at the Swansea, Trowbridge, Coldharbour Mill in Devon or Bradford
Museums.
22
Collections Policy, Section B
8.0 MGC REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS
8.1 Biological and Geological Material
So far as biological and geological material is concerned, the Museum will not
acquire by any direct of 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
(eg a British court in the case of a specimen seized from a third party under the
Protection of Birds Acts). (MGC Registration Guideline 4.2.5b)
8.2 Archaeological Material
So far as British or foreign archaeological antiquities (including excavated ceramics)
are concerned, the Museum will not acquire objects in any case where the
Governing Body or Curator has reasonable cause to believe that the circumstances
of their recovery involved the recent unscientific or intentional destruction or 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 a possible Treasure Trove (England, Wales and Northern Ireland) or Bona
Vacantia (Scotland). (MGC Registration Guideline 4.2.5c)
8.3 Archives, Photographs and Printed Ephemera
With regard to its holdings of archives, photographs and printed ephemera and when
considering the acquisition of this material, the Museum Governing Body will be
guided by the Code of Practice on Archives for Museums in the United
Kingdom. The Museum will also aim to meet the standards outlined in the Royal
Commission on Historical Manuscripts' Standards for Record Repositories (1990).
(MGC Registration Guideline 4.2.7).
9.0 ACQUISITIONS NOT COVERED BY THE POLICY/ EXCEPTIONS TO
THE POLICY
Acquisition outside the current stated policy will only be made in very exceptional
circumstances, and then only after proper consideration by the Museum Governing
Body, having regard to the interests of other museums. (MGC Registration Guideline
4.2.4g).
23
Collections Policy, Section C
SECTION C: THE EXISTING COLLECTIONS AND POLICY FOR
FUTURE ACQUISITIONS
1.0 GEOLOGY
6077 items or groups, 17% of the collections.
Figure 3: Breakdown of the Geology Collections
Class
Fossil
Rock
Mineral
Total
No of Records
5226
213
638
6077
%
86%
4%
10%
100%
Geology Collections
Mineral
Rock 10%
4%
Fossil
86%
1.1 INTRODUCTION
The geology of the Stroud District is of international importance and was the prime
factor affecting human settlement and activity.
In size, range and quality the geology holdings are exceptional for a small local
museum. Much of the collection was collected and donated by well-known local
geologists such as Linsdall Richardson, Mrs Hutton, Dr H.W.Hills, S.L.Randolph,
S.S. Buckman, E.N.Witchell and Charles I.Gardiner, the Museum’s first Curator
(1931-1940). Gardiner, a retired schoolmaster of Cheltenham College, was a keen
geologist and active in the Cotteswold Naturalists’ Field Club until his death in 1940.
Much of the geological collection came to the Museum during his curatorship,
although the collection has not remained static.
24
Collections Policy, Section C
The collection falls into 4 main categories:
1. Pre-Pleistocene fossils - local fossil material of good quality and range, notably
the Jurassic.
2. Jurassic reptile fossils - the particularly fine dinosaur and crocodile specimens
from Stow-on-the-Wold are of national and international scientific significance. This
collection comprises many of the reptiles from the Chipping Norton Formation (Lower
Bathonian).
“This fauna (mostly disarticulated bones) is important as it is older than ..the better
known [material] from the ...localities in the Middle and Upper Bathonian of the
Cotswolds. Most of it was specially excavated in the late 1930s, described by
Reynolds (1939) and divided between Stroud Museum and the British Museum
(Natural History). The stegosaurian material is apparently the oldest known in the
world (Galton & Powell, 1983). (Taylor, 1983)
3. Quaternary fossils - molluscs, subfossil mammal bones, teeth and tusks from the
Pleistocene and Recent gravels and alluvium (river beds) of the District.
4. Rocks and minerals - this smaller general collection is of less importance, but
represents valuable display and education material.
1.2 FOSSIL
1.2.1 Description
The strengths are the Jurassic, Cretaceous and Tertiary invertebrates which are
mainly local, but do include material from other British localities, particularly the Lias
of Lyme Regis and Whitby and a few from further afield, such as 4 fish from the
lithographic limestone of Solenhofen.
Class
Carboniferous
Carboniferous,
Lower
No of
Items/
Groups
1
8
Carboniferous,
Upper
Cretaceous,
unspecified
11
Cretaceous,
Lower
Cretaceous,
Upper
Devonian
197
Eocene
Holocene
155
54
Jurassic,
unspecified
299
Jurassic, Lower
869
82
152
117
Notes
Fossil corals from the collection of Rev P.B.Brodie.
Coal Measures with impressions of ferns & plants, some from
the Bristol Coalfield. Carboniferous limestone invertebrates
from Bristol, Derbyshire and Ireland.
Mainly Coal Measures fossils.
Gastropods, lamellibranchs, sponges, cephalopods,
echinoderm. Some local, but mainly non-local material from
local collectors.
Ammonites, terebratula, sponges, rhynchonella, sharks teeth,
ichthyosaurus teeth, echinoderm.
Echinoderm, ammonites.
Polished slices of corals, fish fossils etc from Ludlow,
Ledbury and Barnstaple beds.
Plant, fish and bivalve fossils.
Subfossil human, ox, sheep & horse bones from Stroud Gas
Works site (see 3.2 below); other bones from various sites.
Bivalves, belemnites, cephalopods from Hock Cliff,
Fretherne. Material from Amberley and Selsley Common.
Gryphites from Oxfordshire. Lamellibranch from Gannicox
Gravel Pit.
Ammonites. Brachiopods from Haresfield Beacon and the
Upper Lias, Stroud. Cephalopods from Sheepscombe
(Cotswold Sands), Brookthorpe. Lamellibranch from
Nailsworth (Oolite Sands). Large collection from Hock Cliff,
vertebrates include shark and ichthyosaurus. Stonehouse
25
Collections Policy, Section C
Jurassic, Middle
1795
Jurassic, Upper
70
Oligocene
Ordovician
Palaeozoic
Permian
Pleistocene
Pliocene
Silurian
Triassic
Foreign
62
3
1
5
363
125
206
64
Trilobites.
Lower palaeozoic material from Malvern Hills-Ledbury area.
The collection of Rev H.G.O.Kendall.
Corals, crinoids, crustacea (Wenlock - Ludlow series).
Vertebrates from Rhaetic bone bed, Westbury-on-Severn
Material from St.Lucia, Natal, S. Africa; Buena Ventura,
Colombia
Geological maps, books correspondence, items from the
library of Rev P.B.Brodie including writing box, photographs
and engravings of geologists. Fossil drawings by E.Witchell.
Geologists
equipment &
personalia
1.3 ROCK
1.3.1 Description
Class
Brick & Tile Quarry; coprolites and cephalopods. Belemites
from Stonehouse and material from Upton-St. Leonards,
Brimscombe, Coaley, Eastington.
Material from the collections of G.F.Playne, P.Smith, Daniels,
E.N.Witchell comprising corals, fossil fish, plants,
echinoderm, brachiopods, cephalopods. From the Great
Oolite (Minchinhampton & Horsley), Inferior Oolite
(Cainscross), Lower Trigonia Grit (Stroud), Oolite Marl
(Stroud), Cephalopod Bed (Frocester Hill, Rodborough, Cam,
Painswick, Bisley).
Material from the Oxford and Kimmeridge Clays. The
vertebrate material includes ichthyosaurus and plesiosaurus.
Igneous
No of
Items/
Groups
40
Metamorphic
Sedimentary
1
89
Antiquarian material
Notes
Samples from Somerset, Dartmoor, Cornwall and
Mount Vesuvius, Italy.
Samples from local geological formations including:
Accession no 2648 Ice-scratched boulder
Collection of H.G.O.Kendall, later of A.C.Robinson,
Swindon, Wilts.
26
Collections Policy, Section C
1.4 MINERAL
1.4.1 Description
The small general collection of minerals includes agates, aluminium, calcite, calcium,
copper, gold, iron, lead, manganese, nickel, quartz, silica, strontium, sulphur. Of
local interest is a lead water pipe blocked by calcium carbonate, Nailsworth
(DP.202).
Also included is antiquarian material from the collections of Harold Brinkworth of
King’s Stanley and V.P.Kitchin of Painswick and a collection of minerals from the
river gravels of the Malagarasi River, Tanzania, 1920s (1969.80).
Note: accession numbers are shown in bold throughout Section C of this
document
1. 5 POLICY
As is often the case, some of the material donated by amateur collectors lacks an
exact provenance. In future the Museum will concentrate on acquiring well
documented and provenanced material.
The Museum seeks to acquire:
Fossils
1. Type, figured, cited or otherwise published material (eg research collection
archives) from the Stroud District.
2. Systematically collected and well documented assemblages of local (ie Stroud
District) material - fieldwork archive data.
3. High quality material for exhibition.
Manuscripts, Recordings, Photographs etc
4. Manuscripts, published works, maps, plans, drawings, prints, photographs and
equipment formerly used in the collection or study of local geology.
Personalia
5. Personalia of geologists having strong links with the District and existing
collections.
Fossils, Rocks & Minerals
6. Material suitable for handling & educational purposes.
Rocks
7. Well trimmed specimens of local rock formations.
8. Photographs of quarries and brickworks, quarry & brick workers and tools.
Minerals
9. Common mineral specimens of high quality.
10.For health and safety reasons, the Museum will not acquire radio-active minerals.
27
Collections Policy, Section C
2.0 NATURAL HISTORY
390 items or groups, 1% of the collections.
2.1 DESCRIPTION
This is a small collection comprising antiquarian collections, locally acquired
specimens and a few oddities and exotic specimens. The strongest areas are the
egg and nest collections, the herbaria, birds and, of the insects, the diptera and
coleoptera specimens.
Class
No of
Notes
Items/
Groups
19
Collection of corals and mollusca by Alfred E.Craven.
Corals
57
Predominantly 19C British collections made locally or by local
Eggs
collectors, includes 15 nests. Small amount of foreign material eg
ostrich & emu
51
Includes several 19C butterfly & moth collections, locally collected
Insects
wasp nests.
Invertebrates 1
65
Named botanical collections: 6 volumes of herbaria (1850-1865) by
Plants &
F.Edward Hulme; herbarium seaweeds mounted with religious text;
Fungi
Joy Wilson’s Wildflower book, British Mosses by W.B.Strugnell of
Stroud & G.F.Playne Mosses.
4
Mixed collection with fossils donated by Dr Hills. Collection of land,
Mollusca
fresh water and marine molluscs collected 1895 - 1935 by Rev
R.L.Jones of Shepton Mallet.
14
Several collections of British and Foreign material eg 1970.42
Sea Shells
Collection of Mr Frost of Avening, Seaman & Nonconformist Lay
Preacher c1920.
107
British mammals including albino specimens, 23 cases of birds
Vertebrates
(specimens attributable to known taxidermists include a pair of Little
Egrets and Pratincoles and Plover preserved by Helstrip of York, a
case of ducks by Wright of Kimbolton & 5 Dace by J.Cooper & Sons
of St Lukes) and 5 cases of fish. Local taxidermy eg by Ernest Briggs
of Uplands.
A few British reptiles & amphibians in spirit and osteological (bone)
specimens.
2.2 POLICY
1. The Museum will collect material in the following exceptional circumstances:
a) In emergencies, where failure to collect would result in the loss of
important specimens. Such material will be transferred to an appropriate
registered museum or institution at the earliest opportunity.
b) Material which fills important gaps in displays.
2. Every acquisition will be carefully considered for its legal, ecological and ethical
implications.
3. The Museum will be sensitive to the issues involved in the curation of human
remains.
Other than the exceptions named above, the Museum will not seek to:
1. develop this area of the collections unless suitably qualified and experienced staff
are employed
2. acquire type or other scientifically critical specimens
28
Collections Policy, Section C
3.0 ARCHAEOLOGY
4342 objects or groups, 12 % of the collections
3.1 INTRODUCTION
The collections range in date from the Palaeolithic to the 20 Century and, as would
be expected, the Roman period is by far the best represented period. All but an
insignificant number of pieces are British, the vast majority originate from the Stroud
District together with some material from Gloucestershire more generally eg
Adlestrop barrow and Kingscote Roman Villa. The presence of the latter is explained
by the relationships between local excavators and the various Gloucestershire
museums during the last century and the first 3/4 of the present century. Sometimes
material was ‘shared out’ between museums eg the iron currency bars from
Salmonsbury.
There are 3 categories of material:
1. Excavated material: Archaeological excavation archives
2. Stray finds
3. ‘Antiquarian’ collections, mainly from local 19 Century collectors, including foreign
material.
Due to the lack of detailed documentation for potentially many thousands of
individual items contained within an excavation archive, a full numerical analysis is
impracticable. However, the records contained on the collections database do
indicate the proportionate strengths of the Museum’s archaeological holdings.
Figure 4: The Relative Strengths of the Archaeology Collections
The Relative Strengths of the Archaeology
Collections
Post-Medieval
Medieval
5%
9%
Palaeolithic
9%
Mesolithic
6%
Saxon
1%
Neolithic
23%
Roman
41%
Bronze Age
3%
Iron Age
3%
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Collections Policy, Section C
3.2 PREHISTORIC
As is to be expected, a high proportion of the collection comprises flint and stone
tools and the waste products of tool manufacture. The earliest, of some importance
given the paucity of material found locally to-date, are the palaeolithic stonework
found in the Stroud Valley gravels:
2012 & 3079 from Eastington Pit; 1975.133 from Salmon Springs and 1969.108 from
Elkstone in Cotswold District.
There is a small series of post-glacial microlith flintwork and associated flakes
particularly from Nailsworth, Avening and Eastington Pit. Of national significance as
extremely rare evidence of early humans in the area is the human femur (1950.242)
and ox, deer, horse and sheep or goat bones excavated at Stroud Gas Works.
A small number of stone implements from the Neolithic and early Bronze Age
periods constitute the material evidence for tree-felling and land clearance: polished
stone axes from Nailsworth (1985.84.1-2), Farmhill (1983.115), Brimscombe
(1961.237), Stonehouse (3734) and Nympsfield (1974.177).
The second millenium BC is represented by a fine Beaker and the skull of a boy
whose skeleton it had accompanied from Ivy Lodge Barrow, King’s Stanley.
There is a small series of bronze implements: axeheads and 2 early bronze age
socket-looped spearheads from Rodborough Common.
With the notable exception of the pair of late middle bronze age bracelets found at
Coaley Peak (whose ownership status is currently being discussed with the National
Trust), evidence from the first millenium BC is largely confined to Iron Age material.
3.3 ROMAN
The highlight is the spectacular collection of Romano-British funerary stonework
which is of regional significance consisting of:
3549 8 Altars, rather bizarrely in a round barrow on Bisley Common
2047 Altar to Mars, Hazlewood near Avening
1960.53 Tombstone to Julia Ingenilla, from Horsley, 2 Century
2501 Large and spectacular oolitic limestone cist with massive lid and fragments of a
glass cinerary urn from the Woodchester Villa site.
There are also some good pieces of Romano-British metalwork and small finds of
glass, bone etc from local well-known sites such as Kingscote, Eastington, Wortley
Villa and the famous Uley Temple and Woodchester Roman Villa sites:
1960.133 Bronze hand found in a pond at Eastington
1971.421 Bronze buckle with stylised horse decoration from Kingscote
Lead curses from West Hill Uley Temple site.
3.4 SAXON/ NORMAN
Early Christian material is much less well-represented but includes a few very fine
pieces:
1986.153 A Saxon (550 -650) gilded bronze saucer brooch with chip-carved decoration
and a central cross is of national significance.
1966.81 Saxon-early Norman tomb slab with arcaded sides, Bisley Churchyard.
2069 A Saxon bone comb from Eastington Gravel Pit
1971.54 Oolithic limestone carving, possibly from a cross shaft, depicting ?Adam
holding a spade, Whiteshill.
2799 11 Century bone draughtsman, Churchyard, Newington Bagpath, Kingscote
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Collections Policy, Section C
3.5 MEDIEVAL
The medieval period is represented by a fairly large and complete archive from
King’s Stanley moated medieval manor by Carolyn Heighway, finds from excavations
at St Peter’s Churchyard, Frocester including:
1960.48 & 49 Chalice and patten from a burial.
There are also a number of interesting stray finds including DP.132 Roof tile
inscribed as 9 Men’s Morris board.
3.6 POST-MEDIEVAL
Thanks to the expertise and diligence of the former Curator, the local tobacco clay
pipe industry is extremely well-represented. Other aspects of the post-medieval
period are less well-represented with a few notable exceptions eg the finds from
Arlingham Court and the 17 Century glassworks at Woodchester.
3.7 ANTIQUARIAN & FOREIGN
There is a small collection of foreign archaeology. This is mainly antiquarian, ‘Grand
Tour’ or souvenir material and consists mainly of stone tools and run-of-the-mill
Roman clay lamps and glass vessels etc brought back by local people returning from
trips to: West Africa, North America, Italy, Greece, Cyprus, Jordan, Egypt and
Kenya.
Antiquarian Collections
The Museum holds material collected by the following individuals:
 V.P.Kitchin, comprising mainly pre-neolithic material from some of the world’s
most famous archaeological sites eg Swanscombe, Grimes Graves, Egypt,
Thebes (Greece), India and bone tools from the Swiss Lake Villages
 The noted Victorian antiquary Worthington G.Smith (including prehistoric stone
tools from Ireland, S.E.England and Mexico)
 E.N.Witchell, the prominent local geologist. Large collection of flints: local,
Sussex and Egypt.
 Rev H.G.O.Kendall
 Samuel Lysons ( a small selection of material from Woodchester Roman Villa)
 Sir Leonard Woolley (1962.16 Carnelian sickle teeth found in the Nile delta)
3.8 POLICY
Detailed guidelines for the transfer of excavation archives are given in Procedures
for the Transfer of Archaeological Archives (March 1999). Future collecting activity
will be governed by the following general principles:
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Collections Policy, Section C
1. The Museum will acquire archaeological finds and archives of excavations from
the Stroud District Area namely from the following Civil Parishes:
Alderley
Hamfallow
North Nibley
Alkington
Haresfield
Nympsfield
Arlingham
Hillesley & Tresham
Randwick
Berkeley
Hardwicke
Rodborough
Bisley-with-Lypiatt
Harescombe
Slimbridge
Brookthorpe-withHinton
Standish
Whaddon
Horsley
Stinchcombe
Cainscross
King’s Stanley
Stonehouse
Cam
Kingswood
Stroud
Chalford
Leonard Stanley
Thrupp
Coaley
Longney
Uley
Cranham
Minchinhampton
Upton St Leonards
Dursley
Miserden
Whiteshill & Ruscombe
Eastington
Moreton Valence
Whitminster
Elmore
Nailsworth
Woodchester
Frampton-on-Severn
Owlpen
Wotton-under-Edge
Fretherne with Saul
Painswick
Frocester
Pitchcombe
Ham & Stone
Quedgeley
2. In the case of excavations the Museum will acquire the whole archive (finds and
records.
3. In normal circumstances provision of the capitalised costs of securing the
archive’s entry into the collections must form part of the fieldwork budgeting. In the
case of developer-funded fieldwork this cost will be met by the developer. This
charge is set at a level equivalent to the English Heritage (HBMC) box storage grant
and may be reviewed annually. It will not be applied retrospectively. The Curator
may refuse an otherwise acceptable archive which carries no storage grant if the
entry costs cannot be met from other sources, and the archive could not be
maintained to the correct standards if acquired without a grant. Exceptions may be
made for some small-scale, emergency and amateur fieldwork.
4. Collecting will cover all periods of human activity.
5. The Museum seeks to foster and develop good relations with excavators carrying
out work within the area. The Museum requires excavators to discuss fieldwork
proposals with the Museum at the earliest stage possible. In particular, emphasis is
placed on the importance of establishing research frameworks against which the
Museum’s archaeological policies can be justified.
6.



The Museum will not accept surface finds unless:
the permission of the landowner or tenant has been obtained
a precise findspot (8 figure grid reference) is provided
the item(s) is of intrinsic interest/ display quality
7. The Museum adopts the guidelines on dispersal and retention published by the
Society of Museum Archaeologists (SMA, 1993 & 1997).
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Collections Policy, Section C
4.0 ETHNOGRAPHY
4 items or groups, less than 1% of the collections.
4.1 DESCRIPTION
This is a very small collection of ethnographic material, deriving from collections of
curios and memorabilia rather than formal anthropological fieldwork. For example:
a rhino skin shield from Somalia and 1956.1 4 legged African stool both Marling
Collection.
4.2 GENERAL POLICY
No further ethnographic material will be acquired. The following exceptions will be
governed by the moral and ethical considerations stated in Section B.2.9, B.5.7 &
B.8.2:
1. Material that has been re-used in a social context in the Stroud District.
2. Material to meet the needs of the Museum Education Service.
5.0 NUMISMATICS
2304 items or groups, 6% of collections.
5.1 DESCRIPTION
The estimated 3000 -3500 coins and tokens date from the Iron Age to the 20
Century. The collection has grown up through donations of single coins, also
through gifts and bequests of private collections from Mr J. Fancillon, Mr S. Marling,
Mr G. Wenman FRIBA, Mr D.J. Bird, Dr H.W. Hills, Mr B. Gardner, Mr R. Hale, Mrs
Caruthers-Little, Mr G.H. Pavey-Smith, Mr P. Woodland and the former Curator, Mr
S.D.Scott.
The particular strengths are Roman Imperial coins, English Regal coinage from the
late Saxon period onwards, English trade tokens and checks of the 17-19 Centuries
and coins from the Ashbrook Hoard of James I. There are no major hoards.
There are approximately 220 medals and medallions comprising:
 Wartime service medals belonging to local people.
 Medals awarded as prizes for 19 Century international trade exhibitions at
London, Paris, Chicago and Melbourne.
 Medals commemorating famous people, events and royal occasions.
5.2 POLICY
The Museum seeks to acquire numismatic material:
1. Made in or for specific use in the Stroud District.
2. Of archaeological significance with a Stroud District provenance.
The Museum will not acquire:
3. Foreign coins excepting those of archaeological significance (chance finds and
material excavated from local archaeological contexts).
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Collections Policy, Section C
6.0 SOCIAL HISTORY
21,418 items or groups, 59% of the collections.
6.1 INTRODUCTION
Social history is the largest single category within the collections and covers the
following principal subject areas:
1. Corporate life
2. Community life
3. Domestic life
4. Personal life
5. Work (crafts, trades, agricultural activities and industry)
Figure 5: Breakdown of the Social History Collections
Class
Work
Corporate
Community
Domestic
Personal
Total
No of Items %
6969
2145
5215
2394
4696
21419
33%
10%
24%
11%
22%
100%
Social History
4696
Personal
22%
6969
Work
33%
2394
Domestic
11%
5215
Community
24%
2145
Corporate
10%
‘For a smaller town museum, the social history collections at Stroud are surprisingly
large, rich and varied.’ (Eveleigh, 1989). In size and significance they are
comparable with the better known collections of Bristol City Museums (at Blaise
Castle) and Gloucester City Museums (at the Folk Museum). They represent over
60 years of continuous recorded collecting, thus having a headstart on many
museum social history collections established in more recent years (Beamish,
Ironbridge, Somerset Rural Life Museum).
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Collections Policy, Section C
The majority was donated as individual or small groups of items. The notable
exceptions are:
 The ‘Duncan Young Collection’, a group of about 3500 items of mixed quality and
subject matter donated and purchased from the late Chalford farmer who had a
‘museum’ of his collections at the Chalford Round House.
 The Wathen bequest of the Palling firearms, pewter plate and oriental export
ceramics.
 The Underwood bequest of 18-19 Century musical instruments (a small but
interesting collection)
The collections contain some early ‘folk life’ material which is now rare and hard to
come by: eg an 18 Century wig stand (2325) and a coopered plunger type butter
churn (2833). Whilst lacking the completeness and national significance of the York
Castle Museum and the Museum of English Rural Life at Reading, nevertheless, the
Stroud collections are far superior to many local district museums and constitute a
substantial collection or regional significance.
Some areas of the collection are very well represented, others are less so: 6.2 COMMUNITY & CORPORATE LIFE
Material relating to local government, local institutions and other aspects of
communal life is relatively small and fragmented. There is a small collection of
school and workhouse material, and the usual police truncheons, postal items,
weights and measures etc. More unusual is an 18 Century chair and material
associated with cock fighting. The weakness of the civic collections compared to eg
those at Bristol or Gloucester, reflects the difference between large cities with rich
civic traditions and a predominantly rural district with a few small market towns where
such traditions are on a much reduced scale.
Firearms & War
There is a moderate sized collection relating to the First and Second World Wars
including Civil Defence material.
The Palling collection of firearms (about 35 pieces) from Painswick is noteworthy.
This comprises 18 Century flintlock pistols, blunderbusses, fowling guns and late 17
Century muskets.
Architecture
There is a small range of domestic architecture fixtures and fittings, the highlights
being a collection of moulds for making decorative plaster and material from an 18
Century house at Wallbridge including 2 shell-hooded painted buffet cupboards.
Church architecture is a smaller collection, but contains a number of interesting
pieces such as a brass weathercock from Painswick Church, a wooden example
from Minchinhampton and Norman masonry from Bisley Church.
Transport
With the exception of 2 tricycles, the Cathcart collection of cycling material, the wellknown and locally made Pedersen bicycles, and the eccentric sand yacht sailed
across the Sahara by a Stonehouse man, there are no full-size vehicles. There is a
range of small items to illustrate the road, rail and canal communications within the
District eg Canal plates, rail station fittings and tickets, paintings, drawings and
photographs.
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Collections Policy, Section C
The corporate collections contain small groups of material related to:
 local customs and folklore including an Aunt Sally game (1968.162), Christmas
and Valentine cards, funerary items.
 entertainment including cinema items, dance and whist cards and programmes
 local government including election material and the Grant of Arms for Stroud
Urban District Council (1974.54)
 local churches and religion including monuments and fittings, Bibles, parish
magazines and ephemera and the silver from White Court Chapel Uley
(1974.191).
 local societies and sports clubs including photographs of sporting events and a
collection of embroidered silk banners from choral and madrigal groups in the
Cam, Uley and Stinchcombe areas.
 local education including material associated with Brimscombe Polytechnic,
chemistry laboratory equipment from Marling School, needlework samplers and
exercise books from Badbrook School for Girls, children’s books, the teachers
desk from Slad School donated by Mrs Laurie Lee and a limited range of abaci,
black boards, writing slates (mostly 20 Century) and a wooden back board used
for discipline and to improve posture (1970.109).
6.3 DOMESTIC & PERSONAL LIFE
The material is very wide ranging, contains much that is typical of good social history
collections and some very fine and unusual individual domestic items such as the
rare late 17 Century/ early 18 Century wooden candle holder (1956.47) and an 18
Century brass flour dredger (CM.738). There are, however, a number of significant
gaps.
There is an excellent collection of laundry and lighting equipment and a reasonable
collection of cleaning equipment and materials. Surprisingly, however, the range of
cooking equipment is somewhat patchy, although it does include rare and important
pieces such as the unique 17 Century jack by Pearson (CM.823) and 17 Century
firebacks. Surprisingly also, there is little furniture. A rocking bath made at
Woodchester is an atypical but interesting object.
The collection includes early gramophones and televisions but, in general, the 20
Century collections are patchy.
There are some good musical instruments (the Underwood Bequest) and a
moderate range of clocks including 4 late 17 Century lantern clocks by the respected
Stroud clockmaker, William Holloway and long case clocks by 2 Chalford makers
Jones (1790-1810) and Crook (mid 19C).
There is a good range of
 typical personal effects and memorabilia such as photograph albums, spectacles,
writing and smoking paraphernalia
 medical glassware and equipment
 needlecraft equipment (including a tools and examples of work, especially by
children)
Dolls & Toys
The collection contains approximately 80 dolls, accessories and a smaller number of
assorted toys and games, mostly of Victorian and early 20 Century dates. The
highlights are a very important late 17 Century/ early 18 Century male doll, 2 early 18
Century female dolls, a 19 Century half-tester dolls bed and furnishings, a well
documented funeral doll. Toys include a large collection of penny toys from the late
19, early 20 Century, children’s books, card games, unusual early 19 Century
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Collections Policy, Section C
peepshows, magic lantern slides, a toy fort and small groups of lead soldiers,
ambulance crew and Queen Alexandra’s Royal Nursing Corps nurses (1971.164)
and some very good examples of children’s/ dolls ceramics.
Personal Costume
Somewhat unusually, the strengths of the costume collection are the male costume,
whereas, with the exception of a well-documented wedding assemblage, female
costume is a little weak. There is a stronger collection of infant’s and children’s
costume. This includes some good pieces such as a boy’s dress c1830 (2642) and
an unusual boy’s jump-suit (1951.11)c1810-15, but is not comprehensive.
Interesting, but not comprehensive are:
 Archery coats and waistcoats from the early 19 Century, and Stroud Harriers
Athletic Club vest, shorts and belt (late 19 Century), riding boots, a good range of
cycling clothing and accessories, motorist’s gauntlets and dustcoat.
 costume relating to domestic service, brewing, textiles and agricultural work eg
smocks, leather leggings, waterproof coat, cloth making clogs.
Of particular note are farmer’s clothes relating to the 1940s- 50s.
6.4 WORKING LIFE
6.4.1 Crafts
There is a diverse range of material representing rural and town crafts: woodworking,
leather working (including both saddlery and shoe-making), blacksmithing, ropemaking, and masonry.
6.4.2 Trades
This section is very wide ranging.
Small but important collections relating to:
 Abdela & Mitchell and Edwin Clarke & Co boatbuilders
 Ropemaking
 Holloway Bros, clothing manufacturers of Stroud
 Sweet-making (moulds)
Modest, but good quality collections relating to:
 Blacksmith tools from forges at Cainscross and Longfords Mill
 Plumbing tools
 Stone quarrying and masonry
 Leonard Stanley Tannery
 Woodworking & coopering
 Stickmaking
 Stonehouse, Dudbridge and Brimscombe brick makers (products only).
 Cobbling tools from a shop in Minchinhampton
 Clothiers marks, trade signs and packaging materials relating to local trades
including food, medicines, cosmetics and other household items including
Morelands’ England’s Glory matchboxes.
 Veterinary tools
 Local trade and advertising signage
A modest collection of:
 Office equipment
Good sized collections of:
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Collections Policy, Section C
 Material from the Stroud and Cordwells Breweries (Cainscross) and Niblets
Mineral waters comprising tools, equipment, documents and trade literature,
photographs, costume and many items from local public houses.
 Glass and stoneware bottles relating to local dairies, breweries and mineral water
suppliers. These number about 1000 and are certainly the largest and could be
regarded as the Museum’s ‘single most impressive collection’ (Eveleigh, 1989).
6.4.3 Agriculture
The strongest aspect is the dairy equipment which includes a good range of material.
There is a representative collection of farm hand tools and some associated material
to illustrate aspects of agriculture and rural life, for example:
 painted wooden name plaques for cow stalls
 shepherds crooks, folding bar bells etc
 cultivating hand tools: seed lips, rakes, hoes
 harvesting hand tools: flails, hay knives etc
Due to size considerations, and in recognition of the interests of the Cotswold
Countryside Collection there are no large agricultural implements or machines.
6.4.4 Industry
The Stroud District area has an industrial and commercial past which is quite distinct
from the rest of the County. The Cowle Collections contain a few large industrial
items including a loom and corn milling machinery, but are stronger in smaller scale
material relating to local industries, notably the brewing industry and include
occupational costume, photographs, trade samples etc. which could be interpreted
effectively in a social history context. The material is not, however, of sufficient
range or scope to take a history of technology approach to interpretation.
Engineering & Technology
The Stroud District contained several engineering companies of some eminence.
Most of those close to Stroud began manufacturing textile machinery and later
specialised in unusual branches of gas engineering, notably Wallers, whose
products were known worldwide. At Dursley, R.A. Lister Ltd was established to
manufacture agricultural and food industry machinery, later branching out into
stationary engines for which their name is still internationally known. The Museum’s
small but extremely important collections provide a good representative picture of the
local engineering industry. Of international importance are:
 L.65 the Lewis cross-cutter c1815, the cloth napping machine which inspired the
development of the lawnmower.
 The Budding lawnmowers and adjustable spanners, the products of the Phoenix
Iron Foundry at Thrupp, are one of the gems of the entire collection. These are
the earliest lawnmowers in the world. The Museum also holds the associated
patent documents.
 The revolutionary high-speed separating machine for the dairy industry by Listers
 Examples of casein and early plastics manufactured by Erinoid Ltd and related
photographs
 Pedersen bicycles made in Dursley and which are today being produced again in
Denmark.1969.73, 1976.172, SW.217 (frame).
 An early Danarm chain saw and related literature
 Large photographic archives relating to the engineering companies Wallers and
Daniels.
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Collections Policy, Section C
6.5 TEXTILE HISTORY COLLECTIONS
The Stroud area was once world famous for the production of West of England
woollen cloth, billiard cloth and 'scarlet' for military uniforms. The Stroud Valleys
contain abundant reminders in the shape of mills, many of which have been
converted for other purposes.
6.5.1 The Cowle Collections
This important industry is very well-represented in the Cowle Collections. A variety
of material has been collected by the Museum including a Scottish fly shuttle hand
loom (L.43), full-size and model fulling stocks, the Lewis Cross-cutter, a large
number of pattern books, cloth sample cards, bale seals, a small number of tools
including bale skewers (1969.59), photographs etc.
A Collection of oral history tapes made by anthropologist Dr Jacqueline Sarsby is
significant because the opportunities for obtaining first hand accounts are
diminishing.
6.5.2 The Textile Group’s Collection (153)
This collection consists mainly of machinery and represents every major woollen
process, some of which was acquired with the support of the Science Museum’s
PRISM Fund. The collection contains a number of important pieces from the local
area:
TG 22/1 Teasel Raising Gig, TG24 Rotary Milling Machine, TG13 Quilling Machine,
TG16 Baling Press, TG18 a braiding machine from Tubbs Lewis of Wotton-underEdge.
Also included is material acquired from outside the area, in particular a number of
large machines from Lerry Tweed Mills, Talybont, Mid Wales.
Of national
significance due to its early date is the 18 Century spinning mule from Lerry Tweed
Mills which was acquired with a PRISM grant.
6.6 POLICY
General Objectives
The Museum seeks to acquire:
1. Material which furthers the Mission and Aims of the Museum (as set out in Section
B.5), in particular:
‘to capture a sense of the people and the place of the Stroud District’’
‘to collect evidence of the lives and achievements of the people of the area, the
special identity of the area, the townscapes and landscapes in a time of constant
change.’
Whilst recognising the physical limitations, the above policy will mean that priority is
placed on collecting material which:
a) fills significant gaps in the existing collections
b) demonstrates changes/ trends in the social and economic life which had a
significant impact locally
c) reflects post-war changes
d) maintains the relevance of the collections to modern audiences
2. Emphasis will be placed on the combined collection of documentary and oral
history material with objects ie the ‘personal history’, anthropological approach.
3. Photographs of local people, places and activities.
The Museum will not acquire:
4. Very large items unless suitable accommodation can be identified within the
displays (see 37-38 below).
5. Material from outside the Stroud District, unless a very strong case can be made.
Specific Objectives
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Collections Policy, Section C
The Museum seeks to acquire:
Corporate Life
6. material relating to local hospitals, clinics and medical centres.
7. sheet music, recordings, posters etc relating to local music and musicians and
performers
8. the works of local writers and artists
9. items (but see B.7.2.3 above) relating to transport.
Community Life
10.clothing and equipment relating to local sports and individual activities such as
skateboards, rollerblades, hang-gliding and gliding.
11.two and three dimensional material relating to local customs, festivals and
entertainments eg Stroud Festival, Stroud Fringe Festival, Randwick Wap, welldressing and local theatrical performances, shows and their venues.
12.photographs of local bands (especially up to 1950s) and rock bands of the 1960s
playing at local venues (eg the Sub Rooms).
13.musical instruments
14.material relating to Stratford Park after it became a public amenity (see also 23
below)
Domestic Life
15.a range of cooking utensils, especially pots, pans and bakeware, rolling pins,
gingerbread men cutters
16.an everyday kitchen table
17.table linen, everyday tableware and cutlery
18.items relating to gardening and local allotments
19.firedogs and items associated with the hearth eg wood baskets
20.soft furnishings, light shades in good condition to dress displays
21.items of domestic furniture and fittings which were made and/ or used locally to
reflect both local craftsmanship and home life. These should be suitable for
display.
22.small items of domestic furniture and equipment: stools, chairs, side tables, boxes
and lamps such as a kinetic oil (‘lava’) lamp
23.material relating to the Stratford Park estate and its human history
Personal Life
24.shaving brushes, toothbrushes, shaving mugs, wig and hair accessories eg hair
dryers
25.costume in good condition which represents the clothing worn by local people
throughout history, especially:
 occupational costume (see 31 below)
 sports clothing - tennis, riding etc
 children’s clothes, including school and other uniforms
 adult and children’s outdoor wear & shoes
 night and underwear for adults and children both sexes; especially Chilproofe
underwear made at Cope-Chats until the 1940s, male ‘Y fronts
 baby binders, bootees, mittens, nappies, liberty bodices etc
 baby accessories/ equipment/ nursery items; eg teething rings, rattles, dummies
etc
 female everyday costume in general
 utility and wartime clothing including ‘made over’/ improvised garments
 dress-making and knitting patterns, particularly 1960s-30s.
26.costume accessories: bags of all descriptions in good condition. Earrings and
watches, including modern. Children’s jewellery and accessories eg decorative
handkerchiefs.
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Collections Policy, Section C
27.a representative collection of the toys and dolls used / owned or made locally
(especially home made examples), past and present. In particular: later 20C dolls
and popular classic toys eg Action Man, Barbie Doll, teddy bears, jigsaws,
games, construction toys, Muppets, Teletubbies, Muffin the Mule, Magic
Roundabout.
28.children’s books by local authors and the classics eg Wind in the Willows, Water
Babies, Peter Pan, Railway Children, Thomas the Tank Engine, Nursery Rhymes,
Noddey & Big Ears, Famous Five etc
Working Life
29.material which reflects the diverse patterns of local working life, including farming
and crafts traditions
30.material which illustrates the life and work of local inventors
31.costume and accessories which relate to local working life, such as mill workers
clothing, brewery workers clogs, shepherds’ crooks, dairymens’ smocks etc.
32.made up clothing eg from Holloways
33.trades catalogues
34.locally made products eg tennis balls
35.brick and tile moulds, garden ornaments, roof tiles
36.photographs of workers and workplaces eg Textile Mills, Retail premises,
Hampton Cars, Holloways, stick factories, laundries, stone quarries
The Museum will not acquire:
37.large industrial equipment or machinery
38.large agricultural implements or machinery
Textile History Collections
The Museum seeks to acquire:
39.photographs of local mills & workers
40.oral history records (tapes & transcript, notes etc)
41.small-scale items representing the history of the local textile industry.
42.cloth samples where these do not duplicate the material already held by the
Museum.
43.material associated with local handloom weaving and domestic production.
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Collections Policy, Section C
ARTS
Figure 6: Breakdown of the Fine Art Collections
Fine Art Collections
Oils
16%
Engravings
34%
Watercolours
50%
7.0 FINE ART
831 items or groups, 2.5 % of the collections.
7.1 DESCRIPTION
The collection consists of oil paintings, sign boards and works on paper, namely
watercolours, maps, drawings, prints and photographs.
The keynotes of the collection are the small number of large topographical paintings
of the Stroud area. These are of local and regional significance.
 1948.500 Late 18 Century View of Wallbridge, unknown artist, with in the distance
the dyed red cloth hung up to dry.
 1948.504 View from Rodborough Fort, its gun emplacements occupy the
foreground, the town in the distance and the fort itself depicted in a cartouche at
the top left corner (also a watercolour on paper ‘cartoon’ of the same view).
 1974.53 An oil painting by A.N.Smith showing a distant general view of Stroud.
The painting is striking in its detail, showing an excellent and topographically
correct view of Stroud, including a multitude of houses and buildings.
Portraits
There is a small number of portraits, these are mostly photographic; local dignitaries
are well represented. Of interest is:
 1987.363 Large full length portrait in oils of Sir Paul Bagholt of Lypiatt, Bisley, a
local and colourful character, early 19 Century, English School.
The signboards are interesting examples of local journeyman paintings and are of
strong and engaging quality eg Whitbread Sign Adam & Eve, The Clothiers Arms (a
massive sign on heavy copper sheeting) and the sign for dye for the Blue Cloth with
2 figures ‘Tho’ we Stand here in Wind & Rain/ True Blue will never Stain’.
42
Collections Policy, Section C
Numerically the largest element in the collection is the work of one local 20 Century
artist Miss J. West: pencil and chalk drawings, many being drafts for the
watercolours. The watercolours are more ambitious; a large number are views within
the District, but also included are areas of Somerset and Wiltshire. The importance
of this collection lies more in its topographical interest than its artistic merit.
There are also works - again predominantly watercolours - by other local artists both
male and female (Misses Stanton and Ferrabee). Engravings of works by members
of the Smith family also feature significantly. There is at least one good group of
botanical watercolours.
7.2 POLICY
The Museum seeks to acquire:
1. Work by professional artists and sculptors living/ working in the District
2. Work by professional craftspeople living/ working in the District
3. Work depicting or inspired by the local area and its people (especially portraits).
43
Collections Policy, Section C
8.0 DECORATIVE ARTS
831 items or groups, 2.5% of the collections.
Figure 7: Breakdown of the Decorative Art Collections
Decorative Arts
Miscellaneous
Media
5%
Glass
19%
Ceramics
76%
8.1 DESCRIPTION
The decorative arts collection comprises British and foreign ceramics, glass, and
metalwork (woodwork, furniture, costume, textiles, clocks, musical instruments, toys
and dolls are classified elsewhere). The range of material is by no means
comprehensive, there being no complete, or near complete, historical series of any
type of object represented and, with the exception of the Wathen bequest, no large
and distinct personal collection. There are, however, a significant number of rare
and fine specimens.
The Arts & Crafts Movement
Other than an unfinished William Rothenstein sketch and the illuminated address
presented to Charles Holbrow on the completion of Stroud School of Art (&
Museum), Lansdown (3589), there are no objects or records connected with the Arts
& Crafts movement in the Stroud area. This is due to the long-standing interest of
Cheltenham Museum (see B.7.2.9 above).
8.2 CERAMICS (624 OBJECTS OR GROUPS)
There are several distinct groups within the ceramics collection:
 Local rural pottery from Winchcombe, Prinknash, Cranham and other local
potteries. Within this category are some examples of work by Michael Cardew,
Bernard Leach, K. Pleydell-Bouverie.
 A few pieces of slipware from the 17 and 18 Centuries
44
Collections Policy, Section C
 A fair number of pieces, especially tea services especially from British makers:
Worcester, Wedgewood, Coalport, Crown Derby, Royal Doulton, Spode, Minton,
Bristol, Leeds, Staffordshire, Lambeth, Lowestoft, Poole; Swansea.
 A few excellent examples of slipware and Delft (tin-glazed earthenware tiles, a
posset pot and an Adam & Eve Charger).
 Creamware, hard and soft paste porcelain, lustreware including 5 early dated
pieces which ‘could be considered of national significance’ (Carruthers, 1989).
 Several good sets of children’s and dolls china, including a dinner service of 29
pieces (1977.101).
 A few items are specifically associated with the Stroud area, including a ‘Barge’
teapot ‘ of 1890’ (1974.277) and a Creamware jug ‘Tho.Sims Stroudwater 1801
(3482). There is a reasonable range of sanitary ware including wash sets, toilet
pans and pedestals, toothbrush holders etc.
 A fair representation of coronation and commemorative wares, several produced
in response to local events.
The Oriental ceramics consist mainly of export wares: Ming, Nanking (approximately
60 pieces from the Wathen bequest), Chi’en Lung; and a fine Ting ware bowl of the
Sung Dynasty (960-1279 AD) (1948.27).
8.2 GLASS
152 items or groups
There is a small collection of 19 Century coloured glass including pieces made at
Nailsea: bell, walking sticks, rolling pin etc, also a set of cruets and decanters in
green glass with meander border in gold leaf. There are good examples of wine
bottles from the 17 Century onwards and some 18 Century tableware: 18 Century
custard glasses (CM.1-2), stirrup cup, cordial glass. Of considerable local interest
are glass items (2100) made by Powells of Whitefriars as reproductions of 17
Century glass found at Woodchester Glassworks.
8.3 POLICY
The Museum seeks to acquire:
Ceramics
1. Everyday tableware with local associations (complete sets in good condition).
2. Ceramics which are locally made (including the work of respected contemporary
potters) or have local associations/ inscriptions.
Glass & Metalwork
3. Pieces of display quality which have been locally made and/ or have welldocumented local associations.
Photography
4. Work by contemporary local photographers.
5. High/ professional quality photographs of contemporary local scenes and events:
people, work places, domestic scenes, leisure activities and community events,
landscapes and townscapes, architecture.
6. Historic photographs of the District.
7. Wherever possible, the Museum will seek to acquire and maintain full copyright
for the photographic images within its collection.
45
Collections Policy: Section D
SECTION D: CONSULTATION & REVIEW
1.0 PROCEDURES FOR REVIEW & CONSULTATION
1.1 Policy Review & Development
This policy will be published and reviewed periodically, at least once every five years,
and is due for renewal before the end of March 2004. The previous policy was
adopted in 1990.
This document was prepared just as the Museum in the Park project was getting
underway. It is recognised that the processes of object assessment and research
involved in this major project will further clarify the strengths and weaknesses of the
collections and priorities for future collections related activities. This information will
be incorporated into the next version of this policy. This successor document will
provide a more detailed strategy and plan for collections care, development and
conservation.
1.2 Consultation
The Museum Governing Body recognises the need for co-operation between all
museums and galleries (see A.1.5 & B.7). The Curator would welcome comments
on the terms of the Collections Policy from any person, other museum or local
society.
1.3 MGC Registration Guidelines
The Museums & Galleries Commission will be informed of any changes and possible
implications for the future of the existing collections.
2.0 REFERENCES
Boot, K., undated, Report on Biology UK Visit to Stroud
Carruthers, A., 1989, Report on the Decorative Arts Collections
Cleevely, R.J., 1983, World Palaeontological Collections. 365, BMHN/Mansell
Dawson, D.P., 1988, Somerset County Museums Collections Management Policy
Eveleigh, D., 1989, Survey of the Social History Collections
French, A., 1997, Visit to Stroud District Museum to advise on Textile History
Collection [textile samples and pattern books]
Galton, P.M & Powell, H.P., 1983, Stegosaurian dinosaurs from the Bathonian
(Middle Jurassic) of England, the earliest record of the family Stegosauridae.
Geobios 16, 216-229
Hayward, S.P., 1993, Museum Development Plan
Hayward, S.P., 1998, Notes on the Collections
Hayward, S.P., 1998 (draft), Procedures for the Transfer of Archaeological Archives
Hill, D., 1993, Report on aspects of proposed move of Collections to Stanley Mill
King, R.J., 1991, Notes on Mineral Collection visited on 19.2.1991
Locke, S., 1985, A Report Commissioned by Stroud District Council
Museums & Galleries Commission, 1987, Registration Guidelines
Museums & Galleries Commission, 1998, Levels of Collection Care: A self
assessment checklist for UK museums
Code of Practice on Archives for Museums in the United Kingdom.
Reynolds, S.H., 1939, On a collection of reptilian bones from the Oolite of Stow-onthe-Wold, Gloucestershire. Geol. Mag. 76, 193-214
Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts, 1990, Standards for Record
Repositories
46
Collections Policy: Section D
Society of Museum Archaeologists, 1993, Selection, Retention and Dispersal of
Archaeological Collections: Guidelines for use in England, Wales and Northern
Ireland
Society of Museum Archaeologists, 1997, Selection, Retention and Dispersal of
Archaeological Collections: Revision 1997
Storer, J.D., 1989, The Conservation of Industrial Collections. A Survey.
Swansborough, S., 1989, Appraisal of the Geology Collections
Taylor, M., 1984, Report on the Geology Collections
Taylor,1983, Report on a visit to the geological collections at Stroud Museum
Thomas, N., 1989, The Archaeology Collections at Stroud Museum
Thomas, N., Elkin, P., King, A., 1989, Museum Collections Appraisal: Industry &
Technology
Wigley, L., 1993, Textile History Collection Assessment
Wigley, L., 1996, Textile Machinery Collections Collections Management Plan
Wilson, A., 1989, Report on the Fine Art Collections
3.0 AUTHORISATION
This policy was adopted by the Cowle Trust on 4 March 1999 and Stroud District
Council, Economic Development & Leisure Committee on 18 March 1999 Minute
No:DDL 57/2/99
47
Appendix One
APPENDIX ONE: Geographical Collecting Area
The Museum will acquire material from the following Civil Parishes (see figure 14
below):
Alderley
Alkington
Arlingham
Berkeley
Bisley-with-Lypiatt
Brookthorpe-withWhaddon
Cainscross
Cam
Chalford
Coaley
Cranham
Dursley
Eastington
Elmore
Frampton-on-Severn
Fretherne with Saul
Frocester
Ham & Stone
Hamfallow
Haresfield
Hillesley & Tresham
Hardwicke
Harescombe
Hinton
Horsley
King’s Stanley
Kingswood
Leonard Stanley
Longney
Minchinhampton
Miserden
Moreton Valence
Nailsworth
North Nibley
Nympsfield
Owlpen
Painswick
Pitchcombe
Quedgeley
Randwick
Rodborough
Slimbridge
Standish
Stinchcombe
Stonehouse
Stroud
Thrupp
Uley
Upton St Leonards
Whiteshill & Ruscombe
Whitminster
Woodchester
Wotton-under-Edge
Figure 8: Civil Parishes in the Stroud District
48
Appendix Two
APPENDIX TWO: Notes on Collections Management Issues
A. INTRODUCTION
1.0 Purpose
It is our intention to prepare a prioritised Collections Management Strategy and
Action Plan within 6 months of the opening of the new museum (ie Dec 2000). The
following general observations and indications of future projects are a starting point
for this document.
2.0 General Issues
2.1 Benchmarking
The benchmarking system provided in the Museums & Galleries Commission’s
Levels of Collection Care will be used to assess the collections. This recent
publication uses Registration requirements to provide a set of benchmarks which
range from basic minimum standards through good to best practice in collections
care. This assessment will inform both the framework for our future strategy and
individual project proposals .
2.2 Health and Safety
a) Acquisitions
The Collections Policy states that the Museum will not acquire material which has
significant health and safety implications unless it can be readily and cost-effectively
rendered safe.
b) Existing Collections
All collections management programmes should include procedures to meet health
and safety requirements of existing collections.
B. SPECIFIC ISSUES
1.0 GEOLOGY
1.1 General Observations
1. As is often the case, some of the material donated by amateur collectors lacks an
exact provenance. In future the Museum will concentrate on acquiring well
documented and provenanced material (see section B.2.5 of the Collections
Policy).
2. Most specimens are in need of cleaning.
3. Most specimens are mounted between pins on labelled wooden tablets which are
a possible source of abrasion and damage.
4. Some specimens are loose/ unprotected in drawers.
5. Some specimens have come adrift from their documentation.
Minerals
6. The mineral collections were checked by Head of Health & Safety for Berkeley
Nuclear Power Station. Specimens which were found to be emitting unsafe levels
of radiation have been removed and placed on loan to Berkeley Nuclear
Laboratories: Pitchblende and Radium.
7. R.J. King’s report on the collection identified evidence of metastability and pyrite
rot.
8. The collection should be assessed for toxicity.
49
Appendix Two
Library & Published Information
9. The Museum’s geological library is very small and consists mainly of antiquarian
material and offprints.
10.There is little published information about the collection. Cleevely (1983) gives
brief details of a dozen donors of specimens but is very incomplete. There is,
moreover, no list of type (if any), figured or cited specimens.
1.2 Future Projects
1. To implement a prioritised programme of reorganisation and preventive
conservation by:
a) removing specimens and labels from unsuitable packaging
b) cleaning dirty specimens
c) repacking specimens to conservation standards (using suitably trained and
qualified volunteers where available and free-lance expertise when funds can
be raised)
d) arranging reference collections in logical order on shelves and in drawers.
2. To improve the overall quality of existing collections documentation by:
a) updating existing 19C nomenclature (HLF funded project)
b) identifying undocumented material
c) developing the Museum’s library.
3. To write a history and account of the geological collections and compile a list of
type, figured and cited specimens, for publication in a journal such as the
Geological Curator. This will help in assessing priorities for conservation.
4. To create a database of Glos geological localities. This will serve:
a) As a public resource (enquiry service, exhibition & education).
b) As a management tool for the planning the acquisition of specimens and
associated information (documentation and historical information).
2.0 NATURAL HISTORY
2.1 General Observations
1. The collections contain a few specimens of comparative material which are useful
for educational and display use eg tooth of Indian elephant for comparison with
Pleistocene fossil material.
2. Sadly, much of the collection is in poor condition (eg butterfly and moths) due to
problems in the past:
a) unsuitable storage conditions
b) problems associated with the lack of resources (infestation, dirt, broken
and poorly sealed cases).
3. The levels of data available are quite variable
4. Of the vertebrates several specimens are attributable to named taxidermists, it is
possible that research on the unattributed specimens by a competent taxidermy
historian might reveal further information.
5. The Museum subscribes to Cotteswold Naturalists Field Club. The library is
otherwise very small, consists mostly antiquarian material; as such it is
inadequate for research purposes.
2.2 Future Projects
1. Curatorial assessment and research by external experts.
2. The above work should include health and safety assessment eg for pesticides in
botanical and entomological collections and arsenic in taxidermy specimens.
3. Documentation programme.
Programme of fumigation, conservation, restorage, remounting and repair of historic
cases.
50
Appendix Two
3.0 ARCHAEOLOGY
3.1 General Observations
a) MGC / HBMC Approved Storage
The Museum has not been approved by the Museums and Galleries Commission for
the storage of the archives from English Heritage funded excavations in the District.
It is recommended that approval be sought.
b) Surface Finds
A substantial proportion of the local flintwork is the product of surface collecting.
Much of this, whilst it has a general provenance, lacks precise information on
findspots. It is therefore of limited value other than to indicate the general location of
settlements, hunting grounds and knapping sites.
c) Museum Library
The Museum subscribes to the Bristol & Gloucestershire Archaeological Society and
has a full set of the proceedings.
The Museum’s library is very small and is inadequate for research purposes.
d) Historic Arrangements
There are a number of historic arrangements regarding the deposition of finds:
 It has been agreed that the archaeological archive relating to Frocester Roman
Villa is transferred to Gloucester City Museums.
 Kingscote Roman Villa (part excavation archive deposited by excavator in 1971
and 1972)
 others?
3.2 Future Projects
1. To improve the physical arrangement of the collection by sorting and repacking as
necessary.
2. To improve the overall quality of existing collections documentation by:
a) identifying undocumented material
b) carrying out research on aspects of the collections (the first priority being
those selected for display)
c) allocating storage locations
d) developing the Museum’s library
4.0 ETHNOGRAPHY
4.1 General Observations
Until very recently, this material was classified within the Social History collections
according to its function: for example the African stool was classified as Domestic,
Furnishings.
All activity based on ethnographical material will be guided by the moral, ethical and
legal considerations set out in the Collections Policy, in particular sections B.2.9,
B5.7 & B8.2.
4.2 Future Projects
Future documentation programmes will ensure that all new and existing ethnographic
material is separately classified.
5.0 NUMISMATICS
5.1 General Observations
The majority of the collection is well documented with the following exceptions:
51
Appendix Two
1. There are several hundred undocumented and unidentified coins.
2. Although general storage locations have been allocated, detailed records of
cabinets and drawer numbers are needed.
5.2 Future Projects
Using appropriately qualified and trustworthy personnel (numismatics have particular
security requirements):
1. To improve the physical arrangement of the collection by sorting and repacking to
conservation standards.
2. To improve the overall quality of existing collections documentation by:
a) identifying undocumented material
b) carrying out research on some of the coins (the first priority being those
selected for display)
c) allocating storage locations
d) developing the Museum’s library
6.0 SOCIAL HISTORY
6.1 General Observations
1. In the past material has been collected from other parts of the county and have
been justified as ‘rescue operation’.
2. The doll collection includes various parts of dolls. These need to be assessed
and ‘weeded’. Some of the dolls are virtually beyond redemption or are of poor
quality. Those deemed worthy of remedial conservation treatment should be
prioritised.
3. Many of the clocks are in pieces, there are also quite a number of parts of clocks.
Complete clocks need re-assembling and the parts need sorting/ ‘weeding’.
4. Much of the costume and textiles collection (including most of the female costume
and most of the fans) has suffered from pest action, dirt and unsuitable display
and storage environments in the past and may be unredeemable.
5. The costume could only be displayed safely if a fairly large investment is made in
environmental controls, conservation and mounting. Much would not justify this.
6. A fairly small proportion of the costume/ textiles collection has documented
associations with Stroud.
7. Much of the household linen is beyond redemption and needs ‘pruning’.
6.2 Future Projects
1. To advise and assist the Textile Working Party to carry out the recommendations
of the Wigley Report (Wigley, 1996).
2. To carry out the recommendations of Ann French, AMCSW Textiles Conservator
in relation to the textile samples (French, 1997).
7.3 FINE ART
7.1 General Observations
1. Several of the large topographical paintings have been conserved at the AMCSW
studios at Bristol. Little else is presently in a condition suitable for display (see 3
below).
2. Existing racking is of unsuitable wooden construction, overcrowded, inaccessible
(some racks are 10 feet high) and provides inadequate protection against
mechanical damage.
3. Virtually all framed items are in totally unsuitable mounts and need re-framing.
Many have deteriorated badly as a result.
4. Material commissioned/ purchased by the Council under the Arts purchase fund
on the understanding that it would become part of the Museum’s Collections:
a) Has not been documented or formally accessioned.
52
Appendix Two
b) Has not been considered in relation to the Museum’s Acquisitions strategy.
7.2 Future Projects
1. To implement a prioritised programme of reorganisation and preventive
conservation by:
a) sorting the reserve collections into logical categories
b) devising a range of safe storage methods, the following might be considered:
 framed works to be placed on sliding racks (but see 3 below).
 works on paper which are suitable for temporary display could be released
from their present framing (where this is not original, of poor quality or is
broken/infested beyond repair) and ready mounted to fit a range of modular
sized frames. These can then be stored in solander type boxes.
2. To improve the overall quality of existing collections documentation by:
a) identifying undocumented material
b) carrying out research on some of the pictures (the first priority being those
selected for display)
c) developing the Museum’s library
3. *To carry out a phased and prioritised programme of remedial conservation. The
majority of framed works are very dirty and need re-framing & re-mounting. Only
then will it be possible to place them on sliding racks.
4. In collaboration with colleagues in the Leisure Section, to develop a strategy and
set of priorities for future expenditure under the Arts Purchase Fund
* A modest amount of HLF funding is available for pictures selected for display as
part of the Museum in the Park project)
8.0 DECORATIVE ARTS
8.1 General Observations
Ceramics
1. As the result of a major programme of work in 1994 (check this date) the vast
majority of the ceramics have been cleaned, a basic inventory has been created
and reorganised into visible storage (glass fronted storage shelves).
2. Some pieces are broken, chipped or badly repaired and may be candidates for
disposal.
3. The collection is patchy and therefore could not be displayed to give a coherent
view of the development of design and manufacture. However, there is a
sufficient quality and range of material to add colour and interest to local /social
history displays.
4. Carruthers’ report points out that ‘attributions are often wrong’ and that much of
the information about the provenance and associations of an object have not
been written down ‘although the [former] Curator appears to remember them’.
53