Bradford Museums,
Galleries & Heritage
Acquisition and Disposal
Policy
2005 – 2010
Bradford Arts Heritage and Leisure
Bradford Museums, Galleries & Heritage
Acquisition and Disposal Policy 2005-2010
Contents
Page
Introduction
2
Statement of Purpose
2-3
General Policies
3-6
Collection Area
6
Enquiries
6-7
Loans
7-8
Disposals
8-9
Documentation
9 - 11
Collections Care
11 -13
Specific Collecting Priorities
13 - 32
Archives
13
Archaeology
13 - 18
Natural Sciences
Social History
18 - 22
22 - 24
Decorative Arts
24 - 25
Fine Art
25 - 27
International Art
27 – 28
Photographs
28
Oral History
28 - 29
Technology
29 - 31
Horses at Work
31 – 32
1
Education
32
Appendix
33
BRADFORD MUSEUMS, GALLERIES & HERITAGE
COLLECTIONS POLICY
2005-2010
1.0
INTRODUCTION
1.1
This statement is intended to provide a framework for
collections management and collecting within the Service.
It examines current strengths and weaknesses of the
collections and set out priorities for active and passive
collecting, documentation, storage, and conservation over
the next five years. Copies of this statement, as approved
by Bradford MDC will be deposited with the Yorkshire
Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (YMLAC) and all
museums in Yorkshire.
1.2
The Service’s Acquisition and Disposal policy will be
published and reviewed at least once every five years. The
policy will be due for review in 2010. The Museums,
Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) and the Regional
Agency (YMLAC) will be notified of any changes to the
policy, and of the implications of any such change for the
future of existing collections.
2.0
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
2.1
Bradford Museums, Galleries & Heritage’s purpose is
To enhance the quality of life of Bradford people, by
providing and enabling inspiring and challenging learning
experiences that support the delivery of the 2020 Vision
through the collection, preservation, interpretation of, and
community engagement with, relevant collections, heritage
activity and art forms.
Aims
1.
To provide Bradford with a quality Museums, Galleries &
Heritage service that promotes and enhances the cultural
life of the District.
2.
To support the delivery of the 2020 vision, Corporate Plan,
Cultural Strategy and Bradford 2008.
2
3.
To maintain, develop, research and conserve collections
held in trust for future generations by Bradford MDC.
4.
To provide a service that is visitor-orientated, accessible
and available to all through displays, activities, promotions
and new technology.
5.
To encourage participation as well as observation.
6.
To develop facilities for their social and educational value,
reflecting and building upon the cultural diversity of the
District.
7.
To manage the Service efficiently and effectively, ensuring
staff develop their full potential.
8.
To participate in the formulation and delivery of Council
policies directed at the preservation and enhancement of
the local heritage, environment and the creation of
sustainable communities.
9.
To develop partnerships at local, regional and national
level, with organisations and individuals that will aid service
delivery and income generation.
10.
To abide by the Museums Association Code of Ethics for
Museums
2.2
Bradford Museums, Galleries & Heritage Service exists to
collect, record, conserve, exhibit and interpret the human
and natural heritage of the City & District of Bradford, and
to provide access through the provision of quality services
for the public benefit. Collecting is defined as including not
only artefacts, specimens, samples, or the written record,
but also data, such as may be held in the environmental
record, photographs, films, oral recordings etc.
2.3
Bradford Museums, Galleries and Heritage aims to build a
comprehensive record of the lives of the people of the City
and District. Donations of material will be considered
within the criteria of this policy, regardless of the age, sex,
marital status, race, religion, sexual orientation, colour or
disability of the potential donor.
3
2.4
In developing the collections there is a common emphasis
on the importance of recording provenance, to place
objects and specimens in the context of their unique or
distinctive histories of production, ownership and usage.
Wherever possible the Service will seek to acquire material
with good provenance. This will be a primary consideration
in the decision to acquire material.
3.0
GENERAL POLICIES
3.1
Limitations on collecting
3.1.1 The Museum Service recognises its responsibility, in
acquiring additions to its collections, to ensure that care of
collections, documentation arrangements and use of
collections will meet the requirements of the Accreditation
Standard. It will take into account limitations on collecting
imposed by such factors as inadequate staffing, storage
and care of collection arrangements.
3.1.2 Prospective acquisitions that bear resource implications will
be reviewed by a working group of the Head of Service and
Museum Managers.
3.2
Collecting policies of other museums
3.2.1 The Museum Service will take account of the collecting
policies of other museums and other organisations
collecting in the same or related areas or subject fields. It
will consult with these organisations where conflicts of
interest may arise or to define areas of specialisms, in
order to avoid unnecessary duplication and waste of
resources.
Specific reference is made to the following museum(s):





3.3
Calderdale Museums and Galleries
Craven Museums
Harrogate Museums and Galleries
Kirklees Museums and Galleries
Leeds Museums and Galleries
Policy review procedure
3.3.1 The Acquisition and Disposal Policy will be published and
reviewed from time to time, at least once every five years.
The date when the policy is next due for review is noted
above. (1.2)
4
3.3.2 The Regional Agency will be notified of any changes to the
Acquisition and Disposal Policy, and the implications of any
such changes for the future of existing collections.
3.4
Acquisitions not covered by the policy
3.4.1 Acquisitions outside the current stated policy will only be
made in very exceptional circumstances, and then only
after proper consideration by the governing body of the
museum itself, having regard to the interests of other
museums.
3.5
Acquisition procedures
3.5.1 The Museum Service will exercise due diligence and make
every effort not to acquire, whether by purchase, gift,
bequest or exchange, any object or specimen unless the
governing body or responsible officer is satisfied that the
museum can acquire a valid title to the item in question.
3.5.2 In particular, the Museum Service will not acquire any
object or specimen unless it is satisfied that the object or
specimen has not been acquired in, or exported from, its
country of origin (or any intermediate country in which it
may have been legally owned) in violation of that country’s
laws. (For the purposes of this paragraph `country of
origin’ includes the United Kingdom).
3.5.3 In accordance with the provisions of the UNESCO 1970
Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the
Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural
Property, which the UK ratified with effect from November
1 2002, and the Dealing in Cultural Objects (Offences) Act
2003, the Museum Service will reject any items that have
been illicitly traded. The governing body will be guided by
the national guidance on the responsible acquisition of
cultural property issued by DCMS in 2005.
3.5.4 So far as biological and geological material is concerned,
the Museum Service will not acquire by any direct or
indirect means any specimen that has been collected, sold
or otherwise transferred in contravention of any national or
international wildlife protection or natural history
conservation law or treaty of the United Kingdom or any
other country, except with the express consent of an
appropriate outside authority.
3.5.5 The Museum Service will not acquire archaeological
antiquities (including excavated ceramics) in any case
where the governing body or responsible officer has any
suspicion that the circumstances of their recovery involved
a failure to follow the appropriate legal procedures, such as
5
reporting finds to the landowner or occupier of the land and
to the proper authorities in the case of possible treasure as
defined by the Treasure Act 1996 (in England, Northern
Ireland and Wales) or reporting finds through the Treasure
Trove procedure (in Scotland).
3.5.6 Any exceptions to the above clauses 3.5.1, 3.5.2, 3.5.3 or
3.5.5 will only be because the Museum Service is either:
acting as an externally approved repository of last resort
for material of local (UK) origin; or
acquiring an item of minor importance that lacks secure
ownership history but in the best judgement of experts in
the field concerned has not been illicitly traded; or
acting with the permission of authorities with the requisite
jurisdiction in the country of origin; or
in possession of reliable documentary evidence that the
item was exported from its country of origin before 1970.
In these cases the museum will be open and transparent in
the way it makes decisions and will act only with the
express consent of an appropriate outside authority.
3.6
Spoliation
3.6.1 The Museum Service will use the statement of principles
‘Spoliation of Works of Art during the Nazi, Holocaust and
World War II period’, issued for non-national museums in
1999 by the Museums and Galleries Commission.
3.7
Repatriation and Restitution
3.7.1 The Museum Service’s governing body, acting on the
advice of the museum’s professional staff, if any, may take
a decision to return human remains, objects or specimens
to a country or people of origin. The Service will take such
decisions on a case by case basis, within its legal position
and taking into account all ethical implications.
3.8
Management of archives
3.8.1 As the Museum Service holds archives, including
photographs and printed ephemera, its governing body will
be guided by the Code of Practice on Archives for Museums
and Galleries in the United Kingdom (3rd ed., 2002).
3.9
Ethics
3.9.1 The Museum Service’s governing body, Bradford MDC, has
accepted and agreed to follow the current Code of Ethics
6
issued by the Museums Association and its subsequent
amendments.
3.9.2 The Museum staff of Bradford Museums, Galleries and
Heritage accept and follow the Code of Ethics issued by the
Museums Association and its subsequent amendments.
3.9.3 Collecting shall be conducted in the spirit of Equal
Opportunities, and should reflect the age, ethnicity, gender
and sexual orientation of people living within the City and
District.
4.0
COLLECTION AREA
4.1
The Museum Service will take due account of the collecting
policies of other museums. (See 3.2.1)
4.2
The Service will normally focus its collecting to material
relevant to the City & District of Bradford. This may include
national or international material, especially in relation to
the Art and International Art collections.
4.3
It is recognised, however, that this is a modern political
boundary, which does not reflect the true historical,
cultural or ecological situation. The Service may therefore
collect material from further afield and adjoining districts
significant for the understanding and use of our own
collections. Individual examples are outlined in the
relevant sections below. The Service will inform the
relevant local museum or archive if it intends to collect
outside the District.
4.4
The Service may passively collect/accept material from
adjoining districts with no Museum Service, or whose
museums do not collect in a particular subject area, until
such time as an acceptable ‘Accredited’ Service is
established in these areas, when consideration will be
given to the de-accessioning and relocation of material.
5.0
ENQUIRIES POLICY
5.1
The Museum Service will operate an enquiry service in all
sections. It shall be the policy of the Museums Service,
where appropriate, to pass on to another relevant Museum
Service information (including illustrations and photographs
where possible) concerning material brought in as
enquiries from outside the District.
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5.2
The Service will not value works of art or specimens
brought in as enquiries, unless for purposes of acquisition
by the Service, in which case at least one independent
valuation will normally be obtained for items likely to
exceed £5,000.
5.3
The Museum Service reserves the right not to provide
written descriptions of an object where the officer
concerned has reasonable ground to believe that such a
description will be used as validation/authentication of
material in a future sale.
5.4
The Museum Service reserves the right not to identify
objects found with the use of a metal detector, especially if
a satisfactory context or find spot is not provided.
5.5
The Service reserves the right to refuse to identify or
otherwise give an opinion on any object where the officer
has reasonable cause to suspect that an object has been
stolen, illegally imported, acquired or retained in
contravention of British nature conservation, ancient
monuments, antiquities (including the Treasure Act 1996),
CITES or other legislation.
5.6
Notwithstanding §§5.3-5.5, the Service may, in confidence,
make identification of portable antiquities at the request of
the Department of Culture, Media and Sport under its
Portable Antiquities recording initiative and the District
Coroner in regards to the Treasure Act 1996. Such
identifications may be made regardless of the
circumstances of discovery, so long as information on the
find spot is forthcoming.
6.0
LOANS POLICY
Loans from the Collections
6.1
Loans from the collections shall be made with due
consideration to the following points:
6.1.1 that the material is properly insured, packed and
transported to the standards laid out in the Bradford
Museums, Galleries & Heritage loan conditions (based
on Government Indemnity standards)
6.1.2 that the officer concerned is satisfied that the use of
the loan is suitable and proper
8
6.1.3 that the Collections Development Manager is satisfied
with the environmental conditions of the receiving
institution
6.1.4 that the security of the object is satisfactory
6.1.5.
in the case of material held by the Service but
not owned or held in trust by Bradford MDC (e.g. a
loan), that the lawful owner of the material is
consulted.
Loans into the Collection
6.2
Loans will only be accepted into the collection after due
attempt has been made to acquire material by donation
and after due consideration of storage, conservation and
curation implications, including long-term costs. There is a
presumption against accepting long-term loans. There shall
normally be a specific purpose in view, e.g. display,
research. Written fixed-term agreements shall be made
with the lender.
6.3
All loans accepted into the care of the Museum Service
shall be subject to the same conditions of curatorial care as
if they were the property of Bradford Museums, Galleries
and Heritage.
6.4
Loans will only be accepted if they fall clearly within this
Collections Policy.
6.5
The Service will, where appropriate, seek to return items
on long-term loan that it cannot display or use.
Policy Statement
During the period of this policy existing loans will be
identified as far as possible through a search of
correspondence and formal documentation records. They
will be individually reviewed and renegotiated where
appropriate.
7.0
DISPOSAL PROCEDURES
7.1
By definition, the Museum Service has a long-term purpose
and should possess (or intend to acquire) permanent
collections in relation to its stated objectives. The
governing body accepts the principle that, except for sound
9
curatorial reasons, there is a strong presumption against
the disposal of any items in the museum’s collection.
7.2
The Museum Service will establish that it is legally free to
dispose of an item. Any decision to dispose of material
from the collections will be taken only after due
consideration.
7.3
When disposal of a museum object is being considered, the
Museum Service will establish if it was acquired with the aid
of an external funding organisation. In such cases, any
conditions attached to the original grant will be followed.
This may include repayment of the original grant.
7.4
Decisions to dispose of items will not be made with the
principal aim of generating funds.
7.5
Any monies received by the Museum Service’s governing
body from the disposal of items 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 will be sought from MLA.
7.6
A decision to dispose of a specimen or object, whether by
gift, exchange, sale or destruction (in the case of an item
too badly damaged or deteriorated to be of any use for the
purposes of the collections), will be the responsibility of the
governing body of the Museum Service acting on the advice
of professional curatorial staff, if any, and not of the
curator of the collection acting alone.
7.7
Once a decision to dispose of material in the collection has
been taken, priority will be given to retaining it within the
public domain, unless it is to be destroyed. It will therefore
be offered in the first instance, by gift, exchange or sale,
directly to other Accredited Museums likely to be interested
in its acquisition.
7.8
If the material is not acquired by any Accredited Museums
to which it was offered directly, then the museum
community at large will be advised of the intention to
dispose of the material, normally through an
announcement in the Museums Association’s Museums
Journal, and in other professional journals where
appropriate.
7.9
The announcement will indicate the number and nature of
specimens or objects involved, and the basis on which the
material will be transferred to another institution.
Preference will be given to expressions of interest from
other Accredited Museums. A period of at least two months
10
will be allowed for an interest in acquiring the material to
be expressed. At the end of this period, if no expressions of
interest have been received, the museum may consider
disposing of the material to other interested individuals and
organisations.
7.10 Full records will be kept of all decisions on disposals and
the items involved and proper arrangements made for the
preservation and/or transfer, as appropriate, of the
documentation relating to the items concerned, including
photographic records where practicable in accordance with
SPECTRUM Procedure on de-accession and disposal.
7.11 Areas where disposals appear desirable will be identified as
outlined in §10 to 21. Recommendations for disposal will
be carried out by a working group of the Head of Service
and Museum Managers working to the guidelines set out
above.
8.0
DOCUMENTATION
8.1
Sound documentation is vital to the running of museums.
Its essential purposes are: to establish the identity of
objects in the collection; record essential information
relating to them; to allow rapid search and retrieval
without physical handling; and as an essential aspect of
security and audit.
8.2
The Museums’ documentation will be maintained:
8.2.1 using the following numbering systems. Hard bound
SPECTRUM standard, archival quality Accession Registers
will be used to allocate the numbers and record basic
details, description and provenance/donor details.
Bradford’s MDA Code is BRFMS.
Subject Area
Fine Art
Horses at Work
Archaeology
Social History
Natural Sciences
International Art
Technology
BHRU (photographs)
Education Handling
Example Acc. No. (post
2000)
F 2002 - 031
WH 3 - 2003
A 2003 - 006
H 2001-145
NS 2000 - 154
DA 2001- 004
T 2001-124
BHRU 200
E 2002 –076 (not part of the
main collections)
11
8.2.2
on an in-house local computer network, employing a
purpose-built relational database. Currently MODES is
used, and there are in excess of 200,000 recorded items
on the database.
8.2.3 on existing card indexes until in practice these are found to
be redundant. No new record or amendment will be added
to old card indexes once their contents have been
computerised. Print outs from computerised records may
be used to update card indexes if considered appropriate.
8.2.4 for donations, on a copy of the MDA Entry Form. Related
correspondence will be kept in a history file for the object.
8.2.5 in history files where there is sufficient extrinsic
information on an object to warrant them. See also 8.2.4.
8.3
All items in the Museum Service’s care should be entered
into the documentation system except:

loans and enquiries

text, graphics, and photographic materials generated
within the service since c 1960

the working library

educational (e.g. handling) material

bulk finds in excavation archives

special finds in excavation archives whose final
destination is undecided. Such finds will normally
possess a separate site designation.
8.4
New acquisitions will be entered into the documentation
system as soon as possible.
8.5
Natural Sciences and Biological material (e.g. road
casualties) will be entered into a bound Day Book to meet
statutory requirements and to record their acquisition and
provenance until they are either prepared and accessioned
or destroyed.
8.6
Backlog will generally be added to the database in subject
groups, taking a view of the importance of the material and
other factors such as the availability of volunteer staff.
12
8.7
No object in the collections should be displayed, lent,
conserved or photographed, until it has been fully
accessioned
8.8
A history file will be maintained for objects that justify one
8.9
Conservation records need to be copied to and maintained
as electronic files by 2008. Social History records are on
MODES.
8.10 Digital storage and access for the photographic records and
collections will be investigated early in the term of this
policy, with due regard to copyright, both for internal
management and with a view to the establishment of one
or public access modules.
9.0
COLLECTIONS CARE
9.1
Long-term preservation of the collections requires a
suitable and stable environment in stores and displays,
archival quality storage and display materials, proper
storage equipment, and good handling, loan, and security
procedures.
9.2
The Museum Environment
9.2.1 The Collections Development Section will maintain a
constant record of the temperature and relative humidity of
all museum displays and stores. Regular spot checks will
be carried out on visible light and UV levels, and insect
traps will be maintained in strategic areas of each building.
The source of particulate and other pollution will be
investigated on an ad hoc basis. Where conditions are
unsatisfactory for the type of material being displayed or
stored, or where improvements are identifiable, the
Collections Development Manager will report the matter to
the relevant Museum Manager or Head of Service for
action.
9.2.2 Electronic data logging should replace analogue
thermohygrographs in all Museums and stores during the
term of this plan.
9.3
Storage equipment and materials
9.3.1 Some areas of the core collections are unsatisfactorily
stored, often because storage materials bought in the past
13
have come to the end of their life, or were obtained at a
time when their long-term behaviour was not appreciated.
They may now pose a threat to the collections they were
intended to preserve.
9.3.2 The Collections Development Section or a consultant
conservator in the case of special groups of material, will
identify areas for improvement and the optimum use of
storage space, and report to the relevant Museum Manager
or Head of Service for action. Improvement in these areas
should be regarded as a permanent aspect of the Museum
Service’s work.
9.3.3 Materials and furniture used in the museums should
normally be of the quality used in the National Museums
and Galleries; compromises are a false economy.
Opportunities should be taken to replace display structures
containing sensitive materials with low-formalin MDF or
other materials.
9.3.4 Improvements in storage invariably require extra space,
often radically so, but extra buildings are unlikely to
become available in the term of this policy. The Service
will constantly review the collections held to ensure that
resources available meet the needs of the collections. This
process will include the rationalisation of collections in line
with the Disposal policy.
‘Disposal’ in this context
includes such mechanisms as transfer, and will be
considered as set out in §§ 7.1-.8 above.
9.4
Preventative conservation
9.4.1 In addition to monitoring the Museum environment and
storage/display conditions, the Collections Development
Manager will view all prospective acquisitions, and may
recommend refusal on conservation grounds, or carry out
preventative treatments against infestation or corrosion.
9.5
Active conservation
9.5.1
The rolling programme of active conservation will be
maintained, based on plans produced by the Collections
Development Manager or a consultant conservator. Plans
should identify priorities for active conservation of
individual items or groups of material, on the basis of the
threat posed to the objects, and their importance. Such
plans will be drawn up with consultation with relevant
curatorial staff.
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9.5.2
In addition, ad hoc active conservation or biological
preparation will be undertaken to prepare objects for
display purposes, and on material submitted by other
museum authorities.
9.6
Handling and transport
9.6.1 Objects should be handled as little as possible. It is
recognised that working exhibits have to be handled in
order to operate.
9.6.2 Cotton or latex gloves will be used to handle
bright/polished metal, paper, textiles, mounted works of
art and all sensitive material. Otherwise they are used at
the Officers’ discretion.
9.6.3 Wherever possible, objects should be lifted and moved in
padded containers (trays, baskets, trolleys, etc), rather
than lifted directly.
9.6.4 Packing for transport, and transport itself, should be
undertaken with the advice of the Collections Development
Section, and preferably carried out or supervised by staff
who have attended a short course in handling, heavy
handling and packaging.
9.7
Disaster plans
9.7.1 Disaster Plans will be prepared early in the course of this
Policy to identify the risks associated with each of the
buildings, and the procedures to be used in each case.
9.7.2 Further risks posed by buildings (for example from
overhead pipework) will be reviewed from time to time by
the Collections Development Section, and reported to the
relevant Museum Manager for action.
SPECIFIC COLLECTING PRIORITIES
10.0 ARCHIVE MATERIALS
10.1 The bulk of Bradford MDCs archives are held within the
West Yorkshire Archives. Where there is doubt on the
proper home of a paper document, the Collections
Development Manager will liaise with the County Record
Office.
15
Policy Statements
10.3 The Service will only collect archive material if it is directly
related to collections it already holds or which it is in the
process of acquiring.
10.4 Any company or personal archives that are offered to the
Service should be directed to the County Record Office.
11.0 ARCHAEOLOGY
11.1 Introduction
11.1.1
The Museum Service’s archaeological material is
largely housed at the Manor House Museum.
11.1.2
The Museum Service does not operate an Excavation
Field Unit. Archaeological investigations carried out as a
result of planning conditions imposed under PPG 16 are
undertaken by independent archaeological contractors.
Where such work takes place within the district of Bradford
the Museum Service will seek to acquire the resulting
excavation archive. There are 6 small excavation archives
yet to be deposited with the Museum Service by external
archaeological contractors.
Policy Statement
11.1.3
With regard to British or foreign archaeological
antiquities (including excavated ceramics) the Museum
Service will adhere to the policy laid out in 3.5.5 of this
document.
11.2 Excavation archives
11.2.1
As part of its responsibility to comply with the
Standards in the Museum Care of Archaeological Collections
1992, Bradford Art Galleries & Museums is required, in
respect of excavation archives, to ‘...acquire the right to
research, study, display, publish and provide access to all
the information and finds contained in the archive...’.
11.2.2
Bradford Museums, Galleries & Heritage is also
required to follow all other related standards governing the
storage and long-term curation of archaeological material.
Of particular importance are those relating to the
conservation requirements of what are highly complex
assemblages of documentary and material evidence.
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11.2.3
Bradford Museums, Galleries &
Heritage will only accept excavation archives that relate to
sites within the Bradford Metropolitan District Council area.
Where sites or other forms of archaeological investigation
include areas beyond its boundaries, an excavation archive
will only be accepted in consultation with all other relevant
museum services.
11.2.4
An excavation archive is taken to include all
documentary and material evidence accumulated as a
result of any systematic archaeological investigation of
below ground features. This includes watching briefs and all
other forms of ground disturbance, including those not
conducted under archaeological controlled conditions.
Where they have been carried out in anticipation of future
ground disturbance, the results of all aerial, topographical
and remote-sensing surveys will also be treated as an
excavation archive.
11.2.5
There is a strong presumption against the
preservation of bulk finds (such as ceramics and animal
bone), especially from unstratified contexts, and in
particular following specialist reports. Such material must
be subjected to an agreed retention and disposal procedure
before any excavation archive can be accepted.
11.2.6
All elements of an excavation archive, including
materials used during the process of excavation, must be
assessed in terms of their suitability for long-term storage.
Future conservation requirements must be kept to a
minimum and the inclusion of any material that is not
stable must be considered as an exception. All storage
materials, paper, film, and processes of reproduction must
be selected on the basis of their archival quality. The
storage and packaging of material should also be carried
out in accordance with their conservation requirements.
11.2.7
Where it is anticipated that additional analysis of
unstable materials or samples may be undertaken as part
of some wider study, some provision can be made to
accept it on a temporary basis. This would be for a fixed
period only, after which all unprocessed material will be
discarded.
11.2.8
All those depositing an excavation archive must
possess the legal authority to sign all museum entry forms
covering the transfer of title and the assignment of
17
copyright, both in perpetuity.
11.2.9
Where any work associated with the production of an
excavation archive has been sub-contracted or
commissioned from specialists, copies of all written
agreements relating to title and copyright issues should be
included as part of the archive.
11.2.10
Bradford Museums, Galleries & Heritage will normally
seek the assignment of copyright ownership over all
documentary, illustrative and photographic material, but
this may also be dealt with under the terms of a license.
11.2.11
Where appropriate, temporary restrictions may be
placed on the use of all or part of an excavation archive.
This will be for a fixed period only, after which, all issues of
access and use will be subject only to the curatorial and
professional responsibilities of Bradford Museums, Galleries
& Heritage.
11.2.12
The absence of any material that could reasonably be
expected to form part of the excavation archive should be
fully documented. This should include the reason for its
absence and all relevant details relating to its location at
the time of deposition.
11.2.13
Following consultation with the West Yorkshire
Archaeological Advisory Service, and other archaeological
agencies and repositories in the County, the Museum
Service will from time to time issue guidance on the
expected standard of preparation for material to be
deposited with it. This will emphasise:
1) that Bradford MDC reserves the right to refuse all or
part of the archive that has not been prepared to an
agreed standard
2) that Bradford MDC will request a once-for-all payment
to reflect the long term allocation of human and
material resources; to be calculated on current rates
approved by English Heritage and in accordance with
the size and structure of each archive
11.2.14
Bradford Museums, Galleries and Heritage reserves
the right, under the terms of Home Office Exhumation
Licences, to store, study, and display human skeletal
material from archaeological contexts within its collecting
area. In the great majority of cases excavation will have
18
been saved this material from damage and uncontrolled
dispersal in the course of development. Normally material
will be held in store until it can conveniently be studied;
subsequently it will be reburied with appropriate rites.
Samples may be retained for display or if they have strong
pathological significance.
11.3. Prehistoric ( Palaeolithic – Iron Age )
11.3.1
On those areas of Rombalds Moor, and other portions
of upland, that lie within the Bradford district a remarkable
range of prehistoric field monuments can still be found, in
particular carved rocks, which are of national importance.
Such survivals of prehistoric activity are supported by the
recovery of considerable quantities of artefactual evidence.
Accumulated by numerous collectors over a period of more
than a 100 years the collection contains in excess of 9,000
lithic, mostly flint, artefacts. Collectively they help to
identify the nature and extent of prehistoric settlement and
activity.
Policy Statements
11.3.2
Apart from the continued collection of all ‘stray’ finds,
every opportunity should be taken to acquire collections of
prehistoric material held in private hands, especially those
with well documented locational details.
11.3.3
Where possible field and survey work should be
undertaken to collect data to better understand the context
from which such material has been recovered.
11.4 Roman
11.4.1
The greatest proportion of Roman material held in
the collections relates to the Roman Fort of Olicana and the
associated civilian settlement, or vicus.
11.4.2
With exception of only two short breaks the Roman
fort remained garrisoned throughout the Roman period
indicating that the native Romano-British continued to pose
a threat and resisted the Roman way of life.
Policy Statement
11.4.3
The passive collection of all casual finds and
acquisition of excavation archives from throughout the
district should continue. Where possible active fieldwork
19
should also be undertaken to identify sites and provide new
data to better understand the nature of indigenous RomanBritish activity in the area.
11.5 Post-Roman
11.5.1
Within the Bradford area there is very little tangible
evidence of Post Roman activity, most comes from placename evidence. Such an absence of physical evidence is
also reflected in the collections.
Policy Statement
11.5.2
All finds of the period should be pursued, whether by
‘passive’ collection of stray finds, the acquisition of
excavation archives, or by active fieldwork.
11.6 Medieval
11.6.1
Detailed knowledge of medieval activity is derived
principally from documentary sources supported by traces
of early field systems and structures. The collection
contains large quantities of pottery recovered from kiln
sites but other artefacts are poorly represented.
Policy Statement
11.6.2
All finds of the period should be pursued, whether by
‘passive’ collection of stray finds, the acquisition of
excavation archives, or by active fieldwork.
11.7 Post-Medieval - Industrial
11.7.1
The development of industrial activity within the
district has had a major impact on the development and
visual appearance of the historic environment. Most
evidence of the early industrial activity associated with the
development of Bradford has been destroyed by later
redevelopment but there is considerable potential for below
ground level survival. For such a crucial period in
Bradford's development it is poorly represented within the
archaeology collections.
11.7.2
All finds of the period should be pursued, whether by
‘passive’ collection of stray finds, the acquisition of
excavation archives, or by active fieldwork.
20
11.8 Historical archives
Policy Statements
11.8.1
The Service will collect archival material, such as
photographs, relating to past campaigns of excavation or
which record activities that result in the physically changing
the appearance of the historic environment.
11.8.2
The Service will collect and correlate data that will
help to provide an interpretative understanding of the
historic environment from which artefacts in the collections
have been recovered.
11.9 Non-British Material (CLOSED COLLECTION)
11.9.1
A wide range of non-British artefacts have entered
the archaeology collection, principally through the
acquisition of private collections accumulated by early local
historians and antiquarians. While not directly relevant to
the archaeology of the district, they provide an insight into
the interests and influences of those early historians
involved in the recording and interpretation of the districts
archaeology.
11.9.2
Through an extended period of subscription to the
Egyptian Exploration Fund, the former Keighley Museum
accumulated a small but important assemblage of Egyptian
artefacts. Additional artefacts were acquired through
donations, including the mummified remains of a female.
Policy Statement
11.9.3
No more non-British material will be collected,
unless, exceptionally, comparative material is needed for
the Roman collections, or to enhance the educational
potential of the Egyptian collection. Existing objects will be
retained, however, as they relate directly to the activities
of past inhabitants of Bradford.
11.10 Human remains
11.10.1
Bradford Museums, Galleries and Heritage reserves
the right, under the terms of Home Office Exhumation
Licences, to store, study, and display human skeletal
material from archaeological contexts within its collecting
area. In the great majority of cases excavation will have
been saved this material from damage and uncontrolled
dispersal in the course of development. Normally material
21
will be held in store until it can conveniently be studied;
subsequently it will be reburied with appropriate rites.
Samples may be retained for display or if they have strong
pathological significance.
11.10.2 A sensitive approach to the collection and display of
human remains will be maintained and current best
practice in the archaeological and museum professions
closely observed.
12.0 NATURAL SCIENCES
12.1 Introduction
12.1.1
The Service’s Natural Sciences base has been at
Cliffe Castle since 1974 when the 19th and early 20th
century collections of geology and natural history from the
three former Boroughs museums of Ilkley, Keighley and
Bradford were amalgamated. Cliffe Castle houses the
District’s displays of local geology and natural history and
minerals. Most of the British reference collections are
also housed there. There are at least 21,850 items
documented as individual items or as single collections.
12.1.2 The collections are the result of over two centuries of
amateur collecting and are strongly regional but also
include British and some foreign material. Some collectors
such as Dr A Lees were nationally known. Older, amateur
collections are now an important resource for academic
researchers, artists and local visitors to see and use,
providing information on local species and their rise and
decline. Modern collections are made by professionals and
less likely to be offered. There is academic support for the
national importance of sections of the collections, namely
entomology and botany (which includes published scientific
voucher and extinct material) and geology (which includes
published and type material and inclusion in published work
illustrating the history of science.)
12.1.3
Collecting, including records and relevant archives, is
generally passive and concentrates on the local area and
filling collection gaps. Occasionally important relevant
collections become available or are offered. In the last
twenty years grants have enabled the purchase of the
Hinchliffe mineral collection (on display), the Haxby
lepidoptera and the Sledge herbarium. Most material,
especially biological items, require preparation processes to
prevent deterioration and makes specimens usable.
22
12.1.4
There is a long-term botanical loan from another
Service. This is the Wakefield Herbarium, placed on loan,
as the Wakefield service had no expertise in this area.
Policy Statements
12.1.5
Active collecting of reference material of plants and
animals and rocks and fossils occurring within the Bradford
district. Reference collections require more than one
specimen to record species and seasonal variations.
Nevertheless quantities are small in number)
121.6 Collecting of display specimens where appropriate.
12.1.7
Examples of species that occur, or occurred, in the
area and are not represented in the collections may be
acquired, even if not local specimens, although there is a
strong presumption to collect material with a local
provenance.
12.1.8
Non-local material that does not occur in the region
will only be collected in limited amounts for comparative
purposes.
12.1.9
In addition, efforts should be directed towards:
1)
the preservation and where appropriate the
enhancement of existing habitats and geological
exposures.
2)
education to help the appreciation and enjoyment of
the natural history and geology of the District.
3)
acting as a local biological records centre.
4)
collecting from and recording threatened habitats and
geological exposures
5)
recording local biological and geological features of
special importance, and collecting from them where
appropriate.
6)
passive collection of rare or unusual material unlikely
to be otherwise obtainable.
12.2 Vertebrates
23
12.2.1
The current vertebrate collection consists of consists
of cased mounts, mounted birds and animals, study skins
and skeleton reference collections. There are bird’s eggs
reference collections. Foreign material is not great but is
significant in including mounts of extinct and endangered
specimens of birds, marsupial and primate mammals,
reptiles and a collection of tropical game heads. British
vertebrates are represented by several thousand mounts of
birds and animals and also reptiles, amphibians and fish.
This area of local collecting is continuing.
Policy Statements
12.2.2 Collection of material will continue through passive
collecting, and limited active collecting. Most specimens are
brought in by the public as dead casualties, and later
prepared by the taxidermist/preparator for
display/handling and for the reference collections.
12.2.3
Study skins of birds and animals are prepared and
mounted material is created as the need arises for
display/handling of locally occurring species. Skeletal
material is still being prepared for reference and some is
prepared from local owl pellets. Local fish are cast and
amphibians have been freeze-dried or cast.
12.2.4
Birds eggs and nests: The data with these
collections goes back to the mid 19th century and reflects
the change in local species. Legislation of the last 50 years
discourages display. Collecting is passive and 1981
legislation made it illegal for anyone unlicensed to now own
a collection without documentary proof of its age. The
museum turns down offers each year largely because there
is no data to make them of value.
12.3 Invertebrates
12.3.1
The current collections consist of entomology (e.g.
butterflies and moths, bees and wasps, dragonflies, fleas,
beetles, fly groups); molluscs (Local British and foreign;
aquatic and terrestrial) other invertebrates (such as
crustaceans, sponges, corals and echinoderms.) The
Hymenoptera (bees and wasps) collection is considered
nationally important with a large percentage of
extinct/endangered British species. The flea reference
collection has been made in the last 30 years in response
to environmental health enquiries/identifications.
24
Policy Statement
12.3.2
Collection of material will continue through passive
collecting, with occasional individual species added to the
reference collections. The important Haxby lepidoptera
collection, purchased with grant in 1979, reflects one of the
few occasions when relevant amateur collections by a local
person can be acquired.
12.4 Botany
12.4.1
The current collection consists of the large and
important herbarium of the nationally known local botanist
Dr A Lees and related herbariums of other individuals such
as that of Dr Sledge who continued Lees’ work to the mid
20th century. Whilst strongly regional such botanists also
collected from other areas when on holiday. The Hebden
lichen collection is also considered nationally important.
Specimens from these appear in published scientific
papers. There are also botanical collections of seeds and
fruits, commercial plants, plant products and plant galls.
Policy Statement
12.4.2
Collection of material will continue through passive
collecting. The purchase of the important Sledge herbarium
in 1982 reflects one of the few occasions when important
relevant collections by a local person are acquired and
which enhance the existing collections. Additions are
possible in the future.
12.5 Earth Sciences
12.5.1
The petrology, mineralogy and palaeontology
collections comprise comprehensive collections of British
fossils from Cambrian to Recent times. There are a few
holotypes including the fossil amphibian Pholiderpeton
taken from a local coal pit in 1868. Petrology and
mineralogy collections include British and worldwide
material such as in the Hinchliffe display collection
purchased in 1985, and in the significant 18th century
collection of Rev. Joseph Dawson, the co-founder of Low
Moor Ironworks in Bradford.
Policy Statement
12.5.2
Collection of material will continue through passive
collecting from the local area.
25
12.5.3
A significant gap is the lack of dinosaur material.
(Yorkshire has the world’s major outcrop of Middle Jurassic
rocks capable of producing significant dinosaur evidence).
12.6 Legislation
12.6.1
So far as biological and geological material is
concerned the Museum Service will act in accordance with
legislation as laid out in 3.5.4 of this document.
12.7 The following areas of the collections are CLOSED and no
further collecting will take place:
1)
Bird’s Eggs (collected after 1981, unless with official
permission)
2)
Protected wild plants (collected after 1981, unless
with official permission)
3)
Foreign material covered by CITES legislation
13.0 SOCIAL AND LOCAL HISTORY
13.1 Introduction
13.1.1
The Museum Service’s social history section is based
at Bolling Hall with outlying stores at Shipley and Bradford
Industrial Museum. It has material displayed at all the
sites within the Service. The social history section is
responsible for both social and local history as well as
decorative arts.
13.1.2
Much past collecting has been of a passive nature,
and the current collections reflect a distorted picture of the
City’s material culture, being biased towards the late 19th
and early 20th centuries. Much of the material relates to
Middle Class life, as most Working Class material has not
survived. This is especially true of the Costume collection,
which also has a female gender bias. Many objects were
collected without adequate provenance.
Policy Statements
13.2.1
The Service’s view of the District’s local history shall
include social history in the broadest sense. It will record
the history of the urban and rural environments, local
agriculture, politics and the experiences of work, leisure,
26
home and personal life. It should represent the diversity of
cultures that exist or have existed within the district.
13.2.2
Collection over such a wide field could easily
overwhelm the Service’s existing resources. The emphasis
in collecting for twentieth century and contemporary
subjects should be a combination of focussed collecting
projects and periodic sampling in agreed areas of interest.
Such projects should be linked to the work of the Bradford
heritage Recording Unit. (BHRU) Mass-produced twentieth
century three-dimensional objects shall be collected, but
with caution, and with special attention to the quality of
local provenance. The Service will take every opportunity
to encourage co-operative collecting with other Yorkshire
museums and, archives, in order to reduce unnecessary
duplication of social and local history holdings.
13.2.3
Where not part of discrete collections, material from
areas outside the District will be transferred to the relevant
registered Museum. Where this is not possible, such
material will be held ‘in trust’.
13.2.4
New items will be added to the collections only where
a local provenance can be established. This shall relate to
the domestic, rural and industrial environment of the
District and shall be interpreted in its widest sense.
Collection of non-local material will only be made where
outlined below to fill gaps in existing significant collections
or for use in teaching. ‘Duplicates’ will only be collected for
teaching or other purposes where long-term preservation is
not an important consideration. The permission of donors
will be sought for such use, normally at the time of
acquisition.
13.2.5
The following areas of the collections are CLOSED
and no further collecting will take place:
1)
Non-local firemarms
2)
Non-local sewing machines pre 1940
13.3 Community Life
13.3.1
The collections are mainly the result of passive
collecting and represent local organisations and
institutions, including the development of local government
and education. There is good material relating to pre and
early industrial customs and belief. There is also material
27
illustrating local sports and entertainments. The latter part
of the 20th century is less well represented than the first.
Policy Statement
13.3.2
Collection of material will continue through passive
collecting.
13.3.3
Active collecting of Community life material (as
defined by SHIC) will continue, with a particular emphasis
on the late 20th century.
13.4 Domestic and Family Life
13.4.1
The collections are partly the result of both active
and passive collecting. The collection is strong in 17th, 18th
and 19th century domestic objects and furniture, collected
from Country House sales in the 1920s to furnish Bolling
Hall. The provenance of these objects is poor however. The
collection is weaker post 1945, although some later 20th
century material was collected for the Back-to-Back houses
in the late 1980s.
Policy Statement
13.4.2
Collection of material will continue through passive
collecting.
13.4.3
Active collecting of Domestic material (as defined by
SHIC) will be focussed in the following areas.
1)
Post 1945 domestic material with particular Bradford
provenance.
2)
Post 1945 domestic material relating to Bradford’s
minority communities.
13.5 Personal Life (inc. Costume)
13.5.1
The collections here are strong, especially the
Costume collections. They are weaker in relation to post
1945 material and display a strong bias towards middle
class female clothing, partly as they have survived better.
Policy Statement
13.6.2
Post 1945 Personal life material (as defined by SHIC)
with a local association shall be actively collected. Costume
28
shall be collected to provide a broad reflection of social
classes of the district.
13.6.3
Collecting projects should focus upon
1)
Youth fashion and sub-cultures within the District
2)
Post 1945 clothing and fabrics made within the
District
3)
Post 1945 boys and menswear
13.6.4
Collection of material will continue through passive
collecting, although there will be a strong presumption
against collecting 19th and 20th century material unless it
has exceptional local provenance.
14.0 DECORATIVE ARTS
14.1 In both ceramics and glass the Museum holds small, but
representative collections of general interest. Its strongest
areas are Yorkshire Country Pottery and Victorian Ceramics
collected to display at Cliffe Castle. There is also an
excellent collection of stained glass including major secular
and religious works from the Morris workshop.
Policy Statement
14.2 Material with a strong local association, including that
made after 1945, shall be actively collected. This should
reflect a cross section of material available at all periods.
14.3 Material that relates to the interiors of Cliffe Castle, Bolling
Hall and Cartwright Hall should be actively collected.
14.4 Nineteenth and Twentieth century furniture will be
collected where appropriate, especially that of the Bradford
company Christopher Pratt.
14.5 Stained glass with local provenance will be actively
collected, especially Arts and Craft movement/Morris and
Co.
14.6 Contemporary craft work by local and national makers will
be actively collected.
15.0 FINE ART
29
15.1. Oils
15.1.1
The Service holds a large collection of 18th/19th/20th
century oils by British and French artists and a small
collection of Old Master oils by French/Italian/Netherlandish
artists. It includes works by Romney, Gainsborough,
Reynolds, Ford Madox Brown, La Thangue, Clausen, Long,
Atkinson Grimshaw, Lowry, Spencer, Roberts and Hockney.
Policy Statement
15.1.2
The Service will passively collect works relating to
these existing works or by artists not represented in the
collection
15.1.3
The Service will work to actively acquire
1)
works by 19th century artists not represented in the
present collection e.g. Alma-Tadema, JF Lewis, Lord
Leighton, Poynter, Solomon, and Goodall etc.
2)
Works by Yorkshire artists past and present, with a
particular emphasis on artists born in or associated
with Bradford.
15.2 Watercolours and drawings
15.2.1
The Collection mainly consists of 18th/19th/20th
century watercolours and drawings by British and French
artists, of which the most important are a number of
drawings by artists who had been involved with the PreRaphaelite Brotherhood, many of these drawings have a
local provenance. Many of the drawings were acquired in
the 1920s and 30s when there was a policy of collecting
drawings by British artists.
Policy Statement
15.2.2
The Service will passively collect works relating to
these existing works or by artists not represented.
15.2.3
The Service will work to actively acquire
1)
David Hockney
2)
Works by British 19th century artists e.g. Rossetti,
Burne-Jones, Leighton.
30
3)
Works by Yorkshire artists past and present, with a
particular emphasis on artists born in or associated
with Bradford.
15.3 Prints
15.3.1
The Service holds an extensive collection of 20th
century prints by artists from all over the world relating to
the Bradford International Print Biennale 1968-1990.
Policy Statement
15.3.2
The Service will passively collect works relating to
these existing works or by artists not represented.
15.3.3
The Service will work to actively acquire
1)
Prints by British artists especially those not
represented in the collection as it stands
2)
David Hockney
3)
Works by Yorkshire artists past and present, with a
particular emphasis on artists born in or associated
with Bradford.
15.4 Sculpture
15.4.1
The collection has a small but significant collection of
18th/19th/20th century sculpture by British and French
artists, of which the most important are a group of 20th
century pieces by British sculptors.
Policy Statement
15.3.4
The Service will passively collect works relating to
these existing works or by artists not represented.
15.4.2
The Service will work to actively acquire
1)
Small works by Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth.
(this will be limited due to the existing commitments
in Leeds and Wakefield)
2)
Works by Yorkshire artists past and present, with a
particular emphasis on artists born in or associated
with Bradford.
31
15.5 Digital/New Media
15.5.1
The Service holds virtually nothing in this area,
despite the amount of work being produced in this medium
and the fact that Cartwright Hall has exhibited this type of
work.
Policy Statement
15.5.2
The Service will work to actively acquire works by UK
and international artists, with a particular emphasis on
artists born or associated with Bradford. (including the
means of their public display)
16.0 INTERNATIONAL ART (TRANS-CULTURAL
COLLECTIONS)
16.1 The International Art Collections have developed by a
programme of active collecting from the mid 1980s and
now represent one of the largest and most important
collections of South Asian material outside London. Material
has been sourced through salerooms, fieldwork in India
and Pakistan and contacts with artists. The key areas are
contemporary fine arts and crafts, Calligraphy from the
Muslim world, Gold and Silver, Garments and Textiles. Due
to export control in the sub-continent, much of the material
is 20th century in date. The Service has also collected work
by British Asian artists.
Policy Statements
16.2 The Service will continue to passively collect in this area.
16.3 The Service will work to actively acquire works by
1)
British and South Asian based artists and makers
working in traditional and new media.
2)
British artists and makers (of heritage other to South
Asia) whose work has been influenced by or
incorporates a South Asian theme or one that
explores issues of culture, identity and heritage
within the context of contemporary Britain.
3)
Purchasing and commissioning decorative arts from
the Indo-Pakistan sub-continent to record rural arts
and crafts practices past and present, in order to
record both continuity and change.
32
4)
Collecting 20th century Indian silver (from Gujarat
and Rajastan) and textile and garments from India
and Pakistan, adding to the existing material that
includes Mochi, Phulkari embroideries and those from
Kutch, Gujarat, Swat and Sindhi traditions.
16.4 Works by British Asian artists will be accessioned and
stored as part of the Fine Art collections.
17.0 PHOTOGRAPHS
17.1 The collection includes photographic material relating to
almost all of its areas of collecting. Many photographs form
parts of supporting archives or History Files and do not
need to be accessioned. If a photograph or collection of
photographs is seen as historically significant then they
should be entered into the permanent collection.
Policy Statement
17.2 Photographic material relating to the District, in particular
early material, will be actively collected.
17.3 Photographs will be collected by all departments and may
be catalogued using the collection groupings outlined in
8.2.1.
17.4 Film
17.3.1
The Museum Service has very limited collections of
moving image material, and no comprehensive list of such
material depicting or made in Bradford, whether in private
or public ownership.
Policy Statements
17.3.2
Research will be to identify films depicting, made in
and otherwise related to Bradford district, and copies made
where feasible.
17.3.3
Original film stock will be transferred to the Yorkshire
Film Archive, and video copies obtained for the Museum
Service’s use, and will be incorporated into the holdings of
Bradford Heritage Recording Unit.
18.0 BRADFORD HERITAGE RECORDING UNIT - Twentieth
Century Collecting and Contemporary Recording
33
18.1 Since its inception in 198I the BHRU has developed
extensive collections of oral testimony and a photographic
record. The acquisition of the Belle Vue Studio secured an
important record of the early South Asian population in the
City. Further focussed projects have led to this becoming a
regionally significant archive.
Policy Statements
18.2 The retrospective collection of twentieth century life in the
district is a Service priority, while it remains a living
memory. The selective recording of contemporary life
should be designed obviate the need for major
retrospective collecting campaigns in the future.
18.3 BHRU will continue to collect and document both the
twentieth century and contemporary life of the City and
District. An integrated approach is favoured, combining
material evidence with sound, video, photographic and
other forms of record.
19.0 TECHNOLOGY
19.1 Introduction
19.1.1
The Technology Collections have been built up
through a combination of active and passive collecting. The
Bradford Industrial Museum opened in 1974 and the bulk
of the collections are displayed there. Reserve collections
are stored both on and off- site. The Service has on
occasions been called on to clear workspaces prior to
closure and demolition. This has resulted in the collection
of some material that is now surplus to current
requirements. A programme of structured disposal (along
Museums Association guidelines) has been pursued over
the last 10 years.
19.1.2
The collection is particularly strong in relation to the
Worsted textile industry, car and motorbike manufacturing,
(Jowett and Scott) public transport, printing and local
engineering.
19.2 Textile Machinery
19.2.1
This represents the largest area of the collections
(around 70%) and covers the main processes of textile
manufacturing, including combing, spinning, warping,
weaving and finishing. Equipment relating to testing and
34
warehousing are also represented. The collections
represent locally made and used material from the 18th to
the 20th centuries.
19.2.2
There are also considerable archives of service
manuals and sample books. Prominent local firms such as
Listers, Salts, Garnetts , Illingworths and W & J Whiteheads
are well represented.
Policy Statements
19.2.3
The Service will only collect Textile Machinery which
has a strong local provenance from within the City and
District. There is a strong presumption against collecting
19th and early 20th century material that is already
represented.
19.2.4
The following areas of the collection are CLOSED and
no future collecting will take place:
1)
Silk manufacturing machinery and related material
2)
Hemp manufacturing machinery and related material
3)
Synthetic manufacturing machinery and related
material
4)
Flax manufacturing machinery and related material
19.3 Transport Engineering
19.3.1
The Bradford company of Jowett was once a major
UK manufacturer and the collection is one of the most
comprehensive in the country. It ranges from a light car of
1912 to a Jupiter of 1953. There also large holdings of
manuals and blueprints.
19.3.2
Scotts was another famous Bradford company and
the collection includes the Scott 3 ¾ H.P, and the Scott
Squirrel. There are also holdings of manuals and
blueprints.
19.3.3
There are also examples of locally made bicycles and
locally used public transport vehicles, including a tram and
trolley bus.
Policy Statement
35
19.3.4
Significant Transport Engineering material, such as
Scott and Jowett will continue to be collected.
19.4 Industrial Prime Movers
19.4.1
The collection has examples of horse, steam, gas,
water and oil engines, including the local vertical steam
engine by Thwaites Brothers of Bradford.
Policy Statement
19.4.2
This area of the collection is CLOSED. Only truly
exceptional items of local manufacture will be considered in
the future.
19.5 Printing
19.5.1
The local printing industry is represented, with an
emphasis on local makers. It covers the period c. 1853 to
1970. The machinery is supported by collections of type
and printing blocks, notably those of W.E. Berry of Shipley.
Policy Statement
19.5.2
This area of the collection is CLOSED. Only truly
exceptional items of local manufacture will be considered in
the future.
19.6. Other Working Life
19.6.1
The collections also has other areas of Working Life
(as defined by SHIC), with material relating to engineering,
office work, electrical and consumer goods.
Policy Statements
19.6.2
The Service will actively collect Working Life material
in the following areas:
1)
Office Equipment post 1900.
2)
Commercial photographic equipment
3)
Radios and Televisions (20th century, especially post
1945)
36
4)
Models relating to local machinery and vehicles
5)
Trades and Professions within the City and District,
especially retail and service industries
6)
Books and technical journals relevant to the
Collections
19.6.3
The following areas of the collection are CLOSED and
no future collecting will take place:
1)
Medical equipment
2)
Pure Science
3)
Agricultural machinery
19.6.4
Because of the large size of some machinery, and the
limitations on storage and display space there is a strong
presumption that photographic and oral testimony will be
the most appropriate means of recording industrial and
working practices.
20.0 HORSES AT WORK
20.1 The Collections have been built up through a combination
of active and passive collecting. It concentrates on the
equipment used by urban working horses in the late 19th
and early 20th centuries. Much of this material was
collected when the original Horses at Work museum was
based in Halifax, and not all of it is local to the Bradford
area.
20.2 There is also non-accessioned material that is operational,
and this should not be entered into the collection whilst in
use.
Policy Statements
20.3 The Service will passively collect material relating to the
urban working horse, especially that which has a strong
local provenance from within the City and District.
20.4 The Service will actively collect material in the following
areas:
1)
Photographs of working urban horses.
37
2)
Oral testimony related to the history of the urban
working horse. (In association with BHRU)
20.5 Because of the large size of some vehicles, and the
limitations on storage and display space there is a strong
presumption that photographic and oral testimony will be
the most appropriate means of recording some working
practices.
21.0 EDUCATION COLLECTION
21.1 The Museums Service recognises the public demand for,
and educational potential of, objects that can be freely
handled and examined in the museum or in schools loans
boxes. The reserve collections cover most periods outlined
in the History National Curriculum and can be used as
recommended elements in English, Geography, etc.
21.2 The Service used to operate a School Loans Service, which
is now run by Education Bradford and stored at Future
House. A full inventory is housed at Cartwright Hall. This
collection consists of accessioned and secondary material.
Some has been returned to the Museum. Education
Bradford will review the efficacy of this service and there is
a possibility of it returning to the Service en masse.
Policy Statement
21.3 Handling and other education material is appropriate within
most areas of the Museum’s collections. Considerations of
storage capacity aside, the constraints of this collections
policy need not apply when collecting for this purpose. But
objects in handling collections run the risk of damage or
loss; this will always be borne in mind when selecting
them, and the choice should be made by more than one
member of the curatorial staff. Donors must be informed
before depositing that their gifts are to be used for
educational/handling purposes, and whenever possible
consulted at the time of donation if this seems the best use
for the material.
21.4 The Service must allocate sufficient space to store the
Schools Loans collection should it return from Education
Bradford.
Bradford Museums, Galleries & Heritage/January 2005
38
Appendix One: SHIC Classification (Primary and
Secondary Headings)
1.0
Community Life
1.0
1.1
1.2
1.3
1.4
1.5
1.6
1.7
1.8
1.9
General
Cultural Tradition
Organisations
Regulation and Control
Welfare and Wellbeing
Education
Amenities, Entertainment and Sport
Communications and Currency
Warfare and Defence
Other
2.0
Domestic and Family Life
2.0
2.1
2.2
2.3
2.4
2.5
2.6
2.7
2.8
2.9
General
Administration and Records
House Structure and Infrastructure
Heating, Lighting, Water and Sanitation
Furnishings and Fittings
Cleaning and Maintenance
Food Drink and Tobacco
Medical
Hobbies, Crafts and Pastimes
Other
3.0
Personal Life
3.0
3.1
3.2
3.3
3.4
3.5
3.6
3.7
3.9
General
Administration and Records
Relics, Mementoes and Memorials
Costume
Accessories
Toilet
Food, Drink and Tobacco
Medical and Infant Raising
Other
4.0
Working Life
4.0
General
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4.1
4.2
4.3
4.4
4.5
4.6
4.7
4.8
4.9
Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing
Energy and Water Supply
Minerals and Chemicals
Metals and Metal Goods, Engineering
Other Manufacturing Industries
Construction
Transport and Communications
Distribution; Hotels and Catering; Repairs
Other Working Life
40