On Thu, 22 Dec 1994, James Murphy wrote:
 
> A friend interested in purchasing an expensive <objet d'art> was recently
                         ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> embarrassed by being told "we don't deal with the private sector," when she
> asked a museum curator . . .
 
All the comments about lawsuits resulting from faulty identifications by
museum staff makes me wonder, was the curator consulted aware that a lot
of money might or might not change hands depending on his response? That
might have a lot to do with it. I can easily see where a museum, or even
the curator personally, might have a policy of politely (or even
impolitely, it seems) sidestepping *any* inquiry from nonprofessionals
where lots of cash is involved, even if the same question asked simply out
of curiosity would get a response.
 
It's the bit about not dealing with the private sector that makes me
wonder. Another curator or another institution asking the same question
might have gotten an answer just because they could be presumed to be
informed about legal responsibilities and liabilities in this situation,
and therefore to not be a lawsuit risk.
 
Steve Teeter
Asst. Curator of Jazz
Louisiana State Museum
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