Concerning the criteria in the draft statements prepared by Winnie
Trippett and presented here by Joanne Avant:

With all due concern for the costs of registration and storage, I would
argue against the stipulation that the proposed photograph/document "is
not available elsewhere in the public sector," as a limitation on
accession if other criteria are met.  "Availability elsewhere" is
subject to future deaccession or destruction by any number of means.
Perhaps too, this would affect consideration of the first stipulation,
"The original is unattainable," as originals can be lost or destroyed.
Consider the classic film, "Metropolis," and the difficulty facing film
historians attempting to find a single, unaltered copy of the original
release - but one copy appears to remain anywhere on earth despite
multiple copies having been made and distributed from the original,
which has apparently been destroyed.

Patricia Keller
Curator
Berrett Conservation Studio
Oxford, PA  19363
610-932-2425




On 2/8/2012 8:45 AM, Joanne Avant wrote:
>
> We have had a running discussion for several years about whether or
> not to accession copies of photographs and documents.  We would like
> to have a policy in place to handle questions and provide guidance.
> Our curator, Winnie Trippet, at the Battleship TEXAS State Historic
> Site has developed the below draft statements and we would appreciate
> comments and examples of what other collecting institutions are doing.
>
> Copies of historical photographs and documents are appropriate to be
> accessioned into the collection when it is determined that:
>
>                 The original is unattainable
>
>                 The document/photo is not available elsewhere in the
> public sector
>
>                 The photo/document meets the scope of collections criteria
>
>                 Allows the preservation of content and the ability to
> track the material as a resource
>
> Certainly the preference would be to acquire the original however it
> is becoming more common that owners of historical manuscripts,
> photographs etc are reluctant to donate the original object but are
> willing to share a reproduction (photocopy or scan).  Accepting a copy
> as a stand in for an original does ensure preservation; but the
> decision to accept a copy should be made on a case by case situation
> and the document/photograph must merit the time, effort and storage
> required to catalog.
>
>

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