Below is a time-sensitive message from Ed Able, AAM's President and CEO,
about today's New York Times article on the Holocaust Commission's report.
Please share this with your leadership and members.  Thanks.

Jason Hall
Director
Government and Public Affairs
American Association of Museums
1575 Eye Street, N.W., Suite 400
Washington, DC  20005-1105
ph:  202/289-9125
fax:202/289-6578
email: [log in to unmask]

November 30, 2000


TO:  AAM Affiliates and Standing Professional Committees, and Regional and
State Museum Associations

FROM:  Edward H. Able, Jr., President and CEO, American Association of
Museums

ABOUT: Today's Press Coverage of the Holocaust Commission Report



You may have read an article in today's New York Times about the
yet-to-be-released report of the Presidential Advisory Commission on
Holocaust Assets in the United States.   While some details of the report
were released to the Times by the Commission prior to publication, the
report will not be officially released until mid-December.  The
recommendations of the Commission describe a standard of "full disclosure"
for museums and indicate that the museum community represented by the
American Association of Museums and the Association of Art Museum Directors
is committed to this concept.

I would like to take this opportunity to inform you of AAM's recent work
with the Commission and the efforts AAM is currently undertaking to help
with the implementation of "full disclosure."

Over the past years museums, museum associations, and other interested
organizations have been working to determine the best way to make
information available and accessible to claimants, claimant advocates, and
other researchers.  With the goal of resolving the status of objects in our
collections, museums have been asking what information to make public and
when.   Many museums have posted provenance information on their websites.
However, there is not yet a standard for how to do this in a manner that
best serves the ultimate goal of effectively identifying objects that were
unlawfully appropriated without subsequent restitution in the most expedient
way.

In working with the Commission, AAM and AAMD have agreed that a standard of
full disclosure will likely yield the best results.  Full disclosure
involves 1) the identification of all objects in a museum's collection that
were created before 1945, transferred after 1932 and before 1946, and were
or could have been in continental Europe between those dates; 2) the
publication of any currently known object and provenance information; 3) and
the commitment to conduct continuing research in a prioritized manner as
resources allow.  It is understood that first priorities include European
painting and Judaica.

A second goal of the Commission, AAM, and AAMD is to work toward the
development of a searchable central registry that will allow interested
parties to access the pool of available information from one Internet site
that will link museum web sites.

In order to assist the museum community in accomplishing these goals, AAM
has assembled a task force to advise on developing suggested standards for
posting Holocaust-era provenance information on museum websites.  It will
simultaneously consider technical guidelines for museums to follow in order
to make all provenance information posted accessible and searchable from a
single Internet site.

AAM is also working to amend its 1999 Guidelines Concerning the Unlawful
Appropriation of Objects During the Nazi Era to incorporate the concept of
"full disclosure" as defined above.  Once the original working group has
approved draft language, we will be distributing the amendment to you for
field vetting as was done with the original guidelines.  We will welcome
your comment.

Finally, AAM has identified the need for both training and resources as
paramount to accomplishing the main goal.  We are advocating for funding for
museums to assist with provenance research and technical access issues and
are planning publications and seminars to address the need for training.  We
have been assured that the Commission will include funding as a part of its
recommendations to the President and Congress.

We are proud of the work museums have already done in this area.  We expect
to have further information for you about this topic over the next several
weeks, and we encourage you to share this latest information with your
leadership and membership.


cc:  AAM Board of Directors

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