Susannah,

Who is the loan with now?  If the original lender is deceased, your museum should negotiate a new loan agreement with the new owners of the volumes.  You can determine the new owner (or owners) by reviewing the will or estate of the original lender.   And how long is the loan period?  It's a good idea to have loans expire every few years at the most, so that you are forced to review the terms and contact the lender.

 

But for your original question, most loan agreements require that museums get the lender's consent before undertaking conservation treatment.  But it's probably not necessary if you're only changing how you're storing the objects, as long is it's completely reversible.  However, if you think that there might be an objection to the church group on behalf of the lender, it's good form to get an okay.

 

Sandra

 

Sandra Smith | John & Neville Bryan Director of Museum Collections | National Trust for Historic Preservation | 1785 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington DC 20036 | Phone: 202.588.6154 | Fax: 202.588.6232 | www.nationaltrust.org <http://www.nationaltrust.org/> 



Learn more about National Trust Historic Sites at www.nationaltrust.org <http://www.nationaltrust.org/> . 



	-----Original Message----- 

	From: Museum discussion list on behalf of Susannah West 

	Sent: Thu 9/22/2005 7:36 AM 

	To: [log in to unmask] 

	Cc: 

	Subject: loan and maintenance questions

	

	



	A somewhat related question:  we have four volumes of Matthew Henry's

	Commentary (printed in 1793) on long-term loan.  A church group made a $50

	donation, specifically requesting that it be used to purchase archival boxes

	for these volumes.  I've already bought the boxes, but should I have tried

	to contact the descendants of the original lender before doing so?

	

	Susannah West

	John Rankin House

	Ripley, Ohio

	

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