If you don't have any paperwork, then you need to have some way of designating the objects so that you can show they were present when you did inventory in 1995 and 2000 and 2005, or whenever. Photographs, even of orphaned and mystery objects, are very important. Dated. We use the old FIC/FIA designation, and we have the items in our database. Every once in a while, based on some detective work and the descriptions on catalogue cards and in the database, we are able to reunite an object with its paperwork. Loud Huzzahs! all around the room. But we feel your pain. One of these days, we're going to have to resort to abandoned property laws to deaccession (or accession) some of those orphans. Anne T. Lane Anne T. Lane Collections Manager 704.568.1774 x110 phone 704.566.1817 fax [log in to unmask] The Charlotte Museum of History and Hezekiah Alexander Homesite Where History Has a Home 3500 Shamrock Drive Charlotte, NC 28215-3214 www.charlottemuseum.org Featured Exhibits: ToyTime: Larger-than-Life Folk Toys, September 8 to December 30, 2007 Flags Across The Nation: Quilts of Patriotism, September 11 to November 11, 2007 Charlotte Neighborhoods: Brooklyn to Biddleville, Now through January 25, 2008 ________________________________ From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of elizabeth spinelli Sent: Wednesday, October 17, 2007 3:09 PM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: Artifact Ownership Question? What if you are unaware of the origins of the objects and how long you have had them? At what point can you discard or distribute them to another institution, if they are irrelevant or damaged objects. Particularly if items have never been accessioned and provenance is uncertain. Pamela Silvestri <[log in to unmask]> wrote: In a message dated 10/16/2007 11:32:43 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, [log in to unmask] writes: Okay- this may be a silly question- but I wanted to get some opinions from the rest of you out there, as some of you may have dealt with a similar situation... A little over a year ago, our institution received- via the post office- an unsolicited donation of materials. In the past year, I have attempted to contact this donor several times and have yet to receive a signed Deed of Gift (or a response for that matter!) and so I'm curious... Since the proposed donor obviously will not sign a deed of gift- and since these items are things we would like to add to the permanent collection can we consider this abandoned property? Or- could we simply list the items as FICs (Found in Collection)- (even though we know who sent them) and wait the appropriate amount of time (as stated by our State law) to claim them as ours? Is that considered sneaky or underhanded? Or- should we simply send them back? I should also maybe mention that these items have little to no monetary value- they are 3 pieces of packaging (shopping bags and a jewelry box with a store's logo on them) from a local store dating from the 1940s-1980s. Any thoughts on this? They would be greatly appreciated... Not a silly question at all! Similar to your situation...I have sent a form to a donor who has yet to return it. I have my copy and I noted the date that the form was sent. Since then, I made a note on the form that the original has yet to be returned. Since they have the original form...I'll have to make up another (which will include the subsequent notations) and send it out. For this one, I'll be using a return-receipt. I'll also include a SASE. And of course, thank them again for the donation and just a note about why the signed form is required and that it needs to be returned by a certain date, or the item needs to be picked up by then in order to complete the donation process. At this time, I would encourage you to write once again and send via USPS, return-receipt. I think another attempt to contact the donor (including the return-receipt) is a good will gesture and include documentation to support the items as 'abandoned' property. It would be good to also let them know in writing ,that unless the form is signed or the items are picked up that your organization would be unable to acknowledge their donation and will only be able to consider the items as 'abandoned'. 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