Tim, I am passing this along to Chris Terry, Director of the National
Aviation Museum, for his comments.

As for myself, I can only say Thank God that some of this material survived.


Harry Needham
Special Advisor - Programme Development
Canadian War Museum
330 Sussex Drive,
Ottawa, Canada
K1A 0M8
Voice: (819) 776-8612  Fax (819) 776-8623
Email: [log in to unmask]

> ----------
> From:         Tim McShane[SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
> Reply To:     Museum discussion list
> Sent:         Wednesday, March 03, 1999 12:50 PM
> To:   [log in to unmask]
> Subject:      Collecting "illicit" material
>
> I've been watching this discussion to see if a situation similar to my own
> might
> show up.  As one hasn't, let me offer another angle on this problem.
>
> A little more than a year ago, we at the A. V. Roe Canada Heritage Museum
> were
> drafting our collections policies, and of course we included a clause
> about only
> acquiring material that has a legal pedigree.  One of our colllections
> committee
> members pointed out to me that, in our effort to preserve and tell the
> story of
> A. V. Roe Canada, we want to collect and preserve (as much as possible,
> and
> among other things) components and equipment associated with the CF-105
> Avro
> Arrow jet fighter.  Now, upon cancellation of the Arrow programme in 1959,
> all
> Arrow components, equipment, drawings, etc., were to be destroyed (by
> whose
> order is still in dispute--no one seems to want to claim responsibility
> for
> ordering the destruction, although it was government contractors that
> carried
> out the work).  Therefore, for anything to have survived of the Arrow
> project,
> the dictates of the government had to be disobeyed, breaking the law.
>
> So, are we acquiring illicit material when we collect pieces that
> "illegally"
> escaped destruction?  What about pieces that passed from government/Avro
> ownership before the project was cancelled (for example, a number of our
> pieces
> were personal copies of reports and drawings that we received from former
> Avro
> employees; we also have some reports that were kept in an off-site
> library, that
> have been de-classified by the government and put on the market).  I know
> the
> Canadian National Aviation Museum has substantial portions of Arrow
> airframes,
> and presumably they have clear title to those pieces, despite their
> "illegal"
> escape from the cutting torches.
>
> Perhaps Mr. Needham of the Canadian War Museum can offer comment on this,
> or
> forward this message on to a National Aviation Museum represenative for
> clarification on how they met this "illicit material" situation?
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> Tim McShane
> Curatorial Assistant, Parks Canada
> (also, Co-Chair of the A.V.Roe Canada Heritage Museum,
> a division of the Arrow 2000 Project)
> Calgary, Alberta
>