Decision details

The report proposes de-accessioning (i.e. removing from the museum's register of publicly-owned collections) records of objects that fall outside the museums’ agreed collecting policies and whose public benefit would be better served by being in other public museums or archives or have long since disappeared or been transferred elsewhere. Under the national Accreditation Scheme for Museums, the authority of the governing body is required if museum objects are to be de-accessioned.

The Cabinet Member agrees that the collections listed in the report be removed from the accession records of the Fashion Museum

Following a review of collections held by the Fashion Museum some of the objects do not fit into the Council’s agreed acquisitions policy and more properly belong in public collections elsewhere; some are not of museum quality or are in such poor condition that they do not merit retention and some have long since disappeared and are no longer held by the museum.

These disposals will save officer time, conservation resources and storage space and are in line with the Code of Ethics for Museums adopted by this Council and with national best practice.

Another option would be to try to sell the items in question. However this would be unlikely to yield any significant sums and, to abide by the Code of Ethics for Museums, a sale could only take place when all other avenues of enquiry into disposal had been exhausted. The proceeds of any such sale would have to be applied to the acquisition of new and relevant items for the collection, or to the care of the remaining existing collection.

This option would contravene the Code of Ethics for Museums adopted by the Council; it could lose the Fashion Museum, Victoria Art Gallery and Roman Baths Museum their Accredited status and the Fashion Museum and Roman Baths Museum their Designated status; and it would bring the Council into disrepute and discourage future benefactors from donating objects to the Council’s museums. This course of action is therefore not recommended.