From Attic to Archive: The Journey of a Museum Donation

By Amy Roberts, Collections Officer at The Novium Museum

One of the most fascinating parts of my role as Collections Officer at The Novium Museum is working with colleagues to assess objects offered as gifts for our collection. Every item has a story, and it’s always exciting to see what comes through our doors.

With the launch of our Shippam’s project and the associated increase in publicity around the fascinating history of the company, we’ve seen an increase in public enquiries. Many people, inspired by their fond memories of Shippam’s, have been delving into attics and cupboards, rediscovering cherished objects they want to share with us and our visitors.

But what happens when someone donates an item? How do we decide what becomes part of the museum collection, and what is the journey of an accepted object? Let’s take a behind-the-scenes look.

The Selection Process

Not every item offered to the museum can be accepted. Several factors influence our decision, including:

• Relevance – Does the object have a strong connection to Chichester and its history?

• Condition

• Size – Do we have the capacity to store it?

• Duplicates – Do we already have similar examples in the collection?

Our Collections Development Policy outlines these criteria in more detail, and we carefully consider each offer against them. (You can read more about our policy here: www.thenovium.org.uk/donate.)

When an object is offered, we first ask the donor for as much background information and history of the item as possible. This helps us understand its local connection. We also request photographs to assess its condition. If the item appears to be a good fit within our ‘Collecting Criteria’, we check our museum records, including our Collections Management System (Modes Complete), to see if we already hold a similar example.

The Journey of a Donation: Shippam’s Spread Jars

To illustrate what happens next, let’s take a look at two Shippam’s Spread jars recently donated by a former owner of the company. These jars, sealed samples from the packaging redesign in 1999, are a fantastic addition to our collection.

Shippam's Spread Jars

Once we confirmed they met our Collecting Criteria, the donor visited the museum to officially hand them over. At this stage, we completed an Entry Form, which legally transfers ownership of the items to the museum.

From Entry to Accession

With the paperwork completed, the real work begins! Here’s what happens next:

1. Accessioning – Each jar is formally recorded in the museum’s Accession Register and assigned a unique identification number.

2. Cataloguing – A detailed catalogue entry is created in Modes Complete, including historical context, donor information, and photographs of the objects.

3. Labelling – Each jar is given a securely attached label with its accession number to ensure it is always identifiable.

4. Storage & Preservation – We find a permanent home for the jars in the museum’s social history store, ensuring they are safely housed and their location is recorded in the system.

5. Donor Follow-Up – We contact the donor to share the objects' unique identity numbers and thank them again for their generosity.

   

   The Novium Museum's Social History Store

Ready for the Future

Now officially part of the museum’s collection, these Shippam’s jars are available for future research and exhibitions.

If you’re considering donating an object to The Novium Museum, we’d love to hear from you. Every item has a story, and we’re always excited to discover new pieces of our community’s past.