Collecting is one of the core areas of work in museums. New material is being added to the collections all the time, and we are always grateful for offers of new items.
All object offers must be discussed with a curator by phone or email first - you can find contact details for our curators below. Front of house staff at the museum are unable to accept objects, so please do not bring anything in without first discussing it with a Curator. Thank you for your understanding in this matter.
All potential acquisitions are carefully considered, to ensure that they meet the criteria of our Collecting Policy. There are many things to consider, such as the condition of the object, its significance to the collection, whether we already have similar objects, and if we have sufficient storage space.
The museum will only agree to accept loans if they are for short term temporary exhibitions or permanent display.
Please see our collections development policy for further details.
Borrowing an item from the Herbert
The Herbert Art Gallery & Museum loans items to other Museums, and in special cases to other related institutions, in accordance with conservation needs and security conditions.
For more information about the type of objects we will loan, please contact the Curators.
Get in touch
If you have an enquiry or would like to discuss the possibility of donating an item to, or borrowing an item from Herbert Art Gallery & Museum, please contact us by email in the first instance at museumcollections@cvlife.co.uk