Donating to our collection

Collecting Mission Statement

Jersey Heritage shall collect, document, preserve and make widely accessible unique collections of artefacts, works of art, archival material, specimens and information relating to the history, culture and environment of the Bailiwick of Jersey.

These collections define the island, hold the evidence for its historical development and act as the community’s memory thus promoting an inclusive sense of belonging and pride in the Island, advancing the cause of its heritage and supporting its cultural identity.

The collections cared for by Jersey Heritage have been built up over the past 150 years, since the founding of the Société Jersiaise and are very rich and varied, although some gaps still exist. Therefore, we welcomes offers of material to our collections.

However, the costs of caring for our collections are high and it is important that we do not duplicate material or accept objects that fall outside our collecting policy.

In view of this, we are not able to accept everything that it offered to us. We need to know more about the item(s) being offered before we can decide whether or not they are suitable for the collection.

How to donate

Contact Jersey Heritage – info@jerseyheritage.org before bringing in your objects or archives, this will allow us to make an initial assessment of the collection. Please let us know any information about the collection and its connections to the Island and send a photograph if possible.

It may be that your donation is exactly what we have been looking for as it fits in with our collecting policy or acquisitions policy for archive records. In this case it will be accessioned into the permanent collection.

It may be that your donation would be useful for work with education or reminiscence groups, in which case, with your permission, it would become part of our valued ‘handling collection’.

It may be that for a variety of reasons we cannot accept your offer, we might have a similar example in the collection, it might be that your object is too big or that it is the type of collection that would be better with another heritage organisation. Our staff can advise you in this case.

Hopefully your collection is just what we are looking for, although it may not be put on display for some time. Jersey Heritage cares for thousands of objects and exhibitions and displays have to be carefully planned, often years in advance. In the case of archive documents these are catalogued and made available for researchers at Jersey Archive.

Your object or documents will be carefully stored and may be drawn upon for special exhibitions or lent for exhibition at other registered institutions. They will also be available for research, study and education purposes.

Conditions

Jersey Heritage does not accept museum objects on long-term loan, however archival material may be deposited as a long-term loan.

Material is not accepted when there are specific conditions attached.

Unless there are compelling and legitimate reasons, hazardous objects and substances will not be accepted under any circumstance (e.g. firearms, objects containing asbestos, explosive, flammable, poisonous, potentially carcinogenic or radioactive material).

Under our ethical codes we are not able to give valuations for any material.