Donating to the NRM collections
Our collections and remit
The National Railway Museum is part of the Science Museum Group (SMG).
The object-rich National Railway Museum Collections have been built up over the past 150 years, although some gaps still exist, and you may have precisely the right object to enable these gaps within the collection to be filled, so please do get in touch. Please do not bring objects into the Museum without having made a prior appointment with the relevant curator. Our collecting policy (PDF, 68Kb)
What we're collecting
Our current remit is to acquire and preserve objects of significance to the history and development of railway history, and of developing technologies within this field. Explaining these objects to visitors of all ages, and making them available to those engaged in historical research is an important aspect of museum work. Building up the collections enables us to broaden this remit.
Many of our objects are acquired through the generosity of donors. The objects go through a formal approvals process and donors will be required to assist our curators and registrars in providing any relevant information about the object and its association. Stories about the object’s history are really useful and we would welcome such information for our files. We also ask that donors provide us with any provenance information, and assist us with any queries we may have, so we may undertake due diligence. SMG due diligence policy (PDF, 54Kb)
What we do with donated objects
It is not possible to place on immediate display all the objects the National Railway Museum may acquire. Many items are placed in store, and are considered when mounting temporary exhibitions and when we change our permanent gallery displays. Objects in store are cared for by the National Railway Museum and are available for reference by researchers and other enquirers by appointment.
Public access is also increased by lending items to other institutions for their own exhibitions. Borrowing institutions are required to meet specific criteria for the care of objects on loan to them.
Conditions
Please note that the National Railway Museum will not accept objects with specific conditions attached, or accept objects on long-term loan.
Objects containing hazards
All objects will be inspected for hazards before they can be acquired. Objects containing the following hazardous substances will not be accepted under any circumstances: firearms, objects containing asbestos, explosives, flammable material, poisons, potentially carcinogenic and radioactive material.
Tax and valuations
Any queries on the potential tax implications of a donation should be directed to an accountant, solicitor or independent taxation adviser. Please note that we cannot give the valuation of any object.
What to do next
Please contact the Museum in writing or via email before bringing objects to the Museum. A snapshot of the object should be included with your letter, so we can assess the object. If we cannot accept your offer, please do not be offended, as it may mean that we have a similar example within the collection, or it is simply too big, or of a type that we do not collect. We can always explain the reasons, and suggest other museums that might be interested.
Contact us
National Railway Museum
Leeman Road
York
YO26 4XJ
search.engine@nrm.org.uk
