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Ethics Q&A: Private collecting
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August 2003
A curator at our museum has a passionate interest in World War One and collects memorabilia from the period. Some of this material can only have come from battlefields in Belgium and France.
Recently, he has bought and sold many items through an internet auction house, 'trading up' to add to what is now an extensive private collection.
He is absolutely open about the collection and how he is building it. There is a clause in his contract that refers to not competing with the museum for anything it might acquire.
He is not in breach of this clause as his and the museum's collecting do not coincide. But one of the museum's archaeologists feels the private collecting is unethical and is threatening a workplace confrontation. How should we resolve this?
First, avoid the workplace confrontation. The Code of Ethics asks all professionals to conduct disputes with others with courtesy and tolerance.
Dialogue, not confrontation, is more likely to lead to a solution. It may be that all the curator's purchases have been of material that has found its way onto the market legitimately.
All the items may originally have been acquired honestly and responsibly. They may have been in circulation for many years and your curator's collecting practices may be helping to preserve historical evidence and honour the memory of those who fought the war.
As you say, he is not competing with your museum, which does not collect in the same area. He may even be ultimately planning to donate or bequeath his collection to another museum to make it publicly accessible for future generations.
An amicable discussion may answer all the concerns of your archaeologist colleague. But it is important to have the discussion and to address any concerns about unethical practice that may arise from it.
The Code of Ethics asks all those who work for or govern museums to prevent abuse of places of scientific, historic or cultural importance, whether or not their museum collects material associated with any such place.
It is unfortunately the case that some World War One battle sites have been looted by unauthorised metal detectorists whose finds end up on the market for memorabilia from the conflict. Such looting destroys context, dishonours those who died and offends their descendants.
Purchase of looted items is not only ethically unacceptable for any museum professional but may also bring the museum and the profession into disrepute. It should be addressed as a professional concern with your curator.
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