National Fund for Acquisitions marks anniversary - Museums Association

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National Fund for Acquisitions marks anniversary

But concern is growing that funding is not sufficient to meet demand
Alexandra Genova
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The National Fund for Acquisitions (NFA) has been helping Scottish museums, galleries, libraries and archives to buy objects for more than 60 years.

The NFA’s annual report for 2013-14, which was published last week, celebrated a 60-year milestone for the organisation, which made its first grant in December 1953. This provided £1.10s to Stromness Museum in Orkney for the purchase of mounted specimens of the North Ronaldsay rare breed of sheep.

“The anniversary year has given museums across Scotland opportunities to celebrate and promote the collections which they have developed with NFA support and has helped to raise the fund’s profile throughout the sector, emphasising the vital role which the fund performs in supporting collections,” says the annual report.

“While it is clear that the sector values this support, many colleagues in local museums have expressed their concern that available funding is not sufficient to meet demand following the 25% cut in funding in 2011 [to £150,000 a year].”

The annual report shows that in 2013-14, NFA funds of £111,000 went to 26 organisations across Scotland, including museums, universities and independent collections, enabling 63 acquisitions worth £367,000. A further 14 grants worth more than £74,000 will also be paid out over the next few months. The fund received 66 applications in 2013-14.

Fine Art represented the largest acquisition category with 19 grants totalling £58,000. Glasgow Museums was given £12,500 to buy an oil painting of the Clyde by Anglo-American artist Robert Salmon and Aberdeen Art Gallery and Museums acquired an oil painting, The Sailing Ship Robin Hood, by Samuel Walters, with a grant of £5,200.

Eight grants totalling £22,000 were given for applied art. This included Tain and District Museum, which bought a silver cup made by Hugh Ross I (£9,200). Angus Council acquired a silver casket (£4,230), which was originally conferred to author JM Barrie and decorated with panels depicting Peter Pan.

Funding also went towards the acquisition of archival material, with over £9,000 in grants given to six museums and galleries. Edinburgh Museums and Galleries bought an archive (£6,750) relating to the design of Edinburgh’s Usher Hall, including watercolours, drawings and plans. Two photographs of Buffalo Bill Cody’s visit to Scotland (£471) were also obtained by Leisure and Culture Dundee.

Other acquisitions include a silver-plated teapot (£696) by Shetland Museum and Archives, which had been recovered from the wreck of HMS Oceanic. Dundee Heritage Trust obtained a medical kit and microscope that belonged to Reginald Koettlitz, a senior surgeon and bacteriologist on the British National Antarctic Expedition.

Money for the NFA comes from the Scottish Government. The scheme is managed by National Museums Scotland, with advice from the National Galleries of Scotland and the National Library of Scotland.





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