Loans
Loans
The Museum welcomes requests to borrow items from its collections and regularly lends to UK and overseas venues each year. Loans are to exhibitions open to the public held by recognised museums and other educational, cultural and scientific bodies, but not to private and commercial organisations or private exhibitions.
In order to protect the collections borrowers are required to meet specific standards relating to security, insurance, display and the environment, and transport. Details for prospective borrowers are provided in the accompanying document: Loans from the Museum of the History of Science
Requests to borrow are also assessed against a range of criteria. These include
• the significance of the exhibition to the promotion of the history of science and its related fields
• the significance and centrality of the object requested to the exhibition
• the impact of the absence of the object on the Museum’s own research and public programmes
• the preservation needs of the object
• the resources available to process the loan
Final, formal applications to borrow must be received in writing at least 6 months prior to the date of the exhibition for loans within the UK, and at least 9 months in the case of non-UK venues.
For further information on terms and conditions for loans or on making a loan application, contact Lucy Blaxland, Collections Manager,
lucy.blaxland@mhs.ox.ac.uk, 01865 277452.
