Tom Corbett Space Cadet Rocket Ship, 1955.
Donating to the Collection
Museum of the Moving Image Acquisitions Policy
The Museum welcomes donation offers that fit within its collecting policy. Please note that Moving Image does not collect films, videotapes, DVDs, or other moving-image formats.
All offers for donations must be submitted in writing to the Museum's Registrar. Offers should include the following information:
- Donor name, address, phone number, and e-mail address
- Description of artifact, including creation date, measurements, and model number (when appropriate)
- Creator/manufacturer name
- Condition of artifact
- Short statement about how donor came to own the artifact and why it is being offered for donation or sale
- Photograph of artifact
- Current location of artifact
Once the Registrar receives the written request, it is forwarded to the appropriate curatorial staff. Curators review the artifact's relevance to the Museum's collecting mission, and whether it would duplicate existing holdings. Curators make a determination about the offer, and the Registrar contacts the prospective donor to review their comments.
If the Museum's curators recommend the artifact's acquisition, the Registrar prepares an acquisition proposal. The acquisition proposal is then reviewed by the Museum's Collection Committee. The acquisition process can take from one to six months.
The Museum does not have an artifact acquisition budget.
Under no circumstances should the donor send or bring the artifact to the Museum without permission from the Registrar. The Museum has established these procedures for handling prospective donations in order to maintain the integrity of its collection and to ensure the safety of artifacts until they have officially been acquired.
