SANHS MUSEUM COLLECTION PANEL
Seventh meeting to be held at 2 pm on Tuesday 24 September 2013 in the Conservation
Room, Building 2, Somerset Heritage Centre
AGENDA
The meeting will start with a demonstration of the new
database by Steve Minnitt and Bethany Murray.
Please assemble in the Lobby of
Building 2 by 2 pm.
1. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE (GM)
2. CHAIRMAN’S REMARKS (SP)
3. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST (GM)
4. MINUTES OF THE LAST MEETING (Paper 4.1) (SP)
5. MATTERS ARISING (SP/GM)
- Hay Turner
- Rippingille portrait
- Independent advisers
- CLA review
- Exchange of notes on Frome Hoard
- Timetable of actions (Paper 5.1)
6. HERITAGE SERVICE REVIEW (TM/DD)
7. REPORT ON MUSEUM ACTIVITIES (SM/DP)
RLM update
Items for research
8. RAISING THE PROFILE OF THE SANHS COLLECTION (SP)
9. DOCUMENTS
SUPPORTING THE SANHS COLLECTION
(SM/GM)
- Review of draft SCC Collections
Development Policy (Paper 9.1)
- SANHS/SCC draft exchange of letters on
SCC accreditation policy documents and procedures for SANHS/SCC routine business (Paper 9.2)
- Forward Collections Management Plan –
update
- Further ACE advice on documentation
10. ANY OTHER BUSINESS (SP)
11. NEXT MEETING (SP)
Paper 4.1
MINUTES OF THE SIXTH MEETING OF THE
MUSEUM COLLECTION PANEL HELD ON TUESDAY 30TH APRIL AT 2PM IN THE
SANHS OFFICE, SOMERSET HERITAGE CENTRE.
Present; Steve
Parker [Chairman], George Middleton [Act Secretary], David Dawson, David Baker,
David Hill, Anthony Bruce, Max Hebditch, Chris Jessop [Minute Secretary].
In Attendance; Steve
Minnitt, Dennis Parsons [SCC Heritage Service].
- Apologies for absence; Tom
Mayberry.
- Chairman’s Remarks; The Chairman welcomed
every one to the sixth meeting of the Panel. He stated that the panel had
a good deal to thank the late Jessica Vale for as a great asset to both
the Panel and the Society; she would be greatly missed. He introduced
Chris Jessop who had agreed to be the Panel’s minute secretary.
- Declarations of interest;
referring to declarations made at previous meetings the Chairman asked if
there were any new interests to be declared by those present. Chris Jessop
declared her interest as a volunteer at The Museum of Somerset and also as
Secretary to The Friends of The Museum of Somerset. There were no further
declarations made.
- Minutes of the last meeting; [6th
March 2013, previously circulated]. Following discussion as to when the
panel were notified of Jessica Vale’s death, the minutes were agreed as a
correct record of the meeting and signed by the Chairman.
Matters arising.
a] Tom Mayberry has several photographs
of the St. Mary Redcliffe staircase.
Steve Minnitt will select
an appropriate one to display in the SANHS
Members Room along with a suitably worded
notice. Action. SM
b] Anthony Bruce will liase with
the new owner of the staircase to ensure a
notice is displayed alongside the
staircase detailing it’s history. He will also
try to obtain a photograph of the staircase
in it’s new position. Action.
AB
c] Circumstances have prevented
George Middleton and Tom Mayberry from
exchanging letters protecting the
Societies interest in the Frome Hoard. This to be done as soon as possible. Action. TM/GM
d] The Chair had viewed the
Turner and it is not in very good condition, plus we do not have a full history
of the item. The Society has a second
one in it’s collection in a much better condition and a full history. The Panel
agreed to recommend to the Board disposal of the item. A lengthy disposal process
would then have to be followed and members consulted; the donor to be
approached and, if he had no wish to receive it back, for it to be offered first
to an accredited museum in Lincolnshire.
This would be an opportunity for SANHS and SCC to work through the
procedure together, perhaps leading to an informative article in a future
Newsletter. Any monies from the disposal
would go to the MERF. Action. Act Secty
- Report of March Board and General
Meeting.
The Board had accepted all five
papers presented to them.
There had been a request for
clarification of the MERF balance at the General Meeting; David Dawson will
provide the detail. There had also been a request for minor revisions to the
rules of the fund; these had been incorporated. Action. DD
The Panel noted the updated
Timetable of Actions from the Frome Report and the progress made.
- Panel Terms of reference.
a] The Panel noted that these had
been approved by the Board.
b] The use of independent
advisers was discussed and some names considered; the question of expenses and
possible remuneration was raised. In a general discussion no conclusions were
drawn and the Panel agreed to return to the subject at the next meeting. Action. Act Secty
- Heritage Service Review.
a] Steve Minnitt updated the panel on the
progress of the review.
b] George Middleton reported that a letter had
been sent to Tom Mayberry
indicating the Society’s need to
take legal and professional advice but that this cost should not fall on the
Society. He then explained the role of the D&P in advising the Board on the
review and that he, with the assistance of David Dawson, would provide the link
from the Panel to the D&P. Action.
DD
- Report on Museum Activities.
Steve Minnitt informed the Panel of
the activities commemorating the centenary of the commencement of The First
World War.
A structured review of fine art
is in progress. There is to be an art
exhibition in September, for which SM would like to include a portrait by Edward
Villiers Rippingille of Emanuel Wills, Parish Clerk to Thurloxton [c.1790-1859]
which is part of the SANHS collection. It is in need of restoration, previously
quoted as £2,700-00. George Middleton indicated MERF could in theory be used.
It was agreed that a second estimate be acquired and a decision taken when
received. Some contributions may be raised by approaching members at the AGM
and via the website and Chris Jessop undertook to provide a poster. Action. CJ
The plans for the refurbishment
of The Rural Life Museum are progressing with much of the funding in place. The
HLF make a decision in September. The Museum would be shut for 2 years from the
1st April 2014.
Links with other museums,
including the British
Museum, will allow us to
put on exhibitions with items from their collections.
The Panel authorised further
research by Royal
Holloway College
on 3 items from the Society’s collection of mammal bones; the usual provisions
to apply. The Board to be informed. Action.
Act Secty
Steve Minnitt reported that the
timing of the Designation application was likely to be delayed significantly.
- Raising the Profile of the SANHS
Collection.
Steve Parker agreed to lead this
and asked for anyone interested in helping to contact him. Action. SP
- Documentation to Support the SANHS
Collection.
a] The policy on this item was
now approved; follow up actions now needed, consulting ACE if required. SCC papers were due with ACE by 27 October.
b] The draft SCC Collections
Development Policy paper has been passed to George Middleton for review/discussion
with Steve Minnitt. Action. GM
c] SANHS/SCC exchange of letters
on A&D policy is being drafted by George Middleton and Steve Minnitt. Action. SM/GM
d] SOPs for SANHS/SCC for routine
business also being drafted by Steve Minnitt and George Middleton. Action.
GM/SM
e] The Forward Collections
Management Plan 2013-2014 is to go to the Board for information. Action. Act Secty
- SANHS Museum Exhibits Replacement Fund.
a] Both the Board and the General
Meeting had agreed the Rules for the Fund; these would now allow the SCC
Collection also to benefit.
b] The Panel discussed setting
guidelines and priorities for expenditure.
It was agreed that each case would need to be reviewed individually and
that use of the Fund might be to lever in other funding. No priorities should therefore be set and
every effort made to encourage fundraising from other sources to support the
development of the collections.
12. A.O.B. and Next Meeting
A student has requested
permission to look at the SANHS Collection in July, with particular interest in
the Pleistocene collection. The work would be overseen by the curatorial staff.
The next meeting would be Tuesday 24 September at 2pm, starting
with a demonstration of the new database.
The Chairman thanked those
present and the meeting closed at 16.15.
