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Spoliation reports

This institution also provides a list of works with incomplete provenance during the period 1933-1945.

NATIONAL MUSEUMS OF SCOTLAND

National Museums of Scotland
Chambers Street
EDINBURGH EH1 1JF

Contact for all enquiries about Holocaust or WWII Spoliation:
Wendy Turner, Head of Documentation.
Tel 0131-247-4181
Fax 0131-247-4312

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF COLLECTION

The National Museums of Scotland consists of the following sites:

The collections total approximately 3 million objects and natural history specimens covering the following broad subject areas:

1. OVERALL PLANS

A. Areas which could contain looted items
See below

B. Areas excluded and why
Items acquired before 1933; Scottish material and the Natural Sciences collection.

C. Target areas and timetable for research
European objects within the woodwork and metalwork collections which have uncertain provenance during the operative period.

D. Areas considered a lower priority and why
Not applicable

2. RESEARCH CARRIED OUT OR BEING CARRIED OUT IN TARGET AREAS

A. Process and sources for initial checks from information readily to hand
Initial checks have been carried out using the Museum's collections management database and acquisitions paperwork.

B. Description of checks being carried out beyond desk research
Contact is being made with two donors regarding material they have presented to the Museum.

3. INFORMATION REGARDING PROGRESS IN TARGET AREA

A. No. of items in target area
5000

B. No. of items where provenance has been tested satisfactorily

An initial sweep has suggested that provenance information was satisfactory for 4,997 items

C. No. of items where initial checks on provenance are still being made from internal sources and information readily to hand

None

D. No. of items for which initial research can be taken no further and additional information is being sought from external sources

3 (See List)

4. INFORMATION ON MAKING GENERAL ENQUIRIES OR ABOUT COLLECTIONS

A. Contact for all enquiries about Holocaust or WWII Spoliation
Wendy Turner, Head of Documentation. Tel 0131-247-4181 Fax 0131-247-4312

B. Details of Published catalogues and how to get access to them
See below

C. Archives
The National Museums of Scotland (NMS) holdes several archival collections relating to the administration of its constituent museums. These are public records, date from the foundation of the constituent museums and refer to all aspects of the NMS official activities. The NMS's curatorial and administrative departments retain their own records, these are also public records. The Library collects and preserves material relating to the history of NMS. This collection comprises printed, manuscript and illustrative material, including museum archives, Directors' correspondence, publications, artworks, posters and ephemera.

Requests for access to the Library archive should be made in the first instance to:
Elize Rowan, Head of Library (e.rowan@nms.ac.uk).

There is currently no central archive management function at the National Museums of Scotland therefore enquiries regarding other collections should be made in the first instance to:
Wendy Turner, Head of Collections Documentation (w.turner@nms.ac.uk).

D. How to make enquiries about collections
General enquiries can be directed to Wendy Turner (Head of Documentation) or Godfrey Evans (Curator of European Woodwork, Metalwork etc.). General information about the collections is available via the SCRAN (Scottish Cultural Resources Access Network) Website www.scran.ac.uk

E. Press office contact
Susan Gray Tel 0131-247-4088

F. Address of the institution
National Museums of Scotland
Chambers Street
EDINBURGH EH1 1JF

G. Website
http://www.nms.ac.uk