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Spoliation reports

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

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY

Science Museum
National Railway Museum
National Museum of Photography, Film and Television

Science Museum
Exhibition Road
LONDON SW7 2DD

Contact for all enquiries about Holocaust or WWII Spoliation:
Matthew Simkin, Head of Policy Development

Tel: 020 7942 4185
Fax 020 7942-4830

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF COLLECTION
Collections relating to the history and contemporary practice of science, technology and medicine.

1. OVERALL PLANS

A Areas which could contain looted items:
Pictorial collection

Other collections likely to include 'collector's items', e.g. Time measurement; Astronomy; Coins, medals and tokens; microscopes; similar collections at the National Railway Museum (NRM) and National Museum of Photography, Film and Television (NMPFT)

B Areas excluded and why

Much of the NMSI's collections are predominantly British and of industrial importance and are not thought to have been likely candidates for appropriation by Nazi collectors

The NRM opened in 1975 and did not make any acquisitions until after this date. In 1975 most of the works of art were transferred from the British Transport Museum at Clapham. The BTM opened in 1951 and their collections were acquired from the big 4 (GWR, SR & LNER) railway companies and their predecessors. There would have been nothing from outside Britain. The majority of works of art which can be dated from c1933-1945 are original artwork/designs for railway posters produced by British artists who signed the copyright to the relevant railway company. To the best of the museum's knowledge there were no works of art acquired between 1933-1945 of foreign origin. Works acquired of financial/historical significance since 1975 have come from auction houses with provenance (e.g. Letchworth Station by Spencer-Gore)

C Target areas and timetable for research
Pictorial collection, because this is more likely to contain recognised 'collector's items', and it contains more material purchased from dealers/salesrooms

Other collections mentioned at 1a above

One collection every three months for initial investigation

The NMPFT will initially examine provenances in the photography collection which comprises 100,000 items, many of which are grouped in a few large collections.

D Areas considered a lower priority and why
None

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

A Process and sources for initial checks from information readily to hand
Initially the Museum's our own records of provenance will be checked.

3. INFORMATION REGARDING PROGRESS IN TARGET AREA

3.1. Pictorial collection

A. No. of items in target area
4090

B. No. of items where provenance has been tested satisfactorily
307 items which were acquired before 1933.

349 items have been excluded from the database using the criteria of date made after 1945 (however it was found that the majority of records in this collection does not have this information in a structured field).

Of the remainder, about 90% have values under £1,000. Most of the rest are of British subject matter and were acquired from British sources. Checks on several items have been carried out. One item remains which does not have complete provenance.

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

D. No. of items for which initial research can be taken no further and additional information is being sought from external sources
One - although the museum are not actively pursuing provenance any further. (See below).

3.2. Photography Collection in the Science Museum

A. No of items:
3300

B. No. of items where provenance has been tested satisfactorily
The collection held in the Science Museum relating to photography has been examined. This comprises both early images and photographic equipment.

It was concluded that there are no objects in the collection which would have commanded a sufficiently high value to be viewed as collectors' items during the Holocaust era. We are no longer pursuing active provenance checks on this collection.

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

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

3.3 NMPFT Photographs collection

A. No of items:
There are an estimated 3.2 million items in the NMPFT Photographs Collection. There are a few large collections of images in this, eg the Daily Herald archive of 3 million images.

B. No. of items where provenance has been tested satisfactorily
The NMPFT opened in 1983 and now has total responsibility for collecting artefacts associated with photography. The examination of available documentation of the photographs collection now held at the NMPFT has not revealed any artefacts of sufficiently high value to warrant further investigation.

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

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

3.4. Other NMPFT collections

A. No of items:
The remaining collections (NMPFT Photographic Technology, Cinematography, Television and Printed Ephemera and Collection 18) is estimated at 100,000 items.

B. No. of items where provenance has been tested satisfactorily
The examination of NMPFT material to date has not revealed any questionable provenance that may require further investigation. This exercise has been based on current available documentation.

4. INFORMATION ON MAKING GENERAL ENQUIRIES OR ABOUT COLLECTIONS

A. Contact for all enquiries about Holocaust or WWII Spoliation

Matthew Simkin
Head of Project Development
Science Museum,
Exhibition Road,
London,
SW7 2DD.

Tel: 020 7942 4185
Fax: 020 7942 4830

E-mail: matthew.simkin@nmsi.ac.uk

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

N. Cossons (Ed,), Making of the Modern World:Milestones of Science and Technology. 1992.
N. Wyatt and F. Wakabyashi (Eds.) Treasures of the Science Museum. 1998
A. Morton and J. Wess. Public and Private Science: the King George III Collection. 1993.
S. Mossman. (Ed.) Early Plastics: perspectives 1850-1950. 1997.

C. Archives
The official records of the Science Museum are public records covering the Museum's official activities from its foundation to the present day. They cover all operational activities of the Museum and projects undertaken by the Museum and include correspondence files with individuals and institutions, and object files containing information about the objects in its care. The records are managed by the Documentation Section of the Science Museum.

Access to these records is by appointment with the Records Manager,
The Science Museum,
Exhibition Road,
London SW7 2DD,
telephone 020 7942 4136.

D. How to make enquiries about collections
Information about the collections is held on a database, which includes a description of the object and the date and place of creation, where known. Acquisition information includes the donor or vendor and the date of acquisition. Appointments can be made with curators or Documentation staff to discuss specified items.

E. Press office contact
Jessica Strachan
020 7942 4357
jessica.strachan@nmsi.ac.uk

F. Address of institution
Science Museum
Exhibition Road
LONDON SW7 2DD

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