Donating to the Collection

Museum of the Moving Image Acquisitions Policy

MoMI welcomes donation offers that fit within its collecting policy. Please note that the Museum does not collect films, videotapes, or DVDs.

The Museum does not accept unsolicited donations, nor will we pass these along to another institution.

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 email 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 MoMI'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 MoMI'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 three months to six months.

Under no circumstances should the donor send or bring any artifact to MoMI 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.