Ask Ian: Donating Gun Collections to Museums...or Not (ad-free)
Added 2023-05-24 12:00:02 +0000 UTCLots of people put together significant gun collections over a lifetime, and want to see those collections preserved after they pass. This often manifests as looking for a museum that will keep a collection intact and display it - which is unfortunately a nearly impossible goal.
First, it is very rare to find a museum whose mission matches the collection focus of a specific private collection. Firearms cover a vast amount of history even firearms-specific museums are usually fairly narrow in scope.
Second, museums already have all their display space filled. Promising to display a new collection means taking down something they already deemed worthy of display - and promising not to take it down in turn if something more suitable comes along.
Third, even if a museum has space and shares the theme of a collection, they will almost certainly already have examples of many of the items in the collection. If a museum is not allowed to break up and sell off parts of a collection, it simply ensures that many of the items will remain perpetually locked away in a reserve archive.
I would propose that we really need to rethink the idea that museums have a duty to keep everything they acquire. We know that virtually all museums have much more in storage than on display, and forcing duplicate items or pieces unrelated to the museum's focus to remain in museum property simply ensures that those pieces are kept away from the collecting community. It is the collecting community that does most of the research and publication on firearms history, and this practice undoubtedly hinders research and scholarship. That is not to say we should close museums; certainly not! Museums are extremely valuable for preserving artifacts and making them available to some degree to the public, but they are only one part of the historical community.
If you are a collector who really wants your collection to be displayed in full in a museum, you really only have one option: bequeath the museum enough money to build and maintain a new wing specifically for your collection.
Comments
I don't really have a collection, so much as an accumlation of firearms that I personally like. i.e. Lee designed rifles, S&W .41 Mags and others. Hopefully my children will want them, or other relatives.
JacksonCZ
2023-05-25 23:51:35 +0000 UTCLet’s be honest here. Most collections are just old junk. Museums don’t want any of it because they already have better stuff. Or your stuff is just….well….let’s just say not museum quality. It’s all going to the auction house. For someone else to collect.
JRMiami
2023-05-25 01:05:35 +0000 UTCCan you do a video on what the better option is? What did your dad do (other than have a son who loved guns as much as he did)? What would he have done without that option? What plans have you made? How would you put those plans into a will in case you don't die at 107 years of age?
Adam Schindler
2023-05-24 23:20:16 +0000 UTCI totally agree with Ian. When I was 18, I bought my first M1 Garand, and I was the happiest person in the world that day. Now imagine if they were all stored in the CMP basement and not allowed to be sold or traded. I would never have had that experience and jumpstarted my collection. And that collecting has brought me here and to other placed to advance my knowledge and passion, and to spread that out to my friends and family. I love that my 2 sons (15 and 10) have that same thirst for knowledge and share my passion. It is great to share what I know with them and something to bond over.
2023-05-24 21:00:36 +0000 UTCtoo bad, isn't it. what could be shown if a museum could do such. or give them a gap in the system they can trade with other museums. as a compromise.
Guido Schriewer
2023-05-24 17:57:01 +0000 UTCI'm going to suggest that folks not give up Too easily and just simply sell off their collection I know for a Fact here in Texas there are Numerous small City and County Museums that have a limited or a non existent gun collection that would be happy to have Anything put on display there is one small city museum who had a Beautiful display that the owner's descendants decided to take back because it was on temporary loan from the family This museum now has No gun collection At All to display also understand that in some of the small City and County Museums The stories of the individual collector can be Every Bit as Important as the artifacts that are displayed I know of one man who has a Japanese rifle that jammed when he shot the Japanese officer who's trying to shoot him while it may have been a common rifle the story that this local hero would not have any descendants to tell the story had this not happened this is as Important to a museum as the artifact itself So Go Ahead and put out the effort shop around there may be a small museum who'd be happy to have anything to add to a collection that doesn't exist Yet!!! 🤠👍
Paul Beck
2023-05-24 15:44:39 +0000 UTCIt actually was from a Patron.
Forgotten Weapons
2023-05-24 15:21:28 +0000 UTCsell the collection gift a museum the money , I like your shirt
lanny w robertson
2023-05-24 14:50:16 +0000 UTCThis is nice. We haven't had an Ask Ian for a while. It came from a random email not a patreon though. :(
David C
2023-05-24 13:07:00 +0000 UTCThat sounds like an awesome idea. I'd pay plenty to be able to take various historical weapons on on a range. Much better than them just gathering dust on a shelf, where no one sees them but one custodian once a year in passing.
Strypgia
2023-05-24 12:44:52 +0000 UTCI don't want to leave my collection to gather dust on a shelf, so I need to found a *shooting museum* where the guns will see [unfortunately limited, due to lack of spare parts] use by researchers for the acquisition of subjective 1st hand knowledge of the firearm's characteristics.
Bruce Brodnax
2023-05-24 12:26:16 +0000 UTC
