Frozen in Time: Orphans and Uncollected Objects in Museum Collections

摘要

The focus of this article is upon objects in museum collections where their\udownership is uncertain (“orphans”) or where they are known to be uncollected loans but\udwhere the owner cannot be traced. Museums may have little choice but to continue to care\udfor these objects even where they are unsuitable to be retained within the permanent\udcollections. It is argued that the current law in the United Kingdom prevents museums from\udmanaging their collections properly and rationalising them where necessary. New legislation\udhas been proposed which would assist Scottish museums. It is argued that all museums in\udthe United Kingdom need new legislation which would enable them to manage their\udcollections more effectively, and to approach reviews of collections and disposal of\udunsuitable objects in a proper and balanced manner, acting for the benefit of the public.