Rotherham museums to dispose of hundreds of objects in streamlining scheme

The service will ethically dispose of a range of objects that no longer meet the museum’s updated collections management policy, which will be recycled, given back to donors, or passed to other museums.

With around 4,000 unidentified finds sitting in storage, many of which have no documentation or clear historical value, the Rotherham Museums team is focusing on ethical disposal of objects that no longer meet the policy’s criteria.

The items to be disposed of range from everyday historical items, such as household objects, tools, and pieces of furniture, to fragments of rock, fossils, and other objects whose history or origin cannot be traced.

Several geological pieces including a Lepidodendron fossil and multiple sandstone boulders, are among the objects that will be reviewed for disposal. Many of these are poorly documented or in poor condition.

In total more than 150 objects have been earmarked for ethical disposal across several different locations, including the Wath basement store, Bailey House, and other museum storage areas.

Objects such as washing possers, carpet sweepers, and even a Samuel Brewer piano are also part of the list. These items, while historical, may not have enough cultural significance or are in such a state of disrepair that their preservation is not feasible.

There are also various tools and mechanical items, including weighing scales, garden stirrup pumps, and wooden mallets, which will be considered for removal if they are no longer of use to the museum’s collection or have deteriorated over time.

A range of furniture pieces, including cast iron fire surrounds and rattan lounge chairs, are also part of the review. These items will be assessed for their relevance and condition before any decision is made.

Miscellaneous metal pieces, machinery parts, and unidentifiable stones that are part of the collection but no longer meet the acquisition criteria are also being considered, including clock weights, small metal pieces, and shaped stones which are being stored without adequate documentation.

A council report states that each object will undergo a professional assessment, and decisions on their disposal will be made based on strict ethical guidelines. Where possible, objects will be offered to other accredited museums or returned to original donors.

The museum’s current storage space is under increasing pressure, especially with a planned move from the basement store at Wath Library. A new library complex is being built with the help of a Levelling Up grant, which means the collection stored there needs to be relocated by March 2025. This smaller storage area will require even more careful management of space and collections, which is why the decision to dispose of unnecessary items is so crucial.