Object donations

Information for people wishing to donate objects to the Museum of Liverpool collections

Without the support of the people of Liverpool, as well as Liverpool’s national and international links, our collections would not exist.

National Museums Liverpool's urban history and archaeology departments collect, record, preserve and make accessible material relating to the history of Liverpool, its people and their contribution to national life. The collections are held in trust by the Trustees of National Museums and Galleries on Merseyside for public benefit.

We collect material which has been made or used in Liverpool for research, learning and display. This means that although you may not see your donation on display, it has been carefully recorded and is accessible by appointment.

Chinese shrimp ornament, donated to the museum's collections by Helen Owen

Do you own a piece of local history that you would like to donate?

We collect material with a strong connection to Liverpool’s history which:

• adds to our collections about Liverpool’s history
• relates to subjects collected by the urban history division (including social and community history, land transport and industrial history, the King’s Regiment and archaeology)
• is in good condition
• has good associated information (links with individuals or events)

It is not always possible for us to accept everything offered for the following reasons:

• we already hold similar examples of the item in the collection
• the item is more appropriate to a different museum
• there is little associated information with it or no link to Liverpool’s history
• the item is in poor condition and would be difficult to preserve
• it does not fit in with our collecting policy

Every item offered is considered carefully by the curatorial team in relation to our collecting policy and existing collections. We will contact you to either accept or decline your offer. If we decline any offer we will tell you our reason and try to give you advice about what you could do with the item.

Who to contact about possible donations

For any items relating to community history, the King's Regiment, transport, local manufacturers, working life, the Liverpool Voices project or contemporary collecting:

• Clara Paillard, administrative assistant for the social history and archaeology teams
  Telephone 0151 478 4063
  Send the social history and archaeology teams an email

For archaeological finds:

• Cheshire, Gt Manchester and Merseyside finds liaison officer
  0151 478 4259. Further information about archaeological finds and full contact details are on the Portable Antiquities Scheme section of this website.