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Privacy policy

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Collections policies

  • Collecting policy

    London Transport Museum’s collections cover a wide spectrum of materials and media, including vehicles, rolling stock, posters and original artworks, signs, uniforms, photographs, ephemera, maps and engineering drawings. Together, they make up the most comprehensive record of urban mass transit in the world.

    By conserving and explaining the Capital city’s transport heritage, London Transport Museum offers people an understanding of the Capital’s past development and engages them in the debate about its future. We adopt the highest standards of curatorship and communication, and aim to be the world’s leading museum of urban transport.

    Donating to the Museum

    If you are considering offering an item to the Museum, please send a description, including measurements and photos if possible, by email to [email protected], or by post to; 

    Duty Curator

    London Transport Museum

    39 Wellington St

    London WC2E 7BB

    Please do not send anything in without confirmation from us, and don’t bring anything to the museum without an appointment. We cannot accept walk-in donations and do not wish you to have a wasted journey.

    Offers to the collection are assessed at the monthly meetings of our Collections Development Group. We are not able to accept everything for our permanent collection; please do not be offended if we do not accept your item – it may be due to one of the following reasons:

    • We already have a similar item in our Collection.
    • The item does not fall within our Collecting Policy.
    • The item is not in good condition, or contains hazardous material.
    • There is insufficient information about the history of the item.

    Photographs

    Photographs, slides and digital images are a special category. We only accept offers of these items if the donor owns the copyright, and is prepared to transfer it to us; the donation process explicitly includes the transfer of ownership, including copyright, to the Museum.

    We rarely borrow photos to scan them for the collection, because we cannot use them unless we own the copyright. 

    Email: [email protected]

  • Copyright notice and take down policy

    London Transport Museum acts in good faith when making material available online. Some images on this website have been restricted for copyright reasons.

    Please contact us in the event that you are the owner of copyright of any material displayed on this website which you believe infringes on your intellectual property or any other rights.

    London Transport Museum will acknowledge receipt of your complaint within fourteen days of receiving your written objection. Upon receipt of a valid complaint we will remove the material from our website while the matter is being investigated further. 

    Please include the following information in the email:
     

    • Your full name and contact details; email address and telephone number
    • Details of the material you believe has been infringed upon and the url where you found the material
    • Evidence that you are the rights holder

    Please send your email to [email protected] and we will answer your enquiry as soon as possible. 

  • Loans policy

    LTM makes and receives loan requests for the following reasons:

    • to make the collections more widely accessible, both physically and intellectually;
    • to further knowledge and understanding of the collections;
    • to increase national and international co-operation by the exchange of material and exhibitions; and
    • to enhance the reputation of LTM both nationally and internationally.

    In some cases, LTM will not be able to lend requested objects. Reasons for this include:

    • the object is on display, either at LTM or another loan venue;
    • LTM is planning to use the object or it is subject to another loan request;
    • the condition of the object means it would be at significant risk by being transported and/or displayed;
    • the loan venue is not an accredited institution;
    • the object will not be publicly accessible whilst on loan;
    • LTM is not satisfied with the stated reason for the loan;
    • LTM is not satisfied with the environmental, display or security standards at the loan venue;
    • the borrower is unable to meet LTM’s conditions of loan.

    Loans out

    Loans out (the lending of objects from the LTM collection to other parties) are granted by LTM for fixed periods of time (up to a maximum of five years) and for the purposes of exhibition or public display, usually at an accredited institution. In special circumstances LTM may consider lending to an unaccredited institution if all security, environmental and physical needs are met and there is a strong case for public access to the object in question.

    LTM will consider loan requests for all different types of objects in the museum collection, and for any number of objects.

    If a borrower is unsure about which object(s) to borrow or what LTM holds in its collection, they should contact the curatorial department at [email protected] in advance of making a loan request. The majority of objects from the collection can be viewed on the LTM website.

    A loan request must be made in writing at least six calendar months prior to the proposed commencement of the loan. In exceptional circumstances, and entirely in its discretion, LTM will consider loan requests sent with less than six calendar months’ notice. International loan requests and loan requests of ten or more items should be made at least 12 months prior to the proposed commencement of the loan. Requests should be sent to:

    [email protected]; or

    Curatorial Department
    London Transport Museum

    Albany House, 98 Petty France
    London SW1H 9EA

    A loan request must include details of the following:

    • the name, address and contact details of the proposed borrower;
    • the name and status of the individual making the request;
    • the details of the object(s) subject to the request, including object number(s) and a brief description of each object;
    • the proposed dates of the loan;
    • the purpose of the loan and, if the object(s) are intended for exhibition, the scope of the exhibition and details of all venues;
    • a brief statement of the proposed indemnity/insurance provisions which shall be put in place in relation to the object(s);
    • if the loan request has been sent with less than six calendar months’ notice, the reason(s) for this.

    Once a written loan request has been received, the LTM Collections Development Group (CDG), who meet once a month, will consider the request, and then inform the borrower whether they agree to proceed with the loan in principle. If LTM considers the borrower’s participation in the further stages of the loan process to be inadequate, for example if the borrower fails to provide information reasonably requested by LTM, LTM reserves the right not to grant the loan. 

    If CDG agrees to proceed with the loan, the borrower will be asked to provide a completed UKRG Facilities Report and a UKRG Security Supplement, in order to assess intended security, display and environmental conditions. Evidence of appropriate insurance or indemnity provisions will also be required, and further information may be requested if necessary. If this information is considered to be satisfactory by LTM, the borrower will be required to enter into a Loan Out Agreement, which will incorporate LTM’s Standard Conditions of Loan and any additional conditions relevant to the specific loan in question.

    Should images of the objects be required for catalogues or publicity, requests should be sent to the LTM Image licensing service at [email protected], or via the online form at www.ltmuseum.co.uk/image-licensing.

    Loans in

    Loans in (the borrowing of objects from other parties by LTM) are for fixed periods of time (up to a maximum of five years) and are requested by LTM for the purposes of exhibitions, research and public programme activities.

    LTM will accept loans on the terms and conditions of the lender. Where the lender does not have a set of terms and conditions, the LTM standard Loans In Agreement shall be used. A copy of the standard Loans In Agreement is available on request.

    LTM will require the lender to provide an insurance valuation for all objects on loan and will provide proof of insurance.

    LTM will ensure that all borrowed objects are treated with at least the same standard of care with which it treats objects from its own permanent collections.

    LTM will keep a record of each loan on the collections database and each object will be designated an LTM object number and database record.

    LTM will carry out appropriate due diligence checks on incoming loans to ensure that no borrowed objects are known or suspected to have been stolen, illegally imported/exported or illegally excavated, as defined in the UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property, 1970.

    In the event that the original lender cannot be contacted at the end of the loan, LTM will make reasonable efforts to trace the original owner. If the original owner cannot be located LTM will seek appropriate advice, with a view to disposing of or acquiring such objects.

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