Object Donations
One of the goals of Montgomery History is to preserve the material history of the County. Thus we collect items owned or used by county families, which shed light on the way they lived and worked. The artifact collections at Montgomery History consist of clothing, furniture, tools, recreational items, household utensils, and other items related to the daily life of County residents, past and present.
If you are interested in donating an object to Montgomery History please read the following guidelines carefully and contact us at ELay@montgomeryhistory.org or 301-340-2825 before bringing the object to Montgomery History.
Donation Guidelines
We generally accept only items with a known Montgomery County provenance or history. Due to storage issues, we are sometimes unable to accept large items, such as furniture. Decisions are made by a committee made up of staff, volunteers and Board members.
Overall, considerations for acceptance into the permanent collection are:
◾ Montgomery County provenance
◾ uniqueness of item to the collection
◾ uniqueness of item in general
◾ condition
◾ conservation and preservation requirements
◾ size
Collection categories:
◾ Medical history, including 19th century, early 20th century, and veterinary.
◾ Social history: textiles, kitchen and housewares, tools, weapons, agriculture, recreation, and miscellaneous.
◾ Decorative arts: furniture, glass and ceramics.
Legal Issues
Donations to the permanent collections are tax deductible. Montgomery History cannot provide appraisals of objects for tax purposes. Restricted donations cannot be accepted, nor does Montgomery History allow indefinite or “permanent” loans. Donations are made with the understanding that all rights and titles transfer to Montgomery History.
Contact Us
For more information on the Montgomery History object collections, or if you have an artifact you’d like us to consider for donation, please contact:
Collections Committee
111 W. Montgomery Avenue
Rockville, MD 20850
301-340-2825
elay@montgomeryhistory.org
Different policies apply to donating photos, documents, and other archival material. For more information on the library and archive collection, or to inquire about donations, please contact:
Sarah Hedlund, Librarian and Archivist
301-340-2974
archives@montgomeryhistory.org