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Army Museums to give out excess artifacts, including weapons and historic uniforms


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Army museums to give out excess artifacts, including weapons and historic uniforms

 

The Army Museum Enterprise is getting rid of duplicate artifacts among its 580,000-item collection over the next five years, leaving opportunities for other museums, veterans organizations, national parks, and state and local governments to ultimately claim the excess inventory.

 

The divestiture will include artifacts from all 46 museums operated by AME, according to an Army Headquarters press release Monday.

“We expect that the first divestiture by site will take place in Spring of 2021, but we have been working on collections reviews over the past year," Stefan Rohal, AME’s historic materiel division chief, told Army Times.

Rohal’s division is working with the Defense Logistics Agency to establish the process for reviewing and distributing artifacts. He said the goal in announcing the plan early is to ensure that eligible organizations sign up with the General Services Administration so they have time to request property.

 

https://www.armytimes.com/news/your-army/2020/11/02/army-museums-will-give-out-excess-artifacts-including-weapons-and-historic-uniforms/

 

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Interesting, I wonder what denotes "duplicate uniforms". I would think each individual uniform would have enough historical significance due to it being worn by different people to not be seen as a duplicate item in a collection but I guess we will see. It mentions items might be available to the general public as well? I wonder what that would mean? An auction? 

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I don’t think this is about funds.

 

They are giving away the items to other museums.

 

I wonder if they are breaking up groups?

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General Apathy
22 hours ago, huntssurplus said:

Interesting, I wonder what denotes "duplicate uniforms". I would think each individual uniform would have enough historical significance due to it being worn by different people to not be seen as a duplicate item in a collection but I guess we will see. It mentions items might be available to the general public as well? I wonder what that would mean? An auction? 

.

Hi, I think it's more about clearing out clutter and making more space. Back in the early 90's I was given a private guided tour of a US museum on it's closed day, a guy swung up to the front of the building and headed to the door with a uniform on a hanger.  The curator said I better see what he wants, after a brief conversation the guy returned to his car with the uniform and the curator came back to me and said it was someone wishing to donate his grandfathers uniform.  The uniform in question was for the division that the museum was dedicated to, I asked the question why he didn't take it, he led me to a store room with several hundred identical uniforms.  The curator related they already had so many examples un-displayed that all that interested them was any variation on the style of Division patch.

 

I could see his problem, too many uniforms to display, visitors wouldn't want to walk past endless display cabinets with identical uniforms, private A, private B, privates X, Y and Z.  Sad to see really.  

 

regards lewis

 

.

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30 minutes ago, General Apathy said:

.

Hi, I think it's more about clearing out clutter and making more space. Back in the early 90's I was given a private guided tour of a US museum on it's closed day, a guy swung up to the front of the building and headed to the door with a uniform on a hanger.  The curator said I better see what he wants, after a brief conversation the guy returned to his car with the uniform and the curator came back to me and said it was someone wishing to donate his grandfathers uniform.  The uniform in question was for the division that the museum was dedicated to, I asked the question why he didn't take it, he led me to a store room with several hundred identical uniforms.  The curator related they already had so many examples un-displayed that all that interested them was any variation on the style of Division patch.

 

I could see his problem, too many uniforms to display, visitors wouldn't want to walk past endless display cabinets with identical uniforms, private A, private B, privates X, Y and Z.  Sad to see really.  

 

regards lewis

 

.

 

Wow, that is sad when you think about it. Sad for that guy, the museum, and everyone really. I guess this is why it shouldn't be so taboo to sell items or give them to collectors. If you plan to donate you items, wouldn't it be better in the hands of a responsible collector?

 

Welp I guess I can really answer my own question. Unfortunately there just aren't enough responsible collectors out. Probably only 20% are actually handling artifacts with a satisfactory level of preservation techniques. There really should be a free "collecting school" to help educate more collectors, give them some sort of certification so families can feel more comfortable leaving their priceless family items in peoples collections knowing they will be well taken care of. In a perfect world I guess..

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2 hours ago, kfields said:

I LOVE museums but I would never donate to one for some of the reasons mentioned here.

 

I agree. Museums go out of business. They close etc and even if they don't, as in this case, they are getting rid of things.

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General Apathy
8 hours ago, kfields said:

I LOVE museums but I would never donate to one for some of the reasons mentioned here.

 

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Sadly over the years I have learnt many things about certain museums but if I were to share them here it would be a case of ' shooting the messenger '  . . . . . . . personally I am deeply shocked at one particular occurrence, but know ( not agree ) their reasons for doing it.  

 

One thing I will impart here is that about five years ago the directors of three museums were taken to court over here for replacing original donations with faked copies and selling off the originals. Post appearing in court the cases were reported in newspapers, one of the persons concerned had to make a compensation repayment of 300,000 to the one museum to avoid jail time.

 

lewis.

 

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Isn’t this the Nations Army museum?

 

How much flim flam happens at this level?

 

How do you qualify a responsible collector?

 

They are giving the items to other museums in their own circle, what’s wrong with that?

 

There are people in the military who think that all items should go to museums and that its sacrilegious for anyone to own items from someone other than family.

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I think anyone who thinks the donation of 'Uncle Bob's' uniform to any museum means that it goes on display or remains with the museum for ever is fooling themselves. Most museums have the bulk of their collection stored in cardboard boxes in the backroom. And stuff that is stored in cardboard boxes and poorly inventoried is easier to be pilfered by the unscrupulous.

Most museums frequently deaccession items to buy other stuff or pay for overhead or decide they want to go in a different direction and get rid of all that scary Army stuff.

Better to keep what you have in the family or if not possible, sell it to a private collector where there is a better chance it will be appreciated.

Of course this is all just my opinion.

Kim

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  • 3 weeks later...
Backtheattack

I agree with kfields. Museums have more than 70% in storage. There are ones - I know what I say - who get the items as a gift, family thought they will honor them, and then the items where sold at the museum like a flea market. Other ones had them on display, but sold the original ones and replace them with fakes. Think this is not only a problem in Europe. But I will talk about the other side - the side of the collector. Know some who get full picture albums as a gift beside an item, and sold them pic by pic on ebay which means destroying history.

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