Collection Donations
The Museum of Connecticut History welcomes donations that help tell the stories of our state’s rich political, military, and industrial heritage. We are interested in a wide range of objects that connect to Connecticut’s history and reflect how our citizens lived, worked, and served our communities. The Museum has a limited budget for acquisitions, and as such relies on donations to build its collection.
In order for an item to be eligible for consideration, it must fall within the museum’s Collection Scope, as defined in its Collection Management Policy. Typically, this means the object in question must relate to the State of Connecticut’s political, military, or industrial history.
Our curators are happy to discuss potential donations and how they might fit into our state’s history. There are many ordinary objects that can tell extraordinary stories!
We hope you’ll contact us to discuss how your objects might find a permanent home where they can educate and inspire future generations about Connecticut’s noteworthy past. Our acquisition process includes an internal review to be sure items meet our mission and scope of collections. The process generally takes a few weeks.
Please note that if your potential donation consists predominately of paper (letters, diaries, records, etc.) or photographs, you should contact the Connecticut State Archives at CT.Archives@ct.gov.The archives, also housed within the Connecticut State Library, are specifically equipped to preserve and provide access to these types of materials. We work closely with the Archives to ensure any mixed collections – paper and objects – remain connected through our records even when they are stored in the most appropriate places.
Lastly, Museum of Connecticut History and Connecticut State Library employees cannot give appraisals for the purpose of establishing tax deductible value of donated items. Evaluations must be secured by the donor at his/her/their expense.
If you are interested in making a Collection Donation, please contact us at museumofcthistory@ct.gov with the following information:
Collection Donation Request
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Name
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Address
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Phone
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Email
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Object name
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Object description
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Provenance: (Where did you get it? Where did it come from? What is the object’s history?)
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Connection to CT political, military, and industrial history:
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Are you looking to donate this object?
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Where is the object located? Will you be able to deliver this object to the museum at its Hartford location?
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Please attach digital photographs of the item(s) to assist in our review. Thank you!