Deaccession Project

Since its establishment in 1986, the Katherine Mansfield Birthplace Society (KMBS) has received many objects as gifts and loans. Many of these gifts and loans were made in the late 1980s and early 1990s, in order to furnish and dress the house. KMBS is very grateful for the public support and engagement demonstrated by gifts and loans to its collection. Following refinement of the KMBS Collection Policy and the 2019 redevelopment of the house, KMBS finds itself with objects that no longer meet the criteria of our Collection Policy. Katherine Mansfield House & Garden (KMHG) staff are now engaging in a deaccession project, as per the process set out in the Collection Policy and deaccession best practice.

Any object identified for deaccession first needs to be approved for deaccession by the KMBS Board. If approval is granted and the object was a gift or a loan, KMHG staff will make best efforts to contact the person who made the gift or loan to offer the object back to them, or discuss alternative options. If the person is now deceased, KMHG staff will make best efforts to establish if there are any descendants and make contact with them.

In some cases, unsolicited objects from members of the public have been received as potential donations to the collection. Some of these objects came into our possession without contact information about the depositor, or contact with this person has been lost subsequently.

Help us locate the original owners of these objects

We want to find the original owners of the objects pictured below so that we can offer to return the objects to them. If we are unable to make contact with the original owners, these objects will become the property of KMBS following the required three month waiting period set under the Unsolicited Goods and Services Act 1975.

If you are the original owner of one of these objects or know who the original owner is, please contact us.