Collection Management

Mission

To collect, curate, conserve, display and conduct research on heritage items relating to the Anglo-Boer War of 1899-1902.

Collection Theme

The Museum collection consists mainly of approximately 35 000 historic and cultural heritage items that are directly or indirectly related to the Anglo-Boer War of 1899-1902.

Acquisitions

Acquisitions supplement the existing collection and add value to the collection as a whole. The collection of the Museum is continuously expanded by acquiring objects through: pro-active collecting, donations, bequests and purchases. Accepted acquisitions become the lawfull property of the Museum.

The following criteria will be considered when heritage items are evaluated for acquisition purposes:

• Items must be relevant to the Museum's main theme.
• Items must be in a reasonable condition or should be capable of restoration to its original condition, unless the physical condition is integral to the intrinsic value of the items.
• The legal title and provenance of the items should be established.
• Items with restrictions will be acquired selectively.
• Items considered for acquisitoning may not be in contradiction with any applicable governing laws.

Registration

The Museum has a registration process whereby acquired heritage items are accessioned and documented according to accepted national and international museum standards.

Conservation and Restoration

The Museum is responsible for the long-term care and conservation of the collection. General preventative conservation principles are implemented by providing environmentally controlled conditions, security and disaster measures as well as protection against harmful biological and mechanical factors. When deemed necessary heritage items are restored by professional conservators and restorers.

Training

The Collection Management personnel are skilled professionals in their various fields of expertise and they continue to receive training on subjects such as standard museum practices and conservation techniques by attending workshops and training courses.

Research

Continuous research is undertaken by the Collections Management personnel focusing on interesting subjects and related information regarding specific items in the collection.

 Download PDF Concentration Camp Memoraryware by Vicky Heunis (format: PDF, size: 860kb)

Collections