Donate to the Towneley Hall Collection

Thinking of donating an object or artwork to Towneley Hall Museum & Art Gallery?

We welcome offers of objects and artworks that help us preserve Burnley and East Lancashire’s rich heritage. As we already hold a collection of more than 30,000 objects which need to be documented and cared for, any new donation has to be considered very carefully.

What We Consider

Each donation is reviewed carefully by a small group of staff. Key factors include:

• Size and storage needs
• Relevance to our existing collections
• Current legal ownership
• Object condition and conservation needs
• Duplication within other museum collections

Please note: unfortunately, we are not able to accept all offers

How to donate

Email us at museumdonations@burnley.gov.uk

In you’re please include the following details:

• A description of the item(s)
• Photographs of the item(s)
• Known history or provenance, plus as much information about the object(s) or the people they belonged to, as you are able to supply
• Your contact details

We aim to respond within 10 working days.

If Accepted

• A member of staff will contact you to arrange an appointment so that a legal transfer document to be completed
• It is important to note that not all objects can be displayed, but may be stored until their use is required
• Some donations may be considered to be better placed within our ‘handling collection’ for education purposes. If this is the case, this will be agreed in advance.

Please Note

• We are not able to accept long-term loans unless for specific exhibitions
• Display of donated objects is not possible to guarantee
• We may unfortunately decline donations that do not meet our criteria

Thank you for considering a donation to Towneley Hall. Your generosity helps us preserve the past and inspire future generations.