Collection Overview

Collections and Acquisitions Procedures
  1. The Wolfsonian has in place a Collections and Acquisitions Committee that reviews all offers, whether for donation or purchase.
  2. The Curator or Librarian cannot meet with potential donors or sellers without a prior appointment.
  3. The Wolfsonian staff are not authorized to make appraisals or to conserve objects. We do, however, refer individuals to professional organizations/services in our area, if possible.
  4. If the offer is within our area of interest, the Curatorial Assistant will request that the donor/seller send the offer in writing with photographs and pertinent historical information to the Wolfsonian Curatorial Department, 1001 Washington Avenue, Miami Beach, Florida 33139.
  5. The Collections and Acquisitions Committee will review the offer (the Committee meets quarterly, so the review process may take up to 12 weeks).
  6. If the offer covers a large amount of material, and it is decided that a visit is necessary, either a Curator or a Librarian (depending on the nature of the collection) will make an appointment to review the collection.
  7. After review, the Curator/Librarian will make a full report to the Collections and Acquisitions Committee (please note that although all offers for donations are appreciated, the museum may be limited in financial resources and storage space for housing of additional objects. It is the role of the Committee to assess whether the offered item(s) can be properly stored and, if necessary, conserved, and to determine whether appropriate funds can be delegated for new acquisitions).
  8. A final decision will be made by the Collections and Acquisitions Committee.
  9. After the decision has been made, the donor/seller will be contacted. If the Collections and Acquisitions Committee declines the offer, the materials sent in for review may be returned upon request.

The following is a list of information that would be beneficial to include with a collection offer:

A list of items
Photographs or photocopies
Asking price (if applicable)
Artist, designer, maker information
Dates
Origin (if known)
Indication of any special markings or signs of authenticity
Supplemental information regarding provenance, condition, etc.

FEATURED OBJECT:
Desk and chair, "Puzzle," c. 1927
Designed by Paul Theodore Frankl (American, b. Austria, 1886-1958)
Made by Frankl Galleries, New York
Red baked enamel, sheet steel, aluminum, glass
Photo: Willard Associates, Miami, Florida
The Mitchell Wolfson, Jr. Collection, The Wolfsonian–Florida International University, Miami Beach
83.11.2.1

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