For donors

Forum Marinum accepts donations of, for example, objects, maritime literature, photographs and documents.

We decide on whether to accept each object on an individual basis, according to whether it suits our area of documentation and with view to the existing objects in our collections. Usually only one piece of a number of identical or similar objects are preserved. When accepting donations, we prioritise objects for which there is good information on their background and use. We also document the present – objects do not have to be old to be in a museum!

The material is added to the Forum Marinum objects or photograph collections to be used in, for example, exhibitions and research. Books are incorporated into the reference library of the centre. Forum Marinum works in close cooperation with the Åbo Akademi Institute for Maritime History, and photographs and documents are primarily added to the archives of the Institute to be available for researchers. If we, for some reason, cannot accept a donation, we suggest the donor contacts another museum.

The museum usually does not have the means to purchase items for its collections, and we do not make valuations. Monetary value is rarely a primary factor when making a decision on whether to accept an object. A small and also a new object can tell a priceless story! Objects can be marked by their use, but it is important to leave the possible cleaning and repair of the object to the museum staff.

The donor must be the owner of the object. When the donation is received, a formal receipt is filled out, or a deed of gift is written which transfers the full ownership and possession rights to the Forum Marinum Foundation. We accept donations on other grounds only in exceptional cases.

If you have material which you would like to donate to the Forum Marinum collections, please contact us to arrange a meeting. The contact information and specialisation fields of our staff are found on the page Forum Marinum’s experts.