LOANS FROM OUR COLLECTIONS

We are often asked to lend items to other organisations.

All outward loans have to be formally approved by the Trustees, who meet in February, July and October of each year.  Applications are considered on their individual merits. The Trustees’ decisions are normally based on the following principles:

• The aim of outward loans is to display the work of the mentally distressed to a wider public in an appropriate context.
• The Trust actively promotes the loan of its set-piece exhibitions.
• The Trust will consider favourably loans of individual or groups of artefacts if they are to be displayed in a context which will promote the aims of the Trust.
• The Trust is unlikely to approve the loan of individual or groups of artefacts where the display context has no reference to mental illness.

OUR STANDARD LOAN CONDITIONS

Overview. We promote the de-stigmatisation of mental illness countrywide by means of touring exhibitions and lectures. We presently offer 4 exhibitions, the art of Richard Dadd (1817-1886), the art of Louis Wain (1860-1939), the photography of Henry Hering 1857-1859, and Psychiatric Art 1947-2007.  The art exhibitions contain around 40 paintings and the photographic exhibition 20 photographic portraits. Exhibitions are loaned free, but the borrower arranges packing and transport and nail-to-nail insurance. We supply supporting sale items (postcards, mugs, and paperweights) on a sale or return basis. We can also provide a lecture, and our Education and Outreach Officer is available to help with supporting schools programmes.

Approval. All external loans have to be approved by the Trustees of the Bethlem Art and History Collections Trust. The Trustees meet three times a year, in February, June and October. Generally they will agree loan proposals if the loan will advance our mission as shown above. They do not normally loan individual works to exhibitions of a general nature. 

Pre-conditions. Loans are subject to the proposer providing evidence of temperature, lighting and humidity controls, security for the exhibits loaned, and nail-to-nail insurance cover. We would ask for a note on the security arrangements throughout exhibition opening and silent hours. We would wish to see a note of the insurance cover or, if insured by a local government authority, a note from a responsible officer stating that the exhibition would fall within their insurance cover. The current insured value of the Richard Dadd exhibition is £1,250,000, the Louis Wain exhibition £135,000, the Henry Hering photographic exhibition £10,000 and the Psychiatric Art 1947-2007 exhibition £20,000.

Frames. All of the pictures are supplied framed and with mirror plates. It is the borrower’s responsibility to package them here prior to moving. We supply specially constructed wooden cases for the 2 large Louis Wain paintings on mirrors, but the paintings will need packing and putting in the cases. Eleven of the Richard Dadd paintings are on glass, but backed by board and framed and with glass over the glass of the painting. They have their own travelling case.

Condition inspection. We produce pre-printed condition reports with images for ease of identification. When the paintings arrive at your museum or gallery please carry out a condition inspection: if any damage has occurred it must be reported to us before the exhibition opens.

Credits. The credit on the captions and the catalogue should be On loan from the Bethlem Art and History Collections Trust. Some of the Richard Dadd paintings have a slightly different form of words as they are on long loan to us.

Photography. Commercial photography or taking of images for resale is not permitted. We have no objection to photography for publicity, public relations, news reporting or the borrower’s internal purposes.

Supporting items. We can supply merchandise - mugs, postcards, paperweights and erasers on a sale or return basis. We shall state the cost to the borrower of each item: the borrower may charge whatever price they decide. Items are not marked with prices.

Waiver of fees. The exhibitions are supplied free of charge. Our interest is in getting the work of artists who have suffered mental distress shown to new and wider audiences. Please record the numbers of visitors to the exhibition. If the exhibition is included in the entry charge to the museum please simply let us know the total number of visitors. Any additional feedback would be welcome.

Lecture. We can supply a lecturer if required. There is no fee, but travel and accommodation costs would be paid by the borrower. Our Education and Outreach Officer can help with the construction of programmes.

Conclusion of the loan. The loan formally ends when we complete the return condition report, which we shall complete within a week of the items returning here.