Gifts of items from generous individuals enable us to enrich and grow our historic collections.
Items accepted into the National Maritime Museum collections are used in a variety of ways. They may be:
- displayed in galleries and exhibitions at Royal Museums Greenwich
- lent for display elsewhere in Britain or around the world
- used to engage audiences in new ways via our education programme
- made available for historical research
- digitised for our collections online
How to offer us an item
Our curators are always interested to find out about the objects people wish to donate. For reasons of security and public accountability we have a procedure to manage this process.
To present an item or collection to the National Maritime Museum (for Royal Museums Greenwich) you must complete an official Donation Form. You should include your contact details and provide as much information about the item(s) as possible, including digital photographs.
The information you submit will be forwarded to relevant specialists at the museum for consideration. They will contact you for further information and explain the criteria used for accepting gifts.
How decisions are made
To be accepted into our collections, items must meet the criteria set out in museum’s collection strategy.
We may decline an offer if:
- we have example(s) in our collections already
- the offer would be more appropriate to another museum or collection. We will endeavour to provide contact details for suggested alternatives
- the proposed gift is in poor condition or will occupy a disproportionate amount of space
Useful documents
Contact us
If you have questions or queries about the donation process, contact the Registration team
Email: registration@rmg.co.uk