Transaction Terms: Acquire
SI Data Content Committe, 1994, Version 1.0

I. Acquire

A. Introduction

Acquiring collections is the most fundamental and traditional activity of museums.

To fulfill the Institution's mandate, collections are enhanced each year by the acquisition of thousands of new items which contribute to the understanding of our cultural and natural heritage and increase the value of our holdings as a research resource. In order to provide responsible management of the collections held in trust by the Institution, collections undergo a rigorous selection and review process. Each museum actively assesses the degree to which new acquisitions and existing collections are consistent with the mission of the museum; enhance objectives in research, exhibitions, or public programs; and can receive appropriate care and management.

Museums and collecting organizations of the Smithsonian develop, maintain, conserve, research, interpret, and, in the case of living plants and animals, propagate, collections of art, artifacts, and natural specimens. The Smithsonian acquires collections through gift, bequest, purchase, exchange, transfer, field collecting, and any other method which transfers title to the museum (i.e., birth at the National Zoological Park). As a general rule, an object or specimen is accepted only when there is good faith intention to accession, which is the formal process of recording an addition to the collection. In addition to accessioned collections, museums acquire other types of collections for different purposes, i.e., study, supplementary, education, restoration, and exhibit. The status of these non-accessioned collections ranges from permanent to expendable. Prudent acquisition policies assure prompt documentation and accountability of all collections, accessioned and non-accessioned.

Acquire

To gain legal title to and physical possession of an object or specimen.

B. Terms

Acquire
To gain legal title to and physical possession of an object or specimen.
Terms in Current Use
ACQUIRE
Source : AM, NMAI, NMNH
ACQUISITION
Source: NPG
Bargain sale
To acquire an object or specimen for less than fair market value because the seller intends to make a charitable contribution for the difference between the purchase price and fair market value. A bargain sale acquisition is both a purchase and a gift.
Terms in Current Use
BARGAIN SALE
Source: NMAA, NMNH
DONATIVE PURCHASE
Source : AMSG/FGA, NMAfA
GIFT AND PURCHASE
Souce : NMNH, NMAA
GIFT OF AND PURCHASED FROM
Source : HMSG, NPG
Historic Terms
DONATIVE PURCHASE
Souce : NMAA
Bequest
To acquire an object through the terms of a will. A bequest is the same as a gift; however, the object and/or legal title are not received by the museum until after the death of the donor.
Terms in Current Use
BEQUEST
Source: AM, AMSG/FGA, C-HM, NASM, NMAA, NMAfA, NMAH, NMAI, NMNH
BEQUEST OF
Source : C-HM, HMSG, NMAI, NPG
Historic Terms
GIFT OF ESTATE
Source: AM, NMAA
To acquire an object from the executor of an estate, acting on behalf of the estate, a gift from the residuary estate.
PARTIAL BEQUEST
Source : NMNH
To acquire the title to a percentage of an object. The remaining portion of the object is on loan to the Museum.
RESTRICTED BEQUEST
Source : NMNH
To acquire an object through the terms of a will which sets forth conditions relating to the use and care of the bequest.
Birth
To acquire a specimen through birth or hatching.
Terms in Current Use
BIRTH, ON LOAN TO ANOTHER
Source: NZP
To acquire a specimen through a birth or hatching at another institution under the terms of a loan agreement where ownership of a parent is assigned to the National Zoological Park.
BIRTH, ON LOAN TO US
Source: NZP
To acquire a specimen through a birth or hatching at the National Zoological Park under the terms of a loan agreement where ownership is assigned to the owner of a parent.
Collected
To acquire an object in the field through persons authorized to collect for the museum.
Terms in Current Use
COLLECTED
Source: NMAI
COLLECTED BY
Source : NMAI, NZP
COLLECTED FOR NMAH
Source: NMAH
COLLECTED FOR THE MUSEUM
Source : NMNH
Historic Terms
FIELD COLLECTION
Source: NMNH
Objects collected by the staff but not yet processed. Appropriate items will be accessioned.
Deposit
To acquire physical custody of Federally owned objects. Objects on deposit are Federally-owned collections which are placed indefinitely in the care of the Smithsonian Institution and may be withdrawn at any time.
Terms in Current Use
DEPOSITED
Source : NMNH
Historic Terms
DEPOSIT
Source : NMAA
Exchange
To acquire an object for which legal title, physical custody, and management responsibility are accepted by the museum in return for an object of equal value. If the values of the exchanged objects are unequal, a combination of acquisition methods may apply.
Terms in Current Use
BY EXCHANGE FROM
Source : HMSG, NMAI
BY EXCHANGE/PURCHASE FROM
Source : HMSG, NMAA
EVEN TRADE
Source : NZP
EXCHANGE
Source: NASM, NMAfA, NMAA, NMAH, NMAI, NMNH
EXCHANGE/GIFT OF
Source : C-HM, HMSG, NMAA
OPEN END TRADE
Source: NZP
An exchange where the return specimen of equal value will be sent at a specified or unspecified date in the future.
Historic Terms
INSTITUTIONAL EXCHANGE
Source NMNH
To acquire an object that is the property of the institution involved in the exchange.
PERSONAL EXCHANGE
To acquire an object that is the property of the individual involved in the exchange.
Found in Collection
To acquire an object by the discovery of its presence in the museum, without connection to provenance or status records.
Terms in Current Use
CONTINGENCY OBJECT
Source : NMAfA
Term used to designate found objects that are unmatched to accession records, but are believed to be accessioned.
FOUND IN COLLECTION
Source: AM, NASM, NMAH, NMAI, NMNH
MUSEUM ACQUISITION
Source: NMAA
UNKNOWN
Source: NMAI, NZP
UNSOLICITED GIFT
Source: C-HM
X-NUMBER OBJECT
Source : NMAfA
Historic Terms
FOUND IN COLLECTION
Source: NMAfA, NZP
Gift
To acquire an object without monetary payment. A gift requires the completion of three elements: evidence of intent to make the gift, delivery of the gift, and acceptance of the gift.
Terms in Current Use
DONATION
Source : NZP
DONOR
Source : AM, AMSG/FGA, C-HM, NASM, NMAfA, NPG
GIFT
Source:: AM, C-HM, NASM, NMAA, NMAfA, NMAH, NMNH
GIFT OF
Source : C-HM, HMSG, NMAI, NPG
GIFT OF STATE
Source : NMAfA
To acquire an unsolicited gift from a foreign government
PARTIAL GIFT
Source : NMNH
To acquire a percentage of title to an indivisible object or set of objects. The portion of title not acquired is considered to be borrowed.
PRESENTED BY
Source: NMAI
RESTRICTED GIFT
Source: NASM, NMAfA
To acquire an object which has conditions relating to its use and care. These restrictions are set at the time of the donation.
UNRESTRICTED GIFT
Source: NMAfA
To acquire an object which has no conditions relating to its use and care.
Historic Terms
GIFT FOR NAMES
Source: NMNH
To acquire an object in exchange for the identification of the specimen.
INSTITUTIONAL GIFT
Source:
NMNH
To acquire an object that is the property of the sending institution.
LIFETIME ENJOYMENT GIFT
Source: C-HM
To acquire legal title to an object while the donor is allowed to retain physical possession of the object during his or her lifetime.
PARTIAL GIFT
Source: C-HM
To acquire the title to a percentage of an object. The remaining portion of the object is on loan to the museum. The loan is renewable annually with the donor retaining title to a decreasing percentage of the object.
PERSONAL GIFT
Source: NMNH
To acquire an object that is the property of the individual donor.
RESTRICTED GIFT
Source: NMNH
To acquire an object which has conditions relating to its use and care. These restrictions are set at the time of the donation.
Made in Museum
To acquire an object which has been crafted, created, or prepared by Smithsonian staff, such as exhibit props or Folk Life Festival objects.
Terms in Current Use
BUILT BY MODEL SHOP
Source: SITES
DESIGNED BY
Source: SITES
MADE AT NMAH
Source: NMAH
MADE IN MUSEUM
Source: NMNH
MODELED BY
Source: SITES
SUPPLEMENTARY COLLECTIONS
Source: C-HM
Purchase
To acquire an object through the payment of money or its equivalent.
Terms in Current Use
AUCTION
Source: AMSG/FGA, C-HM, NPG
COMMISSIONED BY MUSEUM
Source: NASM
GIFT FUND
Source: NMAH
GIFT/PURCHASE
Source: NASM, NMAH, NPG
PURCHASE
Source: AMSG/FGA, C-HM, NASM, NMAH, NMAI, NMNH, NZP
PURCHASED FROM
Source: C-HM, HMSG, NMAI, NPG
VENDOR
Source: NPG
Several Smithsonian museums use the following terms to specify purchase by the source of funds used to acquire an object or specimen:
MUSEUM PURCHASE
Source: C-HM, NMAfA, NMAA, NPG To acquire an object through payment of federal funds.
MUSEUM PURCHASE -- DEACCESSION FUNDS
Source: C-HM, NMAA
To acquire an object in whole or part with deaccession funds. The credit line for such objects will include recognition of the donor of the deaccessioned work, the sale of which provided funds for the newly acquired object.
MUSEUM PURCHASE / FEDERAL/SPECIAL FUNDS
Source: NMAA, NPG
To acquire an object partly with federal funds and partly with special acquisition fund monies (Trust).
MUSEUM PURCHASE -- GIFT OF FUNDS
Source: C-HM, NMAA, NPG
To acquire an object in part with federal funds and in part with trust funds given by a donor for the specific purpose of purchasing a particular work. The credit line states this acquisition is a gift from the donor of the funds.
MUSEUM PURCHASE -- SMITHSONIAN COLLECTIONS
Source: C-HM, NMAA, NPG
To acquire an object with funds from the Smithsonian Collections Acquisition Fund.
MUSEUM PURCHASE -- SPECIAL PURCHASE
Source: NMAA, NPG
To acquire an object with monies from a special acquisitions fund, such as the Robert Tyler Davis Memorial Fund or the Director's Discretionary Fund.
Transfer
To acquire an object through the conveyance of title, physical custody, and management responsibility from a government agency to the Smithsonian Institution.
Terms in Current use
GOVERNMENT TRANSFER
Source: NMAH
INTRAMURAL TRANSFER
Source: NMAfA, NMNH
Conveys title, physical custody, and management responsibility from one Smithsonian Institution bureau or office to another.
TRANSFER
Source: AMSG/FGA, C-HM, NASM, NMAfA, NMAA, NMAI, NMNH, NPG
TRANSFER (GOVERNMENTAL)
Source: NMNH
TRANSFERRED FROM
Source: C-HM, HMSG, NMAfA, NMAI, NPG
SI TRANSFER -- COLLECTION
Source: NMAH
SI TRANSFER -- PROPERTY
Source: NMAH
Historic Terms
INTERMURAL TRANSFER
Source: NMAH
Conveys physical custody and management responsibility from one Smithsonian bureau or office to another.
INTRAMURAL TRANSFER
Source: NMNH
TRANSFER FROM OTHER GOVERNMENT AGENCIES
Source: NMNH
TRANSFER NON-SI
Source: NMNH