3. Guidance for Borrowers
3.1 Preliminary enquiries
Details about our collections can be found on our website. Initial research to identify items can be undertaken by searching the catalogue, which includes images of many items in our collections.
If further information is required about either items in our collection or the loan process, please contact loans@wellcomecollection.org.
To initiate a loan a formal request must be addressed to the Collections Registrar, Wellcome Collection, 183 Euston Road, London NW1 2BE. Requests should be sent by email to loans@wellcomecollection.org. All requests should contain the following information, and be received at least nine months in advance of the opening date:
- Title of the exhibition / display.
- Exhibition / display venue(s) and dates.
- Name and full contact details of the organiser.
- A general outline of the exhibition.
- List of items requested with reference numbers (NB. The folio/page opening when relevant is essential).
- Reason for inclusion of the items in the exhibition.
- Any information around your approach to access, diversity and inclusion, in addition to environmental sustainability.
- An undertaking to meet all direct costs arising from the loan which may include conservation, mounting/framing, packing, transport, insurance and couriering.
Your request should also include:
- A completed and up-to-date Facilities report for each venue. We normally ask for a completed UK Registrar’s Group Standard Facilities Report, Security Supplement, and Display Case Supplement (if applicable). However, if a similar pre-prepared report already exists this is normally acceptable.
- Environmental readings (temperature and relative humidity) for a period equivalent to the loan.
3.3 Loan approval
Once a formal request is received, it will be presented to our Loans Committee meeting for decision. The Committee is made up of staff from our Curatorial and Public Practice, Collections and Digital, and Access, Diversity & Inclusion departments. Approximately four Loans Committee meetings take place a year, which means it may take up to three months for a decision to be made. When reviewing a request, the Committee will consider how the loan supports our mission and objectives, your inclusive practices, environmental sustainability, the availability and condition of the item, our existing commitments, and the risks involved. Throughout this process we will keep the borrower informed about when we expect a decision to be made.
If a loan request is approved, more detailed discussions will follow about the display methods, packing, transport, couriers, images and reproduction rights, and any other special requirements. If a loan request is declined, the reason will be explained.
3.4 Costs
Wellcome Collection does not charge loan fees. We also do not charge for most conservation work if it can be completed by our own Conservation team, for the production of in-house condition reports, most photography of items, or for staff time if this can be managed within existing resources.
All other costs associated with the loan will need to be met by the borrower. These normally include:
- Mounting, framing and glazing of flat items.
- Manufacture of cradles or mounts for books and items.
- Packing and return transportation.
- Nail-to-nail insurance.
- All courier costs if required (including travel, accommodation and subsistence).
- Conservation work completed by external contractors for items that need specialist assessment and treatment. In this instance, the cost of the initial condition assessment and any additional conservation work will be met by the borrower.
- Photography, if it is beyond that necessary for the loan (e.g. different page openings from those being displayed).
All costs will be communicated to the borrower for their approval before any work is carried out. An indication of possible costs is outlined on our website.
3.5 Insurance
The borrower will need to insure all items, based on valuations provided by us, on an ‘agreed value’ ‘all-risks’ ‘nail-to-nail’ basis. A copy of the insurance policy must be sent well in advance of the loan date and a certificate of insurance received prior to the items being dispatched.
We will accept the UK Government Indemnity Scheme in lieu of commercial insurance and may also be able to accept indemnities offered by other countries, provided a copy of the indemnity is provided well in advance for us to examine the terms.
If the borrower cannot provide adequate insurance or government indemnity, we reserve the right to take out commercial insurance at the borrower’s expense.
3.6 Environmental conditions
All items must be stored and displayed in a suitable environment. The specific environmental requirements of each item will be specified in the loan agreement, and these must be adhered to at all times.
Our normal requirements are a relative humidity set between 50% (+/- 10% in any 24-hour period) and a temperature of 20°C (+/- 2 degrees in any 24-hour period), and a maximum of 50 lux for light sensitive material. However, we will treat each item on a case-by-case basis. We appreciate that some institutions may not have environmental control systems, and in these instances, are happy to work with the borrower to consider alternative ways of ensuring the correct conditions (for example the use of display cases or buffering material).
3.7 Display methods
If items require framing, cradles or mounts, this will be organised by us and carried out by our approved contractors in consultation with the borrower regarding style, colours, etc. All costs will be agreed with the borrower first and invoiced by Wellcome at a later date.
Display cases will need to meet our specifications, details of which will be provided. We will also want to know which other institution(s) we will be sharing a case with, and what kind of items will be in there.
Final design lay-outs and display cases specifications and/or drawings must be sent to us in advance to ensure we are happy. We may ask for adjustments if required.
3.8 Packing and transport
All packing and transport must be completed to the specifications outlined by us, and usually arranged by the borrower. Typically, this will require an experienced fine art transport company, which must be approved prior to appointment. If packing cases are required these must be constructed as per our instructions (note packing cases are required for all international loans). We will also need to approve all transport arrangements for the loan, such as routes and overnight stops, in advance.
3.9 Couriers
The decision to send a courier is taken on a case-by-case basis using a risk assessment. Our starting presumption is that no courier is required, before considering a virtual courier, and finally an in-person courier. If a courier is deemed necessary, we reserve the right to send one for installation, de-installation, as well as rotations or page turns. We recognise that courier costs can be significant and will work to try and keep these down (for example by considering courier sharing or reassessing the risks after install).
When a courier is required, the borrower will arrange and pay for transport and hotel accommodation. They will also provide a pre-agreed per diem to cover food and sundry expenses, which should be given to the courier in cash immediately upon arrival, or by bank transfer. If the courier needs to make their own way to and from the airport, we ask the borrower to cover this cost separately as taxis or train fares can use up a large portion of a courier’s per diem.
For travel, our preference is to use lower carbon transport modes, including rail when the journey can be made in less than 10 hours. If air travel is required and the courier is escorting the loan, they will need to fly business class.
3.10 Arrival, condition checking and installation
On arrival if items are not to be installed immediately, they must be stored in a secure, environmentally controlled space. Particularly sensitive items may need 24 hours to acclimatise; we will advise in advance if this is necessary.
Installation can only take place when the gallery is free from construction, with a minimum of three days allowed for adhesives, paints and varnishes to have dried and off-gassed. Items must not be unpacked until the space is ready for installation. If a courier has accompanied the loan, unpacking must wait until they are present.
A condition report will be sent for each item on loan. If a courier is present, they will complete a condition check of the item with the borrower, with any changes noted on the report before signing. If no courier is present, the borrowing institution will complete the condition check and notify us of any changes immediately. Condition checks must be carried out on a padded table and with suitable lighting.
Items must be installed by experienced technical staff and under the courier’s supervision, if one has been sent. Once each item has been installed, it must not be handled further. Display cases containing items must be closed and locked in the courier’s presence and not opened again without contacting us for approval, unless in an emergency.
This process will be completed in reverse for takedown. Empty packing crates and material must be stored in a secure, waterproof and stable environment, and allowed to re-acclimatise before packing takes place.
3.11 Acknowledgement
Every item lent must be accompanied by the acknowledgement “Wellcome Collection, London”. If additional acknowledgements are required, we will advise the borrower. This extends to use of the item (or images of it) in any publication or media coverage arising from the loan.
3.12 Images, photography and filming
We will provide images of each item lent at no cost to the borrower. If additional images are requested (e.g. different page openings from those being displayed) then there may be a charge. The Collections Registrar will put you in touch with our Image and Audiovisual Services Manager, who will provide all images.
We are happy for items on loan to be photographed by the public while on display, providing the item does not have copyright restrictions, flash is not used, and the images are for personal non-commercial use. Any other requests for photography or filming must be directed to the Collections Registrar. Please note that If items are in copyright and we are not the copyright holder, then it will be the borrower’s responsibility to obtain and clear all necessary permissions and rights to reproduce the item.
3.13 During the loan
Borrowers should monitor items and their facilities throughout the loan period to ensure all conditions are adhered to. If any change, loss or damage to an item is noted, facilities or environmental conditions vary, or loan conditions cannot be met, the Collections Registrar must be informed immediately. In these circumstances, we may need to undertake a site visit to inspect the items, which would be at the borrower’s expense. In exceptional instances, it may be necessary to recall the items.
3.14 Renewal of loan
Short-term loans of less than one year cannot normally be renewed. Long-term loans can be considered for renewal, providing at least four months’ notice is given before the expiry date. Renewal will be subject to approval by our Loans Committee.
3.15 Cancellation
If a loan needs to be cancelled by the borrower, then we must be notified in writing. Even when a loan has been cancelled for valid reasons and this is before its dispatch date, we may still charge for any costs already incurred, such as framing or mount making.