Collections, Artifacts, and Donations
The Rossland Museum Collection
What is a museum collection?
The Rossland Museum & Discovery Centre collections consist of all the artifacts, records, photographs, specimens, and other items in our care. Museums collect things for different reasons - sometimes to display or exhibit different kinds of histories, sometimes to preserve historical evidence, and sometimes as a combination of the two.
Our Collections Storage houses all sorts of interesting items that you don’t always see on display! We periodically host Open Houses at the Museum - keep your eyes tuned for the next one to catch a behind-the-scenes tour.
Our primary objectives of collecting are to preserve, interpret, exhibit, and educate the Museum’s public about the rich history of Rossland; and to have available information, resources, archival material, and artifacts — as well as qualified staff — to support the Museum’s role as a research centre.
Our collections contribute to:
exhibitions
public and educational programs
research and study
and the cultural and educational enrichment of visitors and community
How do you decide what to collect?
Our permanent collection also includes a small art collection, featuring Rossland artists, Rossland subjects, and scenes of Rossland!
When people offer to donate artifacts to the Museum’s collection, our Collections team reviews the potential donation, considers whether it aligns with our Collections Policy, and decides whether to accept it into the collection. If there is any doubt as to whether an item is suitable for the collection, the item goes to the Collections & Research Committee for a final decision.
There are a lot of factors to consider when making this decision! For example:
Does the item relate specifically to the history or culture of Rossland and area? We’ve had some offers of items that are incredibly cool, but just aren’t relevant to our mandate — so we suggest that they go to a different Museum, instead! For instance, something related to the history of Trail would be more appropriate to go to the Trail Museum & Archives.
Do we already have one (or more) in the collection? Duplicate items can definitely still be valuable! For example, we might still be interested in adding a duplicate artifact if it’s in better condition than the artifacts already in our collection, if it has additional historical context attached (e.g. the item used to belong to your grandfather, and you know a really great story about how he used it), or if we can add the artifacts to our Education or Research Collections for different use within the Museum. However, sometimes we don’t have space for duplicates, so it’s definitely something we need to consider!
Can we care for it appropriately? We are committed to maintaining professional standards and best practices in the stewardship of our collection. If we take on the responsibility to care for an item, we need to know we have the resources (and the space!) to provide for its care and preservation.
These are all things that our Collections Manager needs to think about when deciding whether to accept a donation. The more information you can provide when you’re reaching out about donations, the better!
Donor Neil Daly with Mr. Esling’s cane, 2018
Types of Collections:
We have three different types of collections: the Permanent Collection, the Education Collection, and the Research Collection. When you offer to donate an artifact, our Collections Manager will consider which collection is the best fit for that item. Which collection it goes into will affect where it is stored, how it is categorized, and how we’ll use it to further our mission.
For example, items in the Permanent Collection might be stored with extra attention and only displayed behind glass cases, whereas items in the Education Collection might be used for hands-on historical exploration, and items in the Research Collection might be used by museum staff and external researchers as historical resources. These are only a few examples - there are a lot of factors that affect how we manage the items in our care!
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The Permanent Collection includes all items, both object and archival (tangible and intangible) for which the Museum has ownership and responsibility. These items are assigned an accession number, and for which records are kept. The Museum shall pursue, through donation or bequest, objects and records that contribute significantly to the Museum’s collection and that possess the visual integrity and physical condition necessary to be incorporated into the Museum’s exhibition program.
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Objects in the Education Collection may be obtained through gift or bequest or purchased through funds allocated for educational purposes. Items in this collection will not be assigned an accession number, but they will be included in collections records separate from the Permanent Collection. These collections may lack historical context or may be duplicates or replicas of objects in the Permanent Collection. These collections may be used for RMDC education/display programs or at the discretion of the Collections Manager.
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Objects in the Research Collection may be obtained through gift or bequest. Items in this collection will not be assigned an accession number, but an inventory of Research Collection material will be maintained separately from the Permanent and Education Collections. This collection will consist of duplicates (including photographs), non-archival material (newspapers, essays, magazines), and reference books on a wide variety of subject matter that support internal and external research projects at the Museum.
The Scope of the Collections
Textiles in the collections storage area, including Nancy Greene’s race suit from the 1968 Olympics.
Our Permanent Collection primarily speaks to the mining, winter sports, geology, and social history of Rossland and area. It also touches upon areas of power generation, commerce, transportation, agriculture, summer sports, and more.
Due to our finite collections storage space, we prioritize making selected additions to existing collections areas of focus.
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The primary focus includes:
Pre-settlement, natural, and continued Indigenous history of the Rossland area
The establishment and ongoing development of the City of Rossland and its residents, including the political, economic, industrial, social, sport, and cultural history
Hard rock mining in the Kootenay area, with a specific concentration on the Rossland Mines
Skiing development and sports history through to the present day
Geological, paleontological, and natural histories of the region
Information from the Cominco-Teck smelter located in Trail, when it relates to mining in Rossland or Rossland residents
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The Museum’s collections focus on the townsite of Rossland and its immediate surrounding area of the Rossland Range. It also focuses on the geological environment surrounding the Rossland area and may expand wide enough to cover Southeastern BC and northern Washington geology. Items may be collected if they are proven to inform the growth and development of the Rossland area and its contribution to British Columbia or Canada as a whole.
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We collect objects, photographs, oral histories, and more that reflect the constantly-changing cultural landscape in Rossland, beginning with human occupation right through to the present day.
We’re always looking through a long-term lens - so we believe even photographs or objects from last week are worth preserving! The most recent artifacts sometimes come with the best stories, as the original owners are still around to tell us about them.
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Our Archives are part of the Permanent Collection! Learn more about our archival holdings here.
Donating to the Collection
We collect new artifacts and documents year-round! Please get in touch with our Collections Manager, Sara, at artifacts@rosslandmuseum.ca for more information.
Donor John Greene with his toy crane, 2020
Frequently Asked Donation Questions
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Thanks for your interest in donating! Here are some steps for the process:
Please get in touch with our Collections Manager at artifacts@rosslandmuseum.ca or 250-362-7722.
We will assess whether the item aligns with our Collections Policy. Any information you can provide about the item — what it is, where it came from, what it looks like, how big it is, who owned it — will help with this process!
If it fits within our scope and capacity, we’ll ask you to bring the item to the Museum for review. If accepted, you’ll complete a Deed of Gift form so the item can formally enter the collection.
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Absolutely — we love photographs! The best part is we can be extra flexible with these donations: you can donate a physical, hard-copy print, you can donate a digital photograph, OR you can lend us your prints, and we’ll scan them for digital files and return the originals to you!
We collect photos from any era - right up to the present day! We love old photos, but it’s much easier to recall and record names and dates on recent photos than on photos from decades ago. Please consider donating your family photos - even from the ‘90s or 2000s!
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Maybe! There are a lot of puzzle pieces when it comes to determining which artifacts go on display.
For example:
Is it in stable condition? Being on display, whether propped up in an unnatural position, exposed to light, or out of the climate-controlled storage areas, can take its toll on artifacts. This is one reason we try to rotate out the artifacts where possible!
Is it related to a topic that we’re currently highlighting? The Museum has regular permanent exhibits as well as temporary and outreach exhibits. We try to rotate through different topics to cover Rossland’s multi-faceted history, but sometimes that means artifacts need to spend some time in storage.
We’ve been adding items to our online Collections Portal so you can see and learn about collection items even when they aren’t physically on display!
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The Museum cannot accept accept responsibility for abandoned items. We will attempt to determine ownership of abandoned items. Items left unclaimed on museum grounds become abandoned after 60 days.
Please do not leave donations with us unless they have been communicated with and approved by our Collections Manager!
We require legal paperwork in order to be sure that the item has a free and clear title and everything is by the book. Additionally, the context that you provide in donation paperwork builds the story behind every artifact in our care! Knowing where an object came from, who used it, and what its backstory is can really contribute to the research and information in our holding.