[can-talk] Insuring Historical colelcitons

Hi Sue

Insuring a collection is a difficult thing. 

Valuation of an object is such a subjective process. Like you said, how do
you value something unique, and if it is unique, where will you get another
one if your original is lost? It's been my experience that in the main,
valuation of items is more expensive than the replacement, if they are
available. A loss can be catastrophic to a Museum or collection body, with
only a small $ value like significant papers and photos, but then if you are
following your disaster protocols, the originals will be in safe keeping and
only copies will be lost (he says hopefully).

 

I made similar enquiries to yours here in WA over the last couple of years,
and it would seem the 'professional' opinion is not to insure collection
items due to excessive cost, both of insurance and valuations, and because
assessing the value of something is too difficult given an items national,
international or local significance. Insurance companies apparently have
difficulty with significance.

 

Partial loss or damage insurance to a 'value' makes sense to us, but
insurance companies want you to totally insure the value (with appropriate
premiums  of course!). If you don't insure more than about 85% of the value
they class you as joint insurer and you are liable for whatever percentage
of the repairs etc that they deem you have joint insured at.

 

Mine field.and I think I just mined another paddock for you.

 

Best bet to talk to one of the larger Insurance firms like Allianze, AON or
Westminster perhaps. Many smaller organisations are under the wing of
another one, like a Shire or City Council.

thanks

John

 

John Watson  (GDBMT, GDIT, CNA)

Manager-Gwalia Historic Site

Leonora Gwalia Historical Museum Ltd

PO Box 111    or   Tower St

Leonora 6438       Gwalia WA

 

Ph/Fax: (08) 9037 7122

Mob: 04199 58199

email: gwalia at emerge.net.au

 

www.gwalia.org.au

 

 

 

From: can-talk-bounces at collectionsaustralia.net
[mailto:can-talk-bounces at collectionsaustralia.net] On Behalf Of FERREIRA Su
Sent: 17 January 2008 11:46
To: k at preservationaustralia.com.au; Merle Hathaway; CAN Talk
Subject: [can-talk] Insuring Historical colelcitons

 

Good morning all, (those of you on the western sea board I guess!!)

 

I have a question... it is concerned with the complex issue of insuring
historical collections and if so to what level?  Insurance being part of the
overall framework of disaster planning and preparedness I would gratefully
receive anyone's comments or opinions on insurance. 

 

Is it worth insuring something you cannot replace if stolen or destroyed?

Does anyone use the a level of insurance that provides cover for repair and
restoration only?  If the objects survives a disaster, that costs are
covered to clean up and restore.

How do you value an object in financial terms which holds only local
heritage value and provenance.... like horses hooves taken from a fire
brigade horse as a memento post mortem? 

 

Any comments????

 

Cheers

Susan Ferreira 
Curator/Project Manager 
FESA Community Hazard Awareness Centre & Museum 
Community Development 
Fire & Emergency Services Authority of WA 

Phone: 9323 9460 
Fax: 9323 9495 
Mbl: 0409 719 032 
email: su.ferreira at fesa.wa.gov.au 
www.fesa.wa.gov.au 

Street - 25 Murray Street Perth WA 
Postal - PO Box P1174 WA 6844 

FESA Museum Redevelopment Project - Supporting WA State Sustainability
Strategy: conserving cultural heritage and helping to build sustainable and
resilient communities.

 

-----Original Message-----
From: can-talk-bounces at collectionsaustralia.net
[mailto:can-talk-bounces at collectionsaustralia.net] On Behalf Of Kay
Soderlund
Sent: Thursday, 17 January 2008 8:06 AM
To: 'Merle Hathaway'; 'CAN Talk'
Subject: Re: [can-talk] Censorship

I fully agree with your sentiments Merle. It seems to me that the change in
format from one discussion list on AMOL to the several different lists on
CAN has resulted in a marked lessening of any type of discussion. A once
vibrant and informative list on AMOL has turned into a notice board of
events and job postings. I can't remember the last interesting discussion
that came up on CAN-talk. Perhaps it is time to re-consider the format and
go back to just one list to deal with all communication needs?

 

Kay Soderlund

Preservation Australia

 

  _____  

From: can-talk-bounces at collectionsaustralia.net
[mailto:can-talk-bounces at collectionsaustralia.net] On Behalf Of Merle
Hathaway
Sent: Wednesday, 16 January 2008 12:12 PM
To: CAN Talk
Subject: [can-talk] Censorship

 

As it is early in the year, and I'm not yet too busy to deal with this
little irritation, I'll air it now. So could this please go through for
comment by those CAN talk is supposed to serve - us, the subscribers. 

 

Since Can Talk replaced the AMOL listing I've tried several times to make
comments, only to be told by the "gatekeeper" that my comments were not
appropriate or should be elsewhere. 

 

I've always considered this a forum, especially useful for people like me
who are isolated from their colleagues and remote from the large centres.
Over the years I have really enjoyed the camaraderie we had. But our little
chats and comments have now gone. There's little "talk".

 

I know we are all busy, and no-one appreciates being bombarded by trivia,
but really, if the only comments allowed relate to obscure pieces of farm
machinery, knitted doilies etc, then it becomes too dry and discouraging of
discussion.

 

What do you think?

 

regards

m

 

Merle Hathaway
Director
Horsham Regional Art Gallery
80 Wilson Street, Horsham, Victoria 3400, Australia
(03) 5362 2880 t  (03) 5382 5407 f
Work mobile: 0447 595455
www.horshamartgallery.com.au

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