Donate your collection

Past talks (recorded):  

• September 25, 2025 at 8 PM ET:  " Donating a Postcard Collection to a Museum"  by Tom Reitz, Museum Curator (retired) and Postcard Collector click here for the recording

For more than a decade, Tom has been collecting Christmas-themed real photo postcards. As the collection and the accompanying research grew, Tom realized that this resource will be of benefit to others interested in the celebration of Christmas. That realization coincided with seeking legal advice in writing a will. What should happen to his collection?Tom has combined his experience gained over a 30+ year career as a history museum curator and an MA in Historical Administration from Eastern Illinois University to develop a presentation for postcard collectors who wonder if they should donate their collection to a museum. What can you expect from the museum, and what will they expect of you.

• April 18, 2024 at 8 PM ET:   Katherine Hamilton Smith (click here for her Biography) . "When you care so much: thoughts on giving our postcard collection to museum archives"  She was instrumental in securing the donation of the Curt Teich collection to the Newberry Library (Chicago, IL).    67 attendees and over 90 minutes of interactions a fascinating talk followed by a lengthy Q&A  - 

  • • • • Chat Transcript:  Click here.

        • Recording - video:  Click here.

        • She is willing to answer questions: khamiltonsmith@me.com

Relevant articles (some suggested by Tom Reitz)

• "Six Steps to Finding a Home for Your Collection" by John G. Sayers; Published in CardTalk Vol 45 Number 3 (Winter 2024-2025) - The Official Newsletter of the Toronto Postcard Club. Click here

• Donating Your Personal or Family Records to a Repository:   although this webpage is mostly about genealogical research, some of the comments will apply to a postcard collection - Click here

• What You Need to Know When Donating Your Art Collection:  this is a commercial website promoting purchase of a database to manage art collections, but this blog article has some excellent suggestions  click here

• How to Donate Art - Tips on Donating : although focusing on the donation of fine art, some of this article applies to postcards  Click here

• A Guide to Deeds of Gift | Society of American Archivists:  a detailed review of what donors can expect in a deed of gift when donating to an archive   Click here

• Museums Forced By Funding Cuts To Scale Back (The New York Times - A version of this article appears in print on Nov. 13, 2025, Section C, Page 4 of the New York edition with the headline: Museums Forced By Funding Cuts To Scale Back)  A survey of museum directors reveals the impact of federal cutbacks: reduced arts programs for rural areas, students and people who are elderly or disabled Click here

What to ask the person who donated:  (provide suggestions for more or better questions)

• How did you select the institution?

• What type of contract did you do with the institution?

• Why did you decide to donate to an institution, instead for selling or donation to an individual (family members, friends...)?

• Were you pressured to provide a financial aid?

• Did you have to make a catalogue before the donation? if so, how did you do it? how detailed? what software did you use

• Why was the Newberry willing to take your collection?

• What did your donation look like?

• Are they looking for other collections to take?

• Were there any guarantees that came with the donation?

What to ask a potential Institution: 

• What do they expect from the donor before they decide if they want the collection and afterwards?

• Are there guarantees regarding how the collection will be handled in future years, will it be displayed, loaned, available online, sold, etc?

• How will you curate the collection?  Storage space and displays for the public

• Do you need funds to accept the collection?

• Who will be allowed to see the collection once it is catalogued?  

• How will the collection catalogued? how long will it take to do so?

• Will it be searchable online?