Date: Thu, 15 Sep 2011 14:15:26 -0500 Message-ID: <CAESRZzg9m7rW1a4-BdRT+8tvR+_gOAN=A=HBd1SJXJNAEm9SCw@mail.gmail.com> Subject: Re: Museum artifact insurance From: Maureen Giese <renie.giese@gmail.com>
I fully agree with Don Jensen's message. We at the Waterloo Area
Historical Society have insurance for the building ant that's it. We
have limited funds from the city, and fundraise all the rest of our
budget. Our artifacts are priceless and no way can we afford
insurance. The best we can do is "oversee" everything so hopefully
nothing happens.
Maureen Giese, President & Curator of the Waterloo Historical Museum
On Thu, Sep 15, 2011 at 12:17 PM, Don Jensen <dnjkenosha@wi.rr.com> wrote:
> I guess my question is two-fold. . . Why would a society insure its
> artifacts? Do other societies/museums on this list, in fact, insure
their
> artifacts, and why?
>
> I of course understand insuring your building, and your fixtures (cases,
> display units) and your equipment. In case of fire, water damage
,
> theft, all those are replaceable, at a cost. Insurance makes sense.
You
> can build a new museum and buy new equipment.
>
> But artifacts are irreplaceable in most cases. You can’t go out a
nd buy a
> replacement family Bible of a prominent local family.
> How do you even place a value on something that you cannot replace with
> insurance money. Even assuming you can find an insurer
> who will quote a premium that will pay you $2 million for your archival
> collection if it burns up and is gone, what do you do with THAT insurance
> money
> you receive?
>
> Maybe I am missing something here. . . but I don’t see how paying
> substantial insurance premiums
> for what is essentially uninsurable, puts you, as a museum, in a better
> situation in the event of a castastrophe. Seems to me you are
> in no more favorable situation if you insure your collection than if you
> don’t. In that case, it would seem that your premium money has be
en
> wasted. .
>
> I guess my main question is do other museums insure COLLECTIONS, and if s
o,
> why?
>
> Don Jensen
> Kenosha History Center BoD
>
>
> From: William Woolley
> Sent: Tuesday, September 13, 2011 4:34 PM
> To: localhistory@listserve.uwec.edu
> Cc: Tebon, Craig
> Subject: Museum artifact insurance
>
> The Ripon Historical Society is considering buying insurance to cover its
> collection of artifacts. If anyone has done this recently could you conta
ct
> me and let me know your experience.
>
> Bill Woolley, President
> woolleybill@gmail.com