NATIONAL MUSEUMS NORTHERN IRELAND

National Museums Northern Ireland
Ulster Museum
Botanic Gardens
BELFAST BT9 5AB

Contact for all enquiries about Holocaust or WWII Spoliation:

Martyn Anglesea, Keeper of Fine Art

Tel 01232-383000.
Fax 01232-383003

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF COLLECTION

The National Museums and Galleries of Northern Ireland consists of the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum, the Ulster Museum and the Ulster American Folk Park.

The collections of these three museums illustrate the art, history, science, culture, way of life, migration and settlement of the people of Northern Ireland, with particular regard to the heritage of the region.

1. OVERALL PLANS

A. Areas which could contain looted items
The art collection of the Ulster Museum, which contains some 5,000 paintings, drawings and sculpture; and a similar number of applied art works. The remainder of the collection consists mainly of British or Irish material with full or almost certainly undisputed provenance or continental works from the post-war period.

B. Areas excluded and why

Collection at the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum; also the Ulster American Folk Park, where collection closed in 1910.
Applied Art collections
Costume - all acquired since 1976; an earlier collection having been totally destroyed in a fire.
Textiles - all these are fully and satisfactorily provenanced.
Jewellery - most items of significance were acquired after 1975 and the donor and provenence in the operative period is known.
Silver - all pieces are fully and satisfactorily provenanced
Ceramics - all pieces are fully and satisfactorily provenanced
Glass - all pieces are fully and satisfactorily provenanced
Furniture - All pieces are of either British or Irish origin, and there are no doubts over the provenance during the operative period.
Dolls & Toys - All items were acquired after 1976 and provenance is full and satisfactory

C. Target areas and timetable for research
Research focused on a small area of the collection (seven paintings) in the Ulster Museum where there was a dearth of provenance information before 1950.

D. Areas considered a lower priority and why
All British and Irish material, which was purchased through British or Irish dealers and would have been of comparatively low value during the operative period. Provenance also suggests that there was very little chance of any of this having been abroad

2. RESEARCH CARRIED OUT OR BEING CARRIED OUT IN TARGET AREAS.

A Process and sources for initial checks from information readily to hand
Acquisition records are being checked for information

B Description of checks being carried out beyond desk research
Previous owners are being contacted where necessary.

3. INFORMATION REGARDING PROGRESS IN TARGET AREA

A No. of items in target area
Seven

B No. of items where provenance has been tested satisfactorily.
Three

C. No. of items where initial checks on provenance are still being made from internal sources and information readily to hand.
Four items are still being checked, although there is no reason for having any particular concern about their provenance..

D No. of items for which initial research can be taken no further and additional information is being sought from external sources
Not yet known.

4. INFORMATION ON MAKING GENERAL ENQUIRIES OR ABOUT COLLECTIONS

A. Contact for all enquiries about Holocaust or WWII Spoliation
Dr. S. B. Kennedy, Head of Fine and Applied Art. Tel 01232-383000. Fax 01232-383003

B. Details of Published catalogues and how to get access to them
The Sir Robert Lloyd Patterson Collection: British Art 1900-1939. Dr. B. Kennedy. 1981
A Concise Catalogue of all of the Drawings, Paintings and Sculpture in the Ulster Museum. Dr. B. Kennedy . (1986) (A revised illustrated version of this catalogue with by Dr. E. Black is due for publication in 2000)
Catalogue of Twentieth Century Sculpture at the Ulster Museum. Dr. B. Kennedy. (1988)
Catalogue of Irish Paintings at the Ulster Museum: Pre 1831. Dr E. Black. (1993)
Catalogue of Irish Paintings at the Ulster Museum: 1831 - 1900. Dr. E. Black. (1997).

C. Archives
The official archives of the National Museums & Galleries of Northern Ireland are held by the four institutions that comprise NMGNI. These are:
Ulster Museum, Botanic Gardens, Belfast, BT9 5AB
Ulster Folk & Transport Museum, Cultra, Holywood, BT18 0EU
Ulster-American Folk Park, Mellon Road, Castletown, Omagh, Co. Tyrone, BT78 5QY
Armagh County Museum, The Mall East, Armagh, Co. Armagh, BT61 9BE.

The archives comprise the administrative papers relating to each museum and these are held centrally; the various curatorial departments retain their own archival material which relates mainly to the works in their collections.

Requests for access to curatorial records should be sent to the Head of the appropriate curatorial division. All matters relating to the spoliation of works of art should be addressed to Dr S B Kennedy, Head of Fine and Applied Art, Ulster Museum.

D. How to make enquiries about collections
General enquiries about the collection should be made in writing to Dr. S.B. Kennedy, Head of Fine and Applied Art, Ulster Museum, Botanic Gardens, Belfast, BT9 5AB

E. Press office contact
Angela Reid Tel. 01232-383111

F. Address of the Institution

National Museums Northern Ireland
Ulster Museum
Botanic Gardens
BELFAST BT9 5AB

G. Website
http://www.magni.org.uk