Using our collections

Image licensing

Do you need an image of an object from our collection?

We can license images for many of the objects and specimens in our collections for reproduction and reuse or can arrange for new photography if necessary.

Where copyright allows, Manchester Museum allows the download and reuse of low-resolution collections images directly from the object pages of our collection search under a Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike International (CC BY-SA 4.0) licence.

Just search for the object you are interested in on the collection search page, select the image that you wish to reproduce or reuse, click on the License/Download button, and follow the onscreen instructions.

If you require a high-resolution image for whatever purpose, you will need to submit your request using this form. We will always do our best to meet your deadlines, but it is helpful to be given as much notice as possible, especially where new photography is needed.

As a rough guide, please make your request at least six weeks ahead of your deadline. We will then contact you to discuss your request. Manchester Museum charges for the commercial reproduction and reuse of collections images, where appropriate a quotation will be provided for any costs involved.

Full image licensing terms and conditions can be supplied upon request.

Collection loans

Borrowing from Manchester Museum

Manchester Museum fully supports the aims of the Museums Association’s Smarter Loans Initiative.

We have an obligation to share our collections, and believe that lending and borrowing is part of our core activity.

Loans benefit both lenders and borrowers. They enable our collections to reach new audiences, inspire learning and enhance enjoyment. Manchester Museum is committed to making its collection widely available to museums and galleries around the world, supporting important exhibitions and bringing works from our collection to new audiences.

Our collections are a valuable public resource, reflecting the generosity of past and current donors and public investment in their continued care and development.  Borrowing and lending are the lifeblood of our exhibition and outreach programmes, offering new perspectives on our world and its cultures, and the sharing of our collections contributes to their interpretation and increases the benefit they can provide for the public.

Manchester Museum captures and uses new collections research, knowledge and interpretation generated through loans and associated materials to continually reflect on, evaluate and interpret its collections for future generations.

How we support loan requests:

We have a pragmatic and flexible approach to lending – ensuring that our collections are made available to as wide a variety of audiences as possible, whilst maintaining appropriate standards of collection care and safeguarding our collections for future generations of users.

We have a commitment to supporting local organisations and, wherever possible, will respond swiftly and flexibly to requests.

Whilst we prioritise requests from museums and galleries, we will also consider requests from a wider range of institutions that provide public access and can meet the required standards of collection care, security and ethical practice.

We believe that the best way forward is for clear lines of communication, transparency from the start of the loans process and sharing of information.

Manchester Museum uses the United Kingdom Registrars’ Group Facilities Report to assess the practicalities involved in making loans. This is intended to help both borrowers and lenders work together to define appropriate and acceptable standards based on the needs of the object, highlight potential problems and help us reach agreement on how these can be resolved.

Manchester Museum is committed to sustainable practices and will engage with borrowers to ensure transport, packaging, couriers and other areas of the loan process support these aims.

For further information about borrowing from Manchester Museum please contact:
Gillian Smithson
Manchester Museum
The University of Manchester
Oxford Road
Manchester
M13 9PL
Telephone: 0161 275 8457
Email: gillian.smithson@manchester.ac.uk