City of Lincoln Council’s Executive will discuss proposals to transfer a number of historic artefacts, not related directly to the city, to Lincolnshire County Council.
At Executive on 11 December, members will discuss plans to transfer the legal title of a large number of artefacts currently owned by the city council to Lincolnshire County Council’s Culture Services.
This follows revised agreements between City of Lincoln Council and Lincolnshire County Council made in 2021, which saw the Usher Gallery remain open and Lincoln's museum and art collections remain in the county.
The transfer of some of the artefacts finalises the pre-existing agreement in relation to the ongoing operation of the Usher Gallery together with the safe storage, conservation and display of the city council’s art and artefacts, at no charge.
Artefacts, which are listed in 794 pages of itemised documentation, have been placed into three categories, being: archaeology (25 pages of items), natural history (531 pages of items) and geology (238 pages of items).
Examples of these items include collections of butterflies and other species both from Lincolnshire and beyond, clay and fossils from Lincolnshire and beyond, and Roman, Saxon and Bronze-Age artefacts from Lincolnshire and beyond (not including Lincoln).
The substantial collection of art owned by the city council is excluded from the agreement to transfer title to the county council.
Cllr Naomi Tweddle, Portfolio Holder for Inclusive Economic Growth at City of Lincoln Council said: “Heritage and culture are significant drivers of tourism, which itself is a vital element of the local economy.
“This transfer of objects supports our overarching agreement with Lincolnshire County Council on the delivery of museum and gallery services within the city.
“I look forward to discussing this further with my colleagues at Executive later this month.”
Cllr Lindsey Cawrey, executive member for culture at Lincolnshire County Council, added: “The transfer of these artefacts is a further positive step, securing their future as permanent parts of the collection at Lincoln Museum and the Usher Gallery. It will support us in continuing to encourage local residents and visitors to discover the rich history of our city and county.
“It is through our close working relationship that the city and county councils can best support the visitor economy and keep residents connected to their culture and heritage.”