Museum Collections – Fort Worth Museum of Science and History

Fort Worth Museum of Science and History Collections

The Museum's core mission revolves around the acquisition, preservation, exploration, and interpretation of its diverse collections, all of which are instrumental in driving our educational, exhibition, research, and publication endeavors.  Our collections span an array of disciplines, including anthropology, history, archives, library resources, zoology, geology, paleontology, botany, and human anatomy.

While our primary emphasis rests on specimens and artifacts originating from Texas and the southwestern region of North America, we also maintain a significant array of globally significant items, allowing for valuable context and comparisons with international materials.

At the heart of the institution is a collection held indefinitely for public benefit, divided into three distinct areas of focus: Science, History, and Library/Archives. Within these areas, the Permanent Collections house meticulously documented, cataloged objects of artistic, cultural, scientific, or historical value, representing the rich diversity intrinsic to the museum’s mission.  These collections serve as essential resources for educational programming, research, exhibitions, and loans, receiving the highest level of care and protection to ensure their long-term preservation.

Our Collections

Our science collections comprise over 170,000 objects, encompassing a diverse range of natural history specimens and a captivating assortment of live animals.  These collections are divided into three main categories – Permanent, Teaching, and Living collections.

The Permanent Collection represents the disciplines of malacology, entomology, ornithology, herpetology, mammalogy, geology and paleontology and have historically been used for exhibitions and academic research. The paleontology collection is rich in dinosaur remains from North Central Texas, and includes five species, of which two are type specimens.

The Teaching Collection is designed for hands-on engagement, featuring objects intended for interpretation, participatory exhibitions, and educational programs. Housed separately from the Permanent Collection, it also includes replicas and materials for in-house and outreach programs.

Lastly, our Living Collection adds a dynamic dimension, featuring a diverse array of live animals, both exotic and domestic, serving as an educational asset across various programs and events, from the Museum School to Family Museum Nights and beyond.

The history collections consist of over 40,000 objects. These artifacts range from textiles, firearms, toys, furniture, tools, books, and more. The collection spans from prehistoric times to the modern era, with a primary focus on Texas and the American Southwest.

When the Museum first began building its collection, it took an international approach. Acquiring objects from around the world to provide a broader cultural and historical context. As the collections continue to grow, the focus is now on preserving local histories. Nowadays, the Museum seeks to better understand the region of the greater Fort Worth area.

The archives is divided into two broad areas. The first is to preserve the institutional history of the Museum. The second section consists of various smaller collections: photographs, books, scrapbooks, letters, sheet music, ephemera and memorabilia, posters, etc. Most of these archival materials pertain to American history. The library features books relating to topics represented in both the history and science collections. Several hundred books pertaining to astronomy, botany, geology, history (primarily Texas), anthropology, and other reference books acquired for staff research.

The Marty Leonard Collection is a small special collection focused on the history of Leonards Department Store. The collection reflects the store’s many departments and services through textiles, advertisements, household goods, photographs, and other retail materials. This collection provides a glimpse into shopping, fashion, and community life in Fort Worth during the twentieth century.

Collections Policy

Collections Policy of the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History

General

The Fort Worth Museum of Science and History is organized and operated for educational purposes and is tax exempt as a 501©3 non-profit entity. Donations to the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History are tax deductible as charitable contributions to the extent allowed by law.
The museum does not appraise any donations. It is the responsibility of the donor to make arrangements for any appraisals. Should the donor wish an authorized representative of the Museum to sign the appropriate IRS documents regarding the gift, a copy of the appraisal with values must be filed with the Museum.
Objects not on public display are generally available through responsible inquiry to scholars, researchers and scientists for study.
This acquisition and disposition policy has been established to provide guidance for potential donors, the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History Staff, or any other acting for the Museum to:
- Preclude conditional donations which inhibit development of the research/exhibit and study collections;
- Avoid excessive collecting with its attendant preservation and conservation responsibilities;
- Prevent misunderstanding among the donors and the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History

Collections

The collections of the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History consist of objects of natural and cultural origin and are owned outright and constitute and integral part of the Museum. The Fort Worth Museum of Science and History maintains two types of collections:
- Research/Exhibit Collections – These are items for exhibition and/or research which relate directly to the Museum’s purposes and are usually the best available.
- Teaching Collections – These are items related to the purpose of the Museum, which are used for classroom study, demonstrations, and similar uses.

Acquisitions

Objects are accepted or acquired for the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History under the following conditions:
- The objects are relevant to and consistent with the purposes and activities of the Museum.
- The Museum can provide for the storage, protection, and preservation of the objects under conditions that ensure their continued availability for Museum purposes and in keeping with professionally accepted museum standards.
The Fort Worth Museum of Science and History will accept no restrictive or conditional donations for the collections. Title and applicable copyright to all objects acquired for the collections becomes the sole property of the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, and is obtained free and clear for use or future disposition. In cases where the owner does not own the copyright, exceptions can be made providing the Museum is able to establish copyright ownership.
All objects, donated or otherwise, obtained for the Museum are the property of the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History and not that of any individual paid or unpaid staff member of the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History.
The Fort Worth Museum of Science and History does not accept items from owners who do not have clear title, nor does the Museum accept objects which have been illegally imported or exported as set forth in the 1970 UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export, and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property, or subsequent agreements, or applicable state or federal statutes.
The Fort Worth Museum of Science and History cannot agree to place donated items on display, to keep donated items together as a unit, or to acknowledge publicly the donor’s name with each item used in an exhibit or other use of the item.
Decisions on the acquisition of objects for the collections will be the responsibility of the Museum Collections Committee, if the value of the object is in excess of $5,000.
The Fort Worth Museum of Science and History will usually retain a maximum of two identical man-made objects, one designated for exhibit and the other for research/study. Other objects will be accessioned in quantities deemed appropriate by the Museum Collections Committee.
Records of accessions will be created and maintained for all objects acquired for the collections.

Deaccessioning and Disposing of Objects from the Collections

Objects in the collections will be retained indefinitely if they continue to be relevant and useful to the purpose and activities of the Museum, and if they can be properly preserved, stored, and used. Deaccessioning of objects may be considered when those conditions no longer prevail or in the interest of improving the collections for the purposes and activities of the Museum.
Objects in the collections will be deaccessioned only upon recommendation of a member of the Collections Staff and by approval of the Museum Collections Committee or a designated and approved representative of the Museum.
In considering the various alternatives for the disposition of deaccessioned objects, the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History will be concerned that:
- The manner of disposition is in the best interest of the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, the scholarly or cultural communities that it represents, the public it serves, and the public trust it represents in owning the collections;
- Preference be given to placing in the state or county material that is part historical, cultural, or scientific heritage;
- Consideration be given to placing objects through gift, exchange, or sale in other tax-exempt, non-profit institutions where they may serve the purpose for which the were initially acquired by the Museum;
- If objects are offered for sale elsewhere, preference be given for sale at advertised public auction or to the public marketplace in a manner that will best protect the interest, objectives, and legal status of the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History; and
- Objects not be given or sold privately to employees, officers, staff, or students of the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, or to their representatives.
Before disposing of any objects from the collections, reasonable efforts will be made to ensure that the Museum is legally free to do so. For any objects under question, the advice of the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History General Counsel will be sought.
An adequate record of the conditions and circumstances under which objects are deaccessioned and disposed of will be made and maintained as part of the collection records of the Museum.

NAGPRA

For collections donations and research inquiries, please contact the appropriate department:

Science Collections: sciencecollections@fwmsh.org
History Collections: historycollections@fwmsh.org

Projects and Programs

Collections Online (Coming Soon)

Oral History Program

IMLS Funded Restoration

FAQ | Frequently Asked Questions

I am interested in donating an item(s), how do I?

The Fort Worth Museum of Science and History appreciates your interest in supporting our museum through the donation of historical objects, archival material, scientific specimens, and other materials.

First, determine which collection your item belongs to. If it is a naturally occurring item, such as fossils, animals, plants, etc., please contact our Science Collection Department (sciencecollections@fwmsh.org). If the item(s) are human-made, such as documents, textiles, personal memorabilia, etc., please contact our History Collection Department (historycollections@fwmsh.org). Please provide as much information as possible about the item, including photographs, dimensions, condition, history and any known provenance.
Please do not bring the item to the museum or mail any items. A collection staff member will review the information and follow up regarding next steps.
Please note that while we are grateful for every donation offer, not all items can be accepted into the museums’ collections. Acceptance decisions are based on factors such as relevance to The Museum’s mission, condition of items, and duplication within existing collections.

How do I authenticate and/or have an item(s) appraised?

The Fort Worth Museum of Science and History does not authenticate or appraise items; however, we can offer some websites (listed below) to help guide your research:

International Society of Appraisers:
https://www.isa-appraisers.org/find-an-appraiser

Sotheby’s:
https://www.sothebys.com/en/sell

Heritage Auctions:
https://www.ha.com/?type=google_heritage%20auctions_nid-g-cid-719569374878-mt-e-device-c-ap--dm--clksrc-kw-cmpnid-1020608552-adgpid-50103196477-fditm--locphys-9027253&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=1020608552&gbraid=0AAAAAD_RquF-OlKakhu8oLK05tz1NHkSR&gclid=CjwKCAjw8uTQBhAdEiwAVvtJyjkQeO7K7NioAGFocE8lUBJ0c2zftVNZItbQ6YWJ5n5kC-OI0JcqHhoCJbEQAvD_BwE

Why are certain items not on display longer?

There are several factors that determine why an artifact was removed. Depending on the object, the overall condition is taken into consideration alongside how much light (natural or otherwise) and temperature settings the item will be exposed to. To mitigate any potential damage, artifacts may be removed for a period of rest before being on display again. The Museum also takes into account any preconditions agreed upon with the donor, or if on loan, beforehand to determine how an object will be displayed.

How do I request a research appointment?

What is the difference between an archive and collection?

An archive can refer to a collection of valuable materials kept in perpetuity, and/or, the building or space that houses an archive. Archival materials are often considered invaluable records to an organization or entity and can be used for research purposes. Examples would include photographs, agendas, reports, or records documenting past events considered important for future knowledge.

A collection is a grouping of objects held in perpetuity by the museum. Museums provide stewardship over these items for public interest. Collections can range in size and subject matter and be curated for exhibitions and/or public access.