Object Donation Form

Looking to donate an object to the CMCH collection?

The Connecticut Museum of Culture and History’s collection includes more than 4 million manuscripts, graphics, books, artifacts, and other historical material. As Connecticut’s state historical society, we will be a resource for cultivating understanding of the history and culture of Connecticut for generations to come. Our objects and documents are enormously important in helping to bring history to life.

As an institution that has been actively collecting for almost 200 years, the Connecticut Museum of Culture and History must be selective with any new material it accepts for the collection. We ask that you please read the donation frequently asked questions below, and then submit an Object Donation Form concerning any material that you wish to donate.

What does the Connecticut Museum of Culture and History collect?

We collect a wide variety of materials, including:

Manuscripts
Books
Photographs
3D objects
Costumes and textiles

What doesn’t the Connecticut Museum of Culture and History collect?

In most cases, we do not collect:

Items without an association to Connecticut
Unidentified photographs
Photographs of the Flood of 1936, Hurricane of 1938, or Flood of 1955
Postcards
Newspapers
Bibles
Musical instruments
Objects purported to be made from the Charter Oak
Quilts
Wedding dresses
Architectural fragments

How can I tell if the Connecticut Museum of Culture and History already owns an item?

With limited space and resources, our interest is in growing the collection only where gaps exist or in areas of particular interest. In general, we are not interested in adding items that duplicate those already in our collection. As such, you may wish to search the collection before submitting an Object Donation Form. For printed materials, personal papers, and family history materials, check the Library Catalog. For other items, including objects, photographs, costumes and textiles, and furniture check the Museum Catalog.

Please answer the questions to the best of your ability and include as much information as you have. The important things are the details that are known only to you and your family. Understanding how an object is an example of Connecticut history assists CMCH staff in determining if the material is a candidate to be included in the CMCH collection.

When referring to people please include their full names, not just descriptors such as Mom or Neighbor, as well as birth and death dates.

If you have questions about the donation process, please visit our Donation FAQ page.

Filling out this form does not guarantee that a donation will be accepted into the collection.