Donate an Object

The History Center accepts objects and documents related to the history of the Richmond region. Once accepted, donations become part of the permanent collection and may be used in exhibitions, educational programs and research.

Due to limited space, the History Center cannot accept all objects. Determining factors include the object’s physical condition, the number of similar objects already in the collection, its rarity or uniqueness and the object’s history and use.

Artifacts are selected for the collection based on the following criteria:

• The object must relate to Richmond region history.
• The object must fall within the museum’s mission.
• The History Center must have the resources to properly house and provide long-term care for the item.
• The donation must be an unrestricted gift with transfer of permanent ownership.
• The acquisition of material must conform to the History Center’s collections policies.

For the Archives and General Collection, we are looking for the following:

• Photographs of Richmond and Richmonders, especially the 1930s and the 1980s to the present.
• Household items and kitchen equipment used in Richmond homes from the 1920s to the present.
• African American artifacts related to Richmond families and business.
• Items made by Richmond companies such as furniture, glass, silver, etc.

Please include the following information with your query:

• Object/Item Name:    
• History of object related to Richmond region:    
• Previous owner(s) of the object:          
• Contact Information: Name/address/e-mail/daytime phone number of donor