The Mercer Museum and Library invites gifts and bequests of artifacts, artwork, books, photographs, documents and other archival materials that fit the scope of our collections. These may include tools, products of handcraft, and other artifacts of pre-industrial America (to circa 1850); and materials of all kinds related specifically to the history of Bucks County and the experiences of its people, from its earliest history to the present day.

 

BCHS Gift Terms & Conditions

If you have artifacts, objects, or other items that you would like to donate to our museum collections, please send an email to Roberta Weisberg, Collections Manager, at rweisberg@mercermuseum.org.

If you have books, manuscript materials, or other paper items that you are interested in donating to our Library & Archives, please send an email to Annie Halliday, Director of Library & Collections, at ahalliday@mercermuseum.org. Be sure to include the following information: 

• Your name and contact information
• A brief description of the artifacts or archival materials
• Any information you may know about who made the artifacts or materials, who used them, and how they were acquired
• One or two photographs of the artifacts or materials

Curatorial and Library staff consider all potential donations and determine whether the artifacts or archival materials fit within the guidelines of our permanent collections. Due to limited storage and exhibit space, and other considerations, we are only able to accept a fraction of the materials offered to us each year. If we cannot accept an object, we can often suggest other institutions or repositories that might be interested. We cannot guarantee that any item accepted into our collection will be displayed, and, in general, all donations to our collections must be free from any donor-imposed restrictions.

Please note that an appointment is required to meet with a senior curatorial or library staff member about a potential donation. Bucks County Historical Society policies forbid guest services staff, research library assistants, or other non-collections staff member from accepting potential donations at the welcome desks of the Mercer Museum & Library, or Fonthill Castle.

To make an appointment, or to pose other questions regarding potential donations or the Historical Society’s acquisition policies, please contact the staff members and email addresses noted above.