Deaccessioning Today

Steven Miller has devoted nearly fifty years to museum service. He has been a curator, mid-level administrator, director, educator, trustee, writer, and consultant. His career began with the Museum of the City of New York in its curatorial department for paintings, prints and photographs. He concluded that job as senior curator. He was then the assistant director of the Mains State Museum, director of museums at the Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, OH, executive director of the Bennington Museum, Bennington, VT, executive director of the Morris Museum, Morristown, NJ and executive director of Boscobel Restoration, Garrison, NY. Miller has written, lectured, consulted, and been closely involved in deaccessioning matters since the practice started receiving widespread attention in the mid-1970s. His academic accolades include B.A., Bard College, Sculpture, Annandale-on-Hudson, NY International Graduate Certificate, Principles of Conservation Science, (UNESCO) International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property, Rome, Italy.

Chapter 1. An Introduction to Museums
Chapter 2. Deaccessioning – Background
Chapter 3. Reasons for Deaccessioning
Chapter 4. Deaccession Processes
Chapter 5. Deaccession Implementation
Chapter 6. Deaccessioning Controversies and More
Appendix I. AAMD Association of Art Museum Directors Policy on Deaccessioning
Appendix II. New York State Museum. A Sample Collections Management Policy
Appendix III. Media Alert. Boscobel House & Gardens
Appendix IV. Metropolitan Museum of Art Deaccessioning Policy
Appendix V. Sample Deaccession List. Boscobel House and Gardens Deaccession List
Appendix VI. The Metropolitan Museum of Art Press Release, June 26, 1973. “Metropolitan Museum Issues Trustee Report on Recent Disposals”