[BCMA] CMA Clip Serv: Veterans' families angry over bid to sell wartime artifacts

Tue Mar 16 17:02:00 PDT 2010

Here is the original ad that Deirdre Stuart placed on
www.barnstormers.com  on February 16, 2010:

"AVIATION MUSEUM
<http://www.barnstormers.com/classified_410633_Aviation+Museum.html>  *
ENTERTAINING OFFERS * The museum has many aviation artifacts from World
War II including, uniforms, instrument panels, medals, photos & posters,
engines, models, books, etc. as well as a Camp X display. The collection
will be sold as a whole. * Contact Deirdre J. Stuart
<http://www.barnstormers.com/contact_seller.php?to=94872&id=410633&title
=Aviation+Museum&return=%2Flisting.php%3Fmode%3Dsearch%26filters%3DYToyM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%253D%253D>  - THE ROBERT STUART AERONAUTICAL
COLLECTION
<http://www.barnstormers.com/contact_seller.php?to=94872&id=410633&title
=Aviation%20Museum&return=%2Flisting.php%3Fmode%3Dsearch%26filters%3DYTo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%253D%253D> , Owner - located Oshawa, Canada
* Telephone: 905436-6325 . * Posted February 16, 2010 * Show all Ads
posted by this Advertiser
<http://www.barnstormers.com/listing.php?mode=usersearch&user=94872>  *
Recommend This Ad to a Friend
<http://www.barnstormers.com/recommend.php?id=410633&title=Aviation+Muse
um>  * Email Advertiser
<http://www.barnstormers.com/contact_seller.php?to=94872&id=410633&title
=Aviation+Museum&return=%2Flisting.php%3Fmode%3Dsearch%26filters%3DYToyM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%253D%253D>  * Save to Watchlist
<http://www.barnstormers.com/ad_manager/watchlist.php?ADD=410633>  *
Report This Ad
<http://www.barnstormers.com/report_ad.php?id=410633&title=Aviation+Muse
um> "

As she stated, it was not on eBay.

Other articles: 

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/775230--james-bond-gadgets-real-
canadian-and-for-sale?bn=1 

http://www.newsdurhamregion.com/articlePrint/149111 

http://www.thespec.com/News/BreakingNews/article/737955 

I have met many secret agents over the years and I used to correspond
with Bob Stuart back in the 1970s when we were both collecting secret
agent items.  I visited the Camp X site shortly after the old WWII
buildings were demolished and before the Liquor Control Board of Ontario
built a warehouse on the site. Sadly, Canada tends to demolish (either
actively or by neglect) or build over many of her historic sites (see
other BCMA listserve story about WWII hangers at Downsview, Ontario.) I
also visited the Robert Stuart Aeronautical Collection last summer while
I was in Ontario for a museums course. 

The above sad situation once again brings up the old problem of public
perception of "museums." People assume, naturally, that any place
calling itself a "museum" is a public one and that a donation of
artifacts and/or archival material to it will be the same as giving it
to any other proper museum. The reality is that anyone can call
themselves a "museum" and accept donations. I have serious ethical
concerns about this but there is no law stopping them. 

We may not be able to do anything about these "private" museums or even
"public" museums that operate in a very casual and sometimes improper
way but we can however work to get our own museums in order. 

Here are a few points from the workshop that I presented at the BCMA's
gathering last year at Osoyoos about "Getting Your Collection Under
Control" and it may be presented in an expanded version in or near
Trail, BC this Fall (subject to obtaining funding etc.)  Here are some
basic principles to consider:

1.       PAPER TRAIL - Have a paper trail on everything in the
collection! Never accept a Donor's word that "I don't want/need a
receipt". Make one anyway and file a copy. If they throw their copy
away, that is their business, but you should have a SIGNED copy on file
to show them and/or their heirs in future years. A digital copy by the
way would not suffice I feel as digital images may be manipulated so
easily.  Many times descendants will come in with the story that
Granddad had 'loaned' an item to a museum. If there is no clear paper
trail, the museum is in a very, very difficult position. This is not
just a legal issue, it is also a Public Relations nightmare. I faced
this years ago while working with Parks Canada when someone was trying
to reclaim a Louis Riel clock.  There was no clear paper trail. Even if
there was evidence that the clock actually had been loaned by person
"X", now deceased, then there would be the process of following their
Will and legal distribution of their estate to find the rightful
recipient, who may or may not be the person who is asking for it to be
returned. 

2.       DONATION FORMS - That clearly state the details of the transfer
of ownership, dated and signed by both parties. A simple and logical
thing, but I know from experience of many donation forms that were never
signed by the donors, or even by the museum staff! 

3.       ACCESION REGISTER - Although a computer database (with back-ups
and printouts!) is best, any paper system that is thorough can suffice. 

4.       LOANS - Avoid "permanent, long term or open ended loans." Do
your best to resolve any of these that exist. Either convert the items
to new short term loans (1-year, renewable, is recommended) or return
the items to the owner. Avoid the headaches like I found while I was
Curator at Burnaby Village Museum that the steam locomotive "Old Curley"
and the Model T Ford car (the only one there at the time) were loans
(both resolved as donations).  At Burnaby Village Museum my team was
able to resolve 90% of the old loans. I heard, but cannot confirm, that
Glenbow Museum recently spent thousands of dollars restoring a tractor,
and that the family then produced their copy of a loan form, retrieved
the tractor, and then promptly sold it. True or false it does illustrate
a point. 

Wouldn't it be nice if these "private museums" had donor forms that
clearly stated that donations were being given to the individual and not
to a public museum? That won't happen so perhaps all we can do is to
keep our own museums in order. 

As for the quote from the Stuart "museum" founder's daughter in the
article on the BCMA listserve about the lack of intelligence of donors
who "didn't put it in writing," this is actually a mirror for the real
onus is on the "museum" (her father and now her) to have done so. If a
"museum" will not do put it in writing, then any potential donor should
run, not walk, the other way. The daughter told one man "she has no
record of his grandfather's things." In contrast, after years of work,
our New Westminster Museum and Archives can now find almost any one of
our c. 32,600 artifacts, and its history, within 5-minutes using the
database. 

Oshawa is not the only place where museum shenanigans happen. I can
think of at least two such "museums" in BC off the top of my head.  I
visited one such "museum" recently and heard a visiting father telling
his children that people give things to museums so that they will be
preserved for future generations. He did not realize that most of the
old items surrounding them in the "museum" were actually privately owned
and were not publicly owned "by the museum" as he naturally assumed, as
there were no signs or labels to indicate otherwise.

Sadly, shenanigans give all museums a bad name and public trust and
confidence are essential for our work. The NWMA was suffering greatly
from this lack of confidence and that is why I initiated a detailed
inventory and clean-up of old records so that we could be accountable to
our public, donors, lenders and funders. We had had so many questions
from donors and relatives that we could not answer a few years ago.
Happily that situation is now a rarity here and I like to challenge
donors to test the system.  

I too hope that the Robert Stuart Aeronautical Collection "museum" will
somehow stay in Canada, even if the collection ends up being broken up.
If the Air Force material was donated to the Trenton Air Force Museum
and the Camp X material to another appropriate CF Museum or other
Federal museum (but ideally stay in the Oshawa area), then Federal tax
receipts could be issued and they are 100% deductible. 

There is also the question of national significance and the possible
involvement of the Cultural Property Export Review Board. 

Colin MacGregor Stevens,

Manager,

New Westminster Museum and Archives,

302 Royal Avenue,

New Westminster, BC, 

V3L 1H7

Phone Office:    604-527-4639

Work Cellular : 604-830-6965

Fax:                  604-527-4641

E-mail: cstevens at newwestcity.ca <mailto:cstevens at newwestcity.ca>  

Web Site: www.newwestminster.ca <http://www.newwestminster.ca>  

From: Moderated BCMA subscriber listserv. [mailto:bcma at lists.vvv.com] 
Sent: Tuesday, March 16, 2010 9:04 AM
To: bcma at lists.vvv.com
Subject: [BCMA] CMA Clip Serv: Veterans' families angry over bid to
sellwartime artifacts

Veterans' families angry over bid to sell wartime 

artifacts 

Carola Vyhnak, Toronto Star, Monday, March 15, 2010 

Outrage is growing over the sale of a significant Canadian military
collection amid claims that many of the artifacts are family treasures
belonging to people who never intended them to be sold. 

Adding fuel to the fire are reports that hundreds of World War II items
from the Robert Stuart Aeronautical Collection and Camp X exhibit housed
in the history buff's museum have already been sold on eBay, following
his death seven years ago. 

Since Stuart's daughter, Deirdre Stuart, advertised the contents of the
museum on the Internet last month, benefactors have come forward to say
numerous personal possessions were donated or loaned by veterans or
their families, who want them back. 

Newcastle firefighter Cameron Smith is one of them. His grandfather
Harry Smith, who taught Allied agents safecracking, lock-picking and
explosives demolition at Whitby's Camp X spy training school, handed
over his uniform and single-shot pistol in a "gentleman's agreement"
years ago. 

"My grandfather wouldn't have intended this stuff to be sold," says
Smith. "They do not belong to (Deirdre Stuart). This is a Canadian
heritage collection and should be treated as such." 

Stuart, who's asking $1 million for the entire collection on an aviation
website, Barnstormers.com, says Smith and other claimants are out of
luck. 

"If you didn't put it in writing, you pretty much gave it to us," she
says. "Like, hello? How stupid are people. 

We've had this museum for 33 years. It's ours." 

She insists her father purchased most of the military and aviation
collectibles housed in a city-owned building at Oshawa Municipal Airport
on Stevenson Rd. Accusing dishonest types of "coming out of the woodwork
to get a piece of the pie," Stuart says she'll only return articles to a
couple of people who had a written loan agreement. 

But documentation is practically nonexistent, says a longtime friend. 

"Bob was such a lovely man and everyone liked him so much, no one would
ask him to sign a document." 

He says the collection includes a "priceless national treasure" - a 1944
oil painting of ace fighter pilot Lloyd Chadburn that was donated by
Chadburn's family. 

Since Robert Stuart died, artifacts worth between $100,000 and $200,000
in total have been sold on eBay by a third party, says a collector of
militaria who knows the museum's contents well. The sales include an
RCAF World War II pilot's lifejacket he witnessed being given to Robert
Stuart to display. 

Some of the items are so rare there's no doubt where they came from,
says the collector, who didn't wish to be identified. 

Not true, says Deirdre Stuart. "Tell them to prove that anything was
ever on eBay." 

A friend who helped out at the museum says benefactors never intended
the collectibles "to make money for his wife and daughter." 

"He'd turn over in his grave with what's happening now," Brian Munro
says of the kind-hearted man who enjoyed "enormous support and respect
from the community." 

Local historian and author Lynn Philip Hodgson, who fears the collection
might leave the country, has launched a campaign to buy it and find a
permanent home in Durham Region. He's received many calls and emails
from people who loaned artifacts in the belief that the museum, which is
open on Sundays through the summer, is 

government-run. 

"Usually, the stipulation was that they must always be on display or be
returned to the owner," says Hodgson, an authority on Camp X who also
loaned items that he'd like back. A committee he's set up is applying
for charitable status so they can set up a bank account and start
raising funds. 

Bomber pilot Angus Dixon's prized sheepskin-lined RCAF flight boots seem
gone for good, says his dismayed widow, Jane Dixon. 

"Stuart kept asking him for his flight boots to complete the pilot's
regalia on a mannequin," she recalls. "It meant quite a lot to him. I
don't think he'd be very happy about it being on eBay." After Angus died
in 2000 at age 85, she donated his dress uniform and three flight
posters. 

Engineer Brett McLellan is similarly upset after Deirdre Stuart told him
she has no record of his grandfather's things, which an ailing Robert
Stuart pointed out when McLellan was at the airport on a job in 2003. 

"I feel sick to my stomach," he says, thinking about his grandfather's
RAF uniform, Distinguished Flying Cross, pistol and other belongings
being sold to a stranger. 

"I really, really want to get the DFC back," he says. "It's family
history." 

---   30   --- 

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://lists.vvv.com/pipermail/bcma/attachments/20100316/77ec3cdc/attachment-0001.htm 