23rd June 2006
In October 2005 a full list of the contents of the Hunt Collection as managed by the Museum was put on the Museum’s website. This includes a description of every individual object, complete with an image of each object. We also put a list of the contents of the Museum’s archive on the website as well as pages detailing ownership history of each individual object as known to the Museum (see www.huntmuseum.com). Since this information has been published there have been 39,874 hits on the relevant pages on our website. There have been no claims against any object in the collection arising from the publication of the collection online. The archive was opened for public consultation in October 2005, since that time 6 researchers have used the facility.
In doing this work, The Hunt Museum has employed standards issued by the American Association of Museums and the UK Museums Directors Conference the AAM Guidelines Concerning the Unlawful Appropriation of Objects During the Nazi Era (http://www.aam- us.org/museumresources/ethics/nazi_guidelines.cfm) and the UK National Museum Directors’ Conference Statement of Statement of Principles and Proposed Actions (http://nationalmuseums.org.uk/spoliation_statement.html) and also for references of research methodologies see Nancy H. Yeide, Konstantin Akinsha, Amy L. Walsh, The AAM Guide to Provenance Research, The American Museums Association, Washington, 2001. These standards have been rigidly adhered too. Museums internationally are now required to make information about their collections available online so that potential claimants can come forward. This is what we have done. Our methodologies are fully outlined in a report appended to the Royal Irish Academy’s Evaluation Group, Final Report (published on www.ria.ie).
In conducting the Provenance Research Project, the Hunt Museum has acted in good faith and in accordance with professional guidelines. The Royal Irish Academy’s Hunt Museum Evaluation Group has been central in defining a firm framework for the project. The Evaluation Group comprised three members of national repute, Sean Cromien, Dr. Michael Ryan and Professor Anne Kelly and one member, Helen Wechsler, from the American Museums Association. An international expert in looted art, Nancy Yeide acted as advisor. The Group have now completed their work. However, as stated it is the Museum’s intention to continue the Provenance Research Work and thus continue to fulfil international professional standards of practice for Museums.
In January 2004, The Wiesenthal Centre, in a letter to President McAleese, initially made allegations about the origins of the Hunt Collection. The letter was referred to the Taoiseach, who subsequently referred to John O’Donoghue, Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism. Minister O’Donoghue requested that the Museum look into the allegations ‘in so far as they relate to the collections’. At the time of the initial allegations no evidence was proffered to support them. It understood that the Wiesenthal Centre were invited to contribute to the work of the Evaluation Group but did not do so. Now for the first time they have come forward with information. At a Royal Irish Academy seminar on looted art held on Monday last, Mr. Eamon Kelly, Keeper of Antiquities, National Museum of Ireland, drew attention to information contained in a file held at the Military Archives. This information is now repeated in the statement issued by the Wiesenthal Centre on June 21st last.
The area of Nazi looted art is a relatively new academic discipline. To ensure the most accurate interpretation of the information contained in the file at the Military Archives, transcripts of the letters contained in the file have been referred to experienced independent scholars in this field, not previously associated with the project, for their views on the documents. These views are awaited.
In the recent Wiesenthal Centre Press Release (22 June 2006), it was claimed that a statement read by Virginia Teehan at the Irish Museums’ Association Annual Conference held in March 2004 was ‘an attempt to convince the wider museum community into accepting that there we re no grounds for suspicion concerning the activities of the Hunts, or of their collection, amounted to a prejudgment of the findings of the Evaluation Group’. The Wiesenthal press release also states that the Director of the Hunt Museum demanded that the article be retracted. Both allegations are untrue. A statement was read at the IMA Conference in order to correct factual errors published in an article, written by the a former Director of the Hunt Museum, entitled ‘Big Brother and Country Cousins; Relations between Regional and National Museums’ Museum Ireland, vol. 13. 2003. There was no request, at any time, to have this article retracted.
The Wiesenthal Press Release further claims that Ms. Erin Gibbons was denied access to the Museum’s archive. In July 2003 Ms Gibbons sought access to the archive by telephoning the Museum, and was told that she was welcome to consult the archive. Ms. Gibbons did not avail of the facility offered to her at this time. On February 10th 2004 she again telephoned seeking access. However at that point it was agreed by the Board of the Museum, that due to the allegations which had been made, that the archive would be closed for consultation until it was fully listed by a professional archivist. This is in line with accepted professional archival practice. The archive was subsequently listed, the descriptive list is available online and it has been open to researchers since October 2005. Ms. Gibbons has not applied to use the archive since that date.
Spoliation, or the looting of cultural property, is not just a museum’s issue – but a human rights issue arising from deliberate looting by the Nazis during the period of the holocaust. It arises from horrific acts and claims must be taken very seriously by government and society, by human rights bodies, by museums and professional associations internationally. Procedures for dealing with looted property have been developed and evolved by such high level groups as the Commission for Looted Art in Europe, The American Association of Museums, ICOM and UNESCO in the interests of truth and justice. The Hunt Museum has taken the allegations made about the Collection very seriously and will continue our work in line with best professional practice.
ENDS