Museum acquisitions

Museums often acquire works through donations but, in spite of funding constraints, they also make purchases to expand their collections, either bidding at auctions, negotiating private treaty sales or, in the UK, via the Acceptance in Lieu scheme.


Study: Fighter Affiliation by Walter Thomas Monnington

Royal Air Force Museum buys wartime aerial studies at Roseberys’ auction

28 January 2026

The Royal Air Force Museum has purchased two preparatory drawings for major wartime paintings by Walter Thomas Monnington (1902-76).

Dr William (Bill) Zachs

Lost portrait of Robert Burns bought at auction heads to National Galleries Scotland for exhibition

27 January 2026

A 'lost' portrait of Scottish poet Robert Burns, rediscovered at auction last year, has been loaned to the National Galleries Scotland for exhibition by its new owner.

Manuscript diary by Giles Roberts

Georgian pharmacist’s autobiography returns to his home county after museum buys manuscript at auction

22 January 2026

An autobiographical manuscript by a Georgian pharmacist in Dorset will return to the county after the local museum purchased it at auction.

Regency mahogany ‘whatnot’

Art and antiques dealers and collectors among donors of nearly £60m of art and antiques for nation’s museums

19 January 2026

The nation’s museums have benefitted from more than 30 art and objects via tax saving schemes.

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Pick of the week: Pair of andirons designed by EW Godwin head to Texas

16 January 2026

Cotswolds dealer Paul Shutler has sold a pair of EW Godwin-designed andirons to the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston.

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

First edition of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland donated to Oxford University

05 January 2026

The most important of only 23 known surviving copies of the first – and subsequently withdrawn – June 1865 edition of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland has been given jointly to Christ Church Oxford and the Bodleian Libraries.

A daguerreotype of Ada Lovelace

National Portrait Gallery buys only known photographs of Ada Lovelace via Bonhams

02 January 2026

Three photographs of computing pioneer Ada Lovelace (1815-52) have been acquired by the National Portrait Gallery in a private treaty sale.

Sèvres snuffbox

Friends of Versailles buy Sèvres snuff box at Bonhams

29 December 2025

A snuff-box made for Madame Adélaïde has set an auction record for a Sèvres box, selling for £150,000 (or a premium-inclusive £190,900).

Study for St Nicholas Cole Abbey and Bow Church

Jerwood Foundation buys sketch by British realist painter Coldstream

19 December 2025

Arts charity Jerwood Foundation has purchased a William Coldstream (1908-87) sketch from an art dealer in Somerset.

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Seeing ghosts: Leighton House holds show to highlight ‘lost’ objects it hopes to recover

19 December 2025

Despite its name, a new exhibition, 'Ghost Objects: Summoning Leighton’s Lost Collection', at Leighton House in west London is not, in fact, a séance.

Triptych

Museum launches funding plea to keep rediscovered 15th century almshouse triptych in Dorset  

25 November 2025

A 15th century Flemish devotional triptych discovered in an almshouse in Dorset is to be offered at auction next month with an estimate of £2.5m-3.5m.

Roman glass jar

London dealers sell antique and ancient glass to US museum

12 November 2025

Art and antiquities dealers Oliver Forge and Brendan Lynch have sold two glass items to a US museum.

His Masters Voice

Huguenot Museum buys 12ft reproduction of His Masters Voice

06 November 2025

An enlarged copy of the original ‘His Masters Voice’ picture by Francis Barraud (1856-1924) is now on display at a museum in Rochester.

Greek ring

Getty Museum reveals latest purchases including £100,000 ancient Greek ring

31 October 2025

The J Paul Getty Museum has purchased a Hellenistic gold box-bezel ring, describing it as “one of the finest and best-preserved surviving examples of this ancient jewellery type”.

Woodblock

‘Lost’ Eric Ravilious and Tirzah Garwood woodblocks saved for the nation after emerging for sale on eBay

29 October 2025

A group of woodblocks from artists Eric Ravilious and Tirzah Garwood that had been missing for 72 years has been recovered and purchased by two museums.

Waterloo bandsman

Identity of mystery Battle of Waterloo black bandsman revealed

21 October 2025

The identity of the mystery sitter in a portrait sold at a Sussex auction, who was depicted in the uniform of a cavalry regiment and wearing a Waterloo Medal, has now been revealed by the National Army Museum.

Gold pendant

British Museum launches fundraising plea to buy £3.5m 'Tudor Heart' pendant

15 October 2025

The British Museum is trying to raise funds to buy a gold pendant discovered by a metal detectorist in a field in Warwickshire in 2019.

Alms dish

Museum successful in bid to secure Russell alms dish

13 October 2025

The Gordon Russell Design Museum in Broadway, Worcestershire ran a successful campaign to purchase a Lygon brass alms dish by the English designer and craftsman that came to auction in West Sussex last week.

Tea Production Paintings

Museum purchases exceptional record of tea production from Asian art dealer

13 October 2025

Asian works of art specialist Alastair Gibson has recently completed the sale by private treaty of a set of Qianlong gouache scenes depicting tea cultivation and production.

Brass dish

Cotswolds design museum launches fundraising appeal to buy Gordon Russell dish

08 October 2025

The Gordon Russell Design Museum in Broadway, Worcestershire is fundraising ahead of an auction.

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