Simon Jenkins is astute to recognise the significant funding issues that plague the museum sector (Theft isn’t the only problem facing the cash-strapped British Museum – and I have some answers, 28 August). That this is now a “problem” demonstrates the London-centric focus of British elitism, as the problem has existed in regional and local museums for years. But it is unhelpful to compare museum practices in the UK and US, as their functioning is entirely different.
UK collections belong to the public. Our museums are not corporate entities with disposable goods, or bank vaults storing someone’s treasures for a rainy day. The social value of objects places them in public ownership, and they reflect our relationship with the world and with each other. The now-exposed problem of sizable uncatalogued collections is a direct result of funding priorities. Decluttering collections must become a higher priority to enable museums to safeguard items with the most cultural value. Selling off the family silver will not bring back stolen objects or mend roofs. It is an oversimplification of complex issues created by underfunding.
