Collection: The Gordon Highlanders Museum

Collection-level records:

• Collection history (Collection development policy)

  The collecting area for the Museum is not defined geographically. Material will be acquired on the basis of a proven connection with The Gordon Highlanders.The collection will therefore consist of items owned by, or used by, members of the Regiment or their immediate families and originating in the areas from which the Regiment has drawn recruits, in the areas in which at any time the Regiment has been stationed for training or peacetime operations, and in theatres of war in which the Regiment has been present.

  The Board of Trustees acknowledge that following the amalgamation of The Gordon Highlanders with the Queens Own Highlanders in 1994 there may be an interest in common with The Highlanders Museum in collecting material relating to 1st Battalion The Highlanders (Seaforth, Gordons and Camerons) and The Highlanders, 4th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland (4SCOTS). The Museum shall work with The Highlanders Museum and the Museum of The Royal Regiment of Scotland to ensure that material is preserved in the place most appropriate, and that material provenanced to The Gordon Highlanders shall continue to be acquired by The Gordon Highlanders Museum.

  The Museum acknowledges that the National War Museum Scotland in Edinburgh Castle collects a range of material in order to preserve evidence of and interpret the role of all branches of the British Armed Forces in Scottish history.Some of this material may be provenanced to The Gordon Highlanders.The Curator, on behalf of the Board of Trustees, will work with National Museums Scotland to ensure that material is preserved in the place most appropriate, given the nature of the items and their provenances.

  Items related to The Gordon Highlanders may also have an importance to other museums whose area of collecting is defined geographically, and for whom such items may have specific local significance.In such cases, a principal of open actions and good communications will apply.

  Source: Collection development policy

  Date: 2022

  Licence: CC BY-NC

• Collection overview (Collection development policy)

  The collections held by the Museum have been and will be acquired in order to interpret the development of the Regiment, its activities, its personalities, and the experiences of its members. As such, the collections encompass a wide range of material including uniform, colours and banners, weapons and equipment, medals, silver, musical instruments, pictures, and miscellaneous items of personal and Regimental memorabilia. There is, however, no intention to collect in depth amongst traditional academic disciplines in order to demonstrate general trends in military history and technology. The collections of the Museum relate principally to the unique history of The Gordon Highlanders. ‘The Gordon Highlanders’ is deemed to include the 75th and 92nd, the Volunteer Battalions, the Militia and associated Service battalions. The collection also relates to pre-1853 auxiliary regiments in the North East and the Affiliated, Allied and Associated Regiments overseas.

  Uniform

  The Museum collects examples of uniform worn by officers and other ranks at all periods in the Regiment’s history. Uniform is here deemed to include issued items of personal equipment as well as body wear.

  Colours and Banners

  The Museum collects Regimental Colours and other textiles including pipe banners, flags and embroideries.

  Weapons

  The Museum collects examples of personal weapons used by officers and other ranks at all periods in the Regiment’s history. Weapons not used by members of the Regiment but acquired by them as war souvenirs are also collected. The Museum holds a Museums Firearms Certificate, although most weapons held are deactivated and hold the appropriate deactivation certificates.

  Medals

  In recognition of the Museum’s pastoral role to former members of the Regiment and their families, the Museum collects all orders, decorations and medals awarded to officers and men of the Regiment.

  Silver, ceramics and glass

  The Museum collects examples of silver acquired by messes and individuals of the Regiment, and examples of functional silver used by the Regiment.

  Musical instruments

  The Museum collects musical instruments used by the Military Band and The Drums and Pipes of the Regiment.

  Pictures

  The Museum collects paintings, drawings, prints and photographs depicting members of the Regiment and related subjects.

  Personal and Regimental Memorabilia

  The Museum collects miscellaneous items of personal and Regimental memorabilia pertaining to the interpretative objective described in paragraph 6.1 Such material is difficult to define or predict but includes such items as personal or Regimental souvenirs or service and war, commemorative items and non-issue personal equipment.

  Archives

  The Museum also retains documents and photographs pertaining to the interpretative objective described in Paragraph 6.1. Such material is often acquired in association with objects donated to the Museum collection and so is an important source of interpretative information. The archive includes Regimental order books, returns and registers but in the main consists of miscellaneous manuscripts, diaries, letters, photograph albums and individual photographs. Transcripts and copies of original documents are also collected, as a reference source, where originals are not available, though there is no intention to duplicate official and public record holdings which relate to the Regiment.

  Source: Collection development policy

  Date: 2022

  Licence: CC BY-NC