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Become a Member

Do You Have Something to Donate?

Whether you were a Community member, an Oneida Ltd. employee, or a descendant, your family’s history is a vital piece of the Oneida narrative.The Oneida Community Mansion House is committed to collecting materials that support our mission to preserve and share these stories. 

What do we collect?

The Oneida Community Mansion House mission is to use our historic site and collection to share the sto­ry of the Oneida Community—one of the most radical and successful of the 19th century social experiments ­to explore pressing social issues that still confront audiences today.

To accomplish this goal, OCMH acquires a wide variety of artifacts and historic materials for use in exhib­its, as reference or teaching materials, and to assist in conducting original research. The museum is always seeking object donations and archival material related to the original Oneida Community, Oneida Communi­ty, Ltd., Oneida Ltd., as well as the Mansion House itself. 

Items we are actively seeking include: 

  • Jessie Catherine Kinsley braidings

  • Oneida Ltd. employee ID badges, uniforms, or other artifacts or mementos

  • Oneida Ltd. products in original packaging

  • Sterling silver Oneida Ltd. silverware or other products

  • Oneida Ltd. branded silverware chests or cases

  • Oneida Ltd. novelties such as Christmas ornaments

  • "Spoonover Society" cards

  • Maxfield Parrish, Coles Phillips, and Jon Whitcomb original illustrations with connection to Oneida Community, Ltd.

  • Items related to the Oneida Community (textiles, furniture, household items, art, products, etc.)

What do we NOT collect?

Generally, we do not accept the following at this time:

  • Furniture or household items with no direct connection to the Oneida Community

  • Books or periodicals written by or about the Oneida Community (e.g. My Father's House, The Quadrangle/Community Quadrangle newsletters)

  • Most Community Plate and Oneida Ltd. silverware patterns (unless in original packaging or sterling silver)

  • Most Community Plate and Oneida Ltd. magazine or newspaper advertisements

  • Most Oneida Ltd. holloware, including Paul Revere bowls, tea sets, trays, etc.

  • Oneida Newhouse and Victor animal traps

  • Jewelry or other items made from Community Plate or Oneida Ltd. silverware

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Though we appreciate the thoughtfulness in offering these items, OCMH either already has similar pieces in our collection, or they fall outside the scope of what we are able to collect based on our mission.

How to Donate

To have your items considered for the OCMH collection, please follow the steps below. We are a small team with finite resources and must prioritize items that directly fulfill our mission; therefore, we cannot accept on-the-spot donations or unannounced drop-offs.

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Step 1: Contact Our Curator

Begin by sending photos and/or a descriptive list of your items to our Curator of Collections:

 

Step 2: Wait for Approval

Please DO NOT mail or drop off items until you have received formal acknowledgement and approval from our staff. For the safety and organization of our collections, our staff is unable to accept donations dropped off during unannounced visits. We appreciate your generosity and your cooperation in helping us manage our collections responsibly.

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