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Title
National Museum Directors' Conference (NMDC)

Description
The National Museum Directors' Conference (NMDC) an independent, non-governmental organisation, was founded in order for the national collections to work together and deal with issues of concern to all. Members are the directors of the national museums of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, the three national libraries, the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew and the Public Record Office.

In June 1998 the NMDC established a Working Group on Spoliation to draw up a Statement of Principles and proposed actions for all member institutions regarding Nazi-era looted art. That Statement was presented to the Washington Conference on Holocaust-Era Assets in December 1998. Each member museum was encouraged to draw up a plan for provenance research. An external advisory committee was appointed to ensure that the museums followed the principles set out in the NMDC Statement. The Museums and Galleries Commission (MGC), now The Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA), representing the non-national museums and galleries, produced a similar statement in April 1999 as a guide for non-national museums and galleries. The Commission and its findings are also represented within the NMDC Working Group.

In order to publicise the results of the provenance research carried out by the NMDC and the MGC (now The Museums, Libraries and Archives Council, MLA), the NMDC set up a website at: www.nationalmuseums.org.uk. The first progress report was published online in February 2000 and updated in October of the same year. It contains, in addition to individual action plans and progress-to-date for each museum, gallery, and library member of the working party, lists of works of art with incomplete provenances between 1933-1945 under their respective institutions. The website also provides useful information for claimants and any interested enquirers.

The following museums, with their associated information, are currently listed on the site.

National Museums and Galleries

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