Collection Center
Loan Requests
PEM is committed to providing the broadest possible access to its collection through the loan of objects for educational and scholarly purposes.
PEM welcomes requests from museums and qualified borrowers for temporary exhibitions and installations of educational significance. Please note that PEM does not make loans of collection materials to individuals or for private research purposes.
Contact us at pem_collection@pem.org.
UPDATE: Please be advised that PEM has begun a multiyear collection moving project to the James B. and Mary Lou Hawkes Collection Center, a state-of-the-art, 120,000-square-foot facility in Rowley, Massachusetts. Due to the magnitude of the project and the significant demands on staff members, PEM has instituted a moratorium on collection loans until July 1, 2026.
We sincerely regret any inconvenience this may cause, and we thank you for your patience and understanding as we embark on a comprehensive upgrade to PEM’s collection storage and access.
Requesting a Loan
Loan requests should be submitted in writing to the attention of PEM’s Executive Director and CEO Lynda Roscoe Hartigan at the earliest opportunity, and at least 12 months prior to the requested start date of the loan. Requests made within six months of the exhibition’s opening date may not be accommodated or may result in additional fees, as this does not allow sufficient time for the request to be fully considered, approved and prepared for loan.
Please include the following information with your request:
- Exhibition title, dates and additional venue(s)
- Exhibition synopsis
- Detailed information, including museum accession number (if known) of all objects being requested
- Significance of each object to the exhibition
- Contact information for the borrowing institution’s curator and registrar
- A general facility report for each proposed exhibition venue
Lynda Roscoe Hartigan
The Rose-Marie and Eijk van Otterloo Executive Director and CEO
Peabody Essex Museum
161 Essex Street
Salem, MA 01970
Prospective borrowers, especially those with multipart requests, are encouraged to carry out preliminary research and seek additional guidance from PEM’s curatorial and registration teams prior to submitting a formal loan request.
Loan Approval Process
Loan requests will be reviewed quarterly by PEM’s internal loan review team. A decision will be made based on advice from the Curatorial and Collections departments, as well as a conservation examination. Prospective borrowers can expect to receive a decision within three months of PEM’s receipt of a request.
Loan Request Criteria
Requests for loans will be evaluated according to the following criteria:
- Object(s) suitability for handling, transport and display
- Object(s) availability during the period requested
- Display conditions and security provided by the borrower and/or venue(s)
- Administrative and technical work involved in processing the loan, in the context of PEM’s existing program of activity
If approved, a PEM registrar will provide a loan agreement detailing specific conditions and costs associated with the loan.
Please contact pem_collection@pem.org with any specific questions.