Mississippi Administrative Code
Title 16 - History, Humanities and Arts
Part 5 - Museum Division
Chapter 8 - Collections Policy of the Mississippi Governor's Mansion
Rule 16-5-8.1 - Definitions

A. Historic Section:

The historic section of the Governor's Mansion consists of the first and second floors of the original front block of the Governor's Mansion completed in 1842. It does not include the 1975 town house addition nor the raised basement, which runs underneath both the historic front block and the 1975 addition.

The Board of Trustees, Mississippi Department of Archives and History, has adopted guidelines for the public's use of the Mansion's historic section and grounds (The Mississippi Governor's Mansion Historic Section and Grounds, Guidelines for Public Use) and guidelines for the Governor and First Family's use of the Mansion's historic section and grounds (The Mississippi Governor's Mansion Historic Section and Grounds, Guidelines for Use by the Governor and First Family).

B. Historic Collection:

The historic collection of the Governor's Mansion consists of those objects which have direct significance to the historic section of the Governor's Mansion. The majority of these objects are on exhibit in the Mansion's historic section. All objects in the historic section are property of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, with the exception of a twentieth-century Steinway baby grand piano and a tea set belonging to the Department of Finance and Administration. Objects in the historic collection are cataloged, documented, preserved, and managed according to prescribed procedures based on current professional museum standards with the understanding that items are subjected to use and cannot be preserved in the same manner as holdings in Museum Division's Historic Objects collection. It is unlawful to remove any state property under the custody of the curator from the Mansion without authorization of the curator as stipulated by the Mississippi Code 1972, Section 39-5-21. Also, no property on MDAH inventory should be relocated within the Mansion without the approval of the Mansion curator.

C. Scope of Historic Collection:

The scope of the collection of the Mississippi Governor's Mansion shall include furnishings and decorative arts items appropriate for display in the historic section of the Governor's Mansion, typically items dating from the nineteenth and early twentieth century. The collection may also include high quality reproductions, when appropriate.

D. Delegation of Responsibility for Implementation of Collections Policy:

The Museum Division director is responsible for supervising the proper implementation of the collections policy. The Division director has delegated the day-to-day care and management of the collections to the Mansion curator. Specific collections care and management procedures (for acquisition, cataloging, disposal, documentation, access, loans, handling, etc.) are outlined in a collections management manual developed and maintained by the Mansion curator.

E. Provision for Review and Revision of Collections Policy: The collections policy will be reviewed by the Collections Committee (consisting of the Museum Division director, Mansion curator, and the Museum Division director of curatorial services) at least every five years and, when necessary, appropriate revisions will be presented to the Board of Trustees for the Board's review and approval.