Provenance Tracking¶
User Guide¶
Track chain of custody and ownership history for archival records, museum objects, and library materials.
Overview¶
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| PROVENANCE TRACKING |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
| |
| WHO WHAT WHEN WHERE |
| | | | | |
| v v v v |
| Owner/ Transfer Date of Location |
| Holder Event Event Details |
| |
| | |
| v |
| CHAIN OF CUSTODY TIMELINE |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
What is Provenance?¶
Provenance is the chronological history of ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Proper provenance research is essential for museums, archives, and libraries to establish authenticity, legal ownership, and cultural significance of their collections.
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| WHY PROVENANCE MATTERS |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
| * Establishes legal ownership |
| * Verifies authenticity |
| * Documents cultural significance |
| * Identifies gaps in ownership history |
| * Supports Nazi-era due diligence (museums) |
| * Tracks cultural property claims |
| * Maintains donor relationships |
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Key Features¶
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
| PLUGIN FEATURES |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
| * Chain of custody timeline with event tracking |
| * Certainty levels for each provenance claim |
| * Nazi-era provenance checking (1933-1945) |
| * Cultural property status tracking |
| * Supporting document management |
| * Integration with donor agreements |
| * Visual timeline visualization with D3.js |
| * Agent/owner management with autocomplete |
| * Multi-language support (i18n) |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
How to Access¶
Record View
|
v
More Menu / Actions
|
v
Provenance -------------------------------------+
| |
+---> View Provenance (read-only view) |
| |
+---> Edit Provenance (add/modify) |
| |
+---> View Timeline (visual display) |
Alternatively, navigate directly to:
- /provenance - Dashboard with statistics
- /provenance/[slug] - View provenance for a record
- /provenance/[slug]/edit - Edit provenance
- /provenance/[slug]/timeline - Visual timeline
Viewing Provenance¶
Provenance View Page¶
When viewing provenance for a record, you will see:
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
| PROVENANCE & CHAIN OF CUSTODY |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
| Record: [Title of Item] |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
| |
| PROVENANCE SUMMARY |
| +-------------------------------------------------------+ |
| | Created by John Smith (1920); Sold by Smith Family | |
| | to City Museum (1985), New York. | |
| +-------------------------------------------------------+ |
| |
| CHAIN OF CUSTODY TIMELINE |
| +-------------------------------------------------------+ |
| | o-- 1920: Creation - By John Smith | |
| | | [Certain] | |
| | | | |
| | o-- 1950: Inheritance - To Smith Family | |
| | | [Probable] | |
| | | | |
| | o-- 1985: Donation - Smith Family -> City Museum | |
| | [Certain] @ New York | |
| +-------------------------------------------------------+ |
| |
| STATUS NAZI-ERA CHECK |
| +---------------------+ +-----------------------------+ |
| | Status: Owned | | [x] Checked | |
| | Custody: Permanent | | [x] Clear - No issues | |
| | Certainty: Certain | +-----------------------------+ |
| +---------------------+ |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
Adding/Editing Provenance¶
Step 1: Navigate to Edit¶
Go to a record and click Edit Provenance or navigate to /provenance/[slug]/edit
Step 2: Complete the Form¶
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
| PROVENANCE SUMMARY |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
| Provenance Statement: |
| +-------------------------------------------------------+ |
| | Enter a human-readable summary of the item's | |
| | provenance history... | |
| +-------------------------------------------------------+ |
| (Leave blank to auto-generate from events) |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
| ACQUISITION DETAILS |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
| Acquisition Type: [Donation v] |
| Acquisition Date: [1985-06-15 ] |
| Date (Text): [circa 1985 ] (for imprecise) |
| Price: [ ] |
| Currency: [ZAR v] |
| Notes: [Gift from estate ] |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
Step 3: Add Chain of Custody Events¶
Click Add Event to record ownership changes:
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
| CHAIN OF CUSTODY EVENTS |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
| EVENT 1 [X] |
| +-------------------------------------------------------+ |
| | Type: [Donation v] Date: [1985-06-15] | |
| | Date Text: [ ] Certainty: [Certain v] | |
| | From: [Smith Family ] To: [City Museum ] | |
| | Location: [New York ] | |
| | Notes: [Gift from estate ] | |
| +-------------------------------------------------------+ |
| |
| EVENT 2 [X] |
| +-------------------------------------------------------+ |
| | Type: [Inheritance v] Date: [1950-01-01] | |
| | Date Text: [circa 1950] Certainty: [Probable v] | |
| | From: [John Smith ] To: [Smith Family ] | |
| | Location: [ ] | |
| +-------------------------------------------------------+ |
| |
| [+ Add Event] |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
Event Types¶
Events are organized into categories:
Ownership Changes¶
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Sale | Item sold to new owner |
| Purchase | Item purchased from seller |
| Auction | Sold at public auction |
| Gift | Given as a present |
| Donation | Donated (usually to institution) |
| Bequest | Left in a will |
| Inheritance | Passed down through family |
| By Descent | Inherited within family |
| Transfer | Moved between collections |
| Exchange | Traded for another item |
Loans & Deposits¶
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Loan Out | Temporarily loaned to another party |
| Loan Return | Returned from loan |
| Deposit | Placed in custody (not ownership) |
| Withdrawal | Removed from deposit |
Creation & Discovery¶
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Creation | When item was made/created |
| Commission | Ordered to be created |
| Discovery | Found or unearthed |
| Excavation | Archaeological recovery |
Loss & Recovery¶
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Theft | Stolen from owner |
| Recovery | Recovered after theft/loss |
| Confiscation | Seized by authority |
| Restitution | Returned to rightful owner |
| Repatriation | Returned to country/community of origin |
Movement¶
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Import | Brought into country |
| Export | Sent out of country |
Documentation¶
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Authentication | Verified as genuine |
| Appraisal | Valued for insurance/sale |
| Conservation | Preservation treatment |
| Restoration | Repair/restoration work |
Institutional¶
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Accessioning | Added to collection formally |
| Deaccessioning | Removed from collection |
Certainty Levels¶
Each event and the overall provenance can be assigned a certainty level:
+---------------+-----------------------------------------------+
| Level | Description |
+---------------+-----------------------------------------------+
| Certain | Documented evidence (invoices, receipts, |
| | photographs, correspondence) |
+---------------+-----------------------------------------------+
| Probable | Strong circumstantial evidence |
+---------------+-----------------------------------------------+
| Possible | Some supporting evidence |
+---------------+-----------------------------------------------+
| Uncertain | Limited evidence |
+---------------+-----------------------------------------------+
| Unknown | No evidence available |
+---------------+-----------------------------------------------+
Status Options¶
Current Status¶
- Owned - Institution has full ownership
- On Loan - Temporarily held from another owner
- Deposited - In custody but not owned
- Unknown - Ownership unclear
- Disputed - Ownership contested
Custody Type¶
- Permanent - Intended to remain indefinitely
- Temporary - Time-limited custody
- Loan - Borrowed from another party
- Deposit - Placed for safekeeping
Nazi-Era Provenance (Museums)¶
For museum objects, especially art and cultural property, checking Nazi-era provenance (1933-1945) is essential:
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| NAZI-ERA PROVENANCE CHECK |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
| [ ] Nazi-era provenance has been checked |
| |
| If checked: |
| +-------------------------------------------------------+ |
| | Result: [Clear - No issues found v] | |
| | [Requires investigation ] | |
| | | |
| | Notes: | |
| | +---------------------------------------------------+ | |
| | | Provenance traced through 1933-1945 period. | | |
| | | No gaps or suspicious transfers identified. | | |
| | +---------------------------------------------------+ | |
| +-------------------------------------------------------+ |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
Important: Objects acquired between 1933-1945 or with gaps during this period should be thoroughly researched for potential Nazi-era looting.
Cultural Property Status¶
Track claims and disputes related to cultural property:
| Status | Description |
|---|---|
| None | No cultural property issues |
| Claimed | Subject to ownership claim |
| Disputed | Active dispute in progress |
| Repatriated | Returned to community/country of origin |
| Cleared | Investigated and cleared |
Supporting Documents¶
Upload or link documents that support provenance claims:
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
| SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
| Existing Documents: |
| +-------------------------------------------------------+ |
| | [PDF] Deed of Gift 1985.pdf [Deed of Gift] [Del] | |
| | [IMG] Photo with Smith 1980.jpg [Photograph] [Del] | |
| +-------------------------------------------------------+ |
| |
| Add New Document: |
| +-------------------------------------------------------+ |
| | Type: [Bill of Sale v] Title: [1985 Transfer ] | |
| | Date: [1985-06-15 ] | |
| | File: [Choose file... ] OR URL: [https://... ] | |
| | Description: [Original transfer documentation ] | |
| +-------------------------------------------------------+ |
| [+ Add Document] |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
Document Types¶
- Deed of Gift
- Bill of Sale
- Invoice / Receipt
- Auction Catalog
- Exhibition Catalog
- Inventory Record
- Insurance Record
- Photograph
- Correspondence
- Certificate
- Customs Document
- Export License / Import Permit
- Appraisal
- Condition Report
- Newspaper Clipping
- Publication
- Oral History
- Affidavit
- Legal Document
Visual Timeline¶
The timeline view provides a visual representation of the chain of custody:
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
| VISUAL TIMELINE |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
| |
| 1920 1950 1985 2000 2024 |
| | | | | | |
| v v v v v |
| o-----------o-----------o-----------------------o |
| | | | | |
| Creation Inheritance Donation Current |
| J. Smith Smith Family to Museum Holdings |
| |
| Legend: |
| [Creation] [Sale] [Gift] [Inheritance] [Auction] [Other] |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
Access via: /provenance/[slug]/timeline
Dashboard Statistics¶
The provenance dashboard shows collection-wide statistics:
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| PROVENANCE MANAGEMENT |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
| +-------------+ +-------------+ +-------------+ +-------+ |
| | Total | | Complete | | With Gaps | | Nazi | |
| | 150 | | 98 | | 23 | | Era | |
| | Records | | | | | | 125 | |
| +-------------+ +-------------+ +-------------+ +-------+ |
| |
| BY ACQUISITION TYPE BY CERTAINTY LEVEL |
| +------------------------+ +------------------------+ |
| | Donation | 45 |====| | Certain | 65 |=======| |
| | Purchase | 38 |=== | | Probable | 42 |==== | |
| | Bequest | 22 |== | | Possible | 23 |== | |
| | Transfer | 18 |= | | Uncertain | 15 |= | |
| | Unknown | 27 |== | | Unknown | 5 | | |
| +------------------------+ +------------------------+ |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
Agents (Owners/Holders)¶
Agents represent persons, organizations, or families in the chain of custody:
Agent Types¶
- Person - Individual owner
- Organization - Company, museum, gallery
- Family - Family group or estate
- Unknown - Unidentified party
Agent Autocomplete¶
When entering agent names, the system suggests existing agents:
From Agent: [Smith_____________]
+------------------+
| Smith, John |
| Smith Family |
| Smithsonian |
+------------------+
Best Practices¶
+--------------------------------+--------------------------------+
| DO | DON'T |
+--------------------------------+--------------------------------+
| Record all known events | Leave gaps undocumented |
| Assign certainty levels | Assume all events are certain |
| Upload supporting documents | Rely on memory alone |
| Check Nazi-era provenance | Ignore 1933-1945 period |
| Note gaps in the chain | Hide uncertain provenance |
| Use specific dates when known | Use vague dates unnecessarily |
| Link to existing agents | Create duplicate agent entries |
| Add research notes | Lose research findings |
+--------------------------------+--------------------------------+
CSV Import Format¶
Bulk import provenance using CSV:
identifier,legacy_id,provenance_summary,acquisition_type,acquisition_date,certainty_level,event_type,event_date,from_agent,to_agent,event_location,event_notes
ABC-001,,Donated by Smith Family in 1985,donation,1985-06-15,certain,donation,1985-06-15,Smith Family,City Museum,New York,Gift from estate
ABC-002,PRES-12345,Purchased at auction 2010,purchase,2010-03-22,certain,auction,2010-03-22,Christie's,City Museum,London,Lot 245
ABC-003,,Unknown provenance before 1950,unknown,,uncertain,,,,,Requires further research
Integration with Other Plugins¶
The Provenance Plugin integrates with:
| Plugin | Integration |
|---|---|
| ahgDonorAgreementPlugin | Link provenance to donor agreements |
| ahgRightsPlugin | Connect provenance to rights information |
| ahgMuseumPlugin | Display provenance on museum object views |
| ahgDAMPlugin | Track provenance for digital assets |
| ahgLibraryPlugin | Document provenance for library materials |
Common Tasks¶
Mark Provenance Complete¶
- Add all known events
- Upload supporting documents
- Check Nazi-era provenance (if applicable)
- Set certainty level
- Check "Provenance research is complete"
Record a Gap¶
- Check "There are gaps in the provenance chain"
- Describe the gap in the provided field
- Set certainty to "Uncertain" or "Unknown"
Flag Cultural Property Issue¶
- Set Cultural Property Status to "Claimed" or "Disputed"
- Add detailed notes
- Upload any related documentation
Troubleshooting¶
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| Timeline not showing | Ensure events have dates |
| Agent not appearing | Check autocomplete, create new if needed |
| Documents not uploading | Check file size limits, permissions |
| Summary not generating | Add events or enter manual summary |
Need Help?¶
Contact your system administrator if you experience issues.
Part of the AtoM AHG Framework - Version 1.0.3