Almost all loans coming into Towneley are for temporary exhibitions and are handled in accordance with current museum standards. If the loans are from other museums the paperwork covering the objects are normally provided by the museum making the loan otherwise the loans are recorded at Towneley using an object entry form.
Outgoing loans of objects from Towneley's collections are recorded using object exit forms as described in Towneley's Documentation Procedure Manual. Each object's current location is recorded in the museum's collections management system and for loans this entry will indicate the name of the organisation being loaned the object and when it is expected to return. Overseas loans from Towneley can only be made with Burnley Town Council's permission.
There are a small number of objects that have been on loan at Towneley for many years. The earliest of these are five objects on loan from the V&A
oak coffer with carved Gothic tracery (said to be English 14th century)
ark form coffer probably 14th century
Electrotype copy of 15th century suit of armour made for King Henry II of France
electrotype copy of 15th century shield accompanying a suit of armour made for King Henry II of France
plaster cast of a cast iron fire back (now in poor condition and not on display)
In 1933, Mrs. Le Gendre Starkie, of Huntroyde, loaned three sculptures. Two of them are still on loan. One is the Italian Venus, an early copy after Canova, in the Red Regency Room and the other, Nymph disturbed at her bath by Duckett, in the Green Regency Room. Also in the Red Regency Room are two paintings of the children of the Petre family of Dunkenhalgh by John Partridge (1790-1872) on loan from the Petre family since 1982.
A more recent group of loans including the Todmorden Bed have been on loan from the Strachey family since 2001 and these have been recorded using object entry forms.
In addition to the bed, there are another five items of furniture that are thought to have been originally at Towneley.
Barrel stand
Clerk's desk
Mirror stand
Oak chest
Press cupboard
