I must say I whole heartedly agree with Brian about his observations reguarding private collections being donated to Museums. Its very hit and miss, more often a miss, and usually off into a black hole.
As Brian says not only do curators and Museum directors come from a very different world compared to Broadcast Engineers, none have the talent or inclination to create a working display of genuine preserved equipment, as most already lack the space to display the volumes of existing items already in deep storage.
Most Museums are doing well if they break the 25% point. i.e They usually only can display a quarter of their total inventory at any one time. Thats why many rotate items over a 5 to 10 year period or so.
The Sydney Power House is a classic (NSW Governmnet run) example of this policy and practice. But it does not work for all items. I know they have a complete Marconi MK VII - yes a SEVEN. One of two that VTC Sydney donated at end of life in the 1980s, and one of only about eight or nine in the entire country.
Alas I have never seen it unpacked and on display in over 25+ years.
The closest you can get is a few pictures on line - and even then its all sitting on a pallet in storagre. The recent (2006) temporary exhiibit celebrating 50 years of TV in Australia only had the tired old Ferseh from TCN-9 and the Marconi MkIII from ATN-7 on static non working display - both heads only.
The closest we have in this country is the Barry Lambert led ABC-TV PYE OB Van Restotation at the Australina Natioal Musem in Canberra. I am proud to say I helped Barry with a donation of a couple of PYE MkIII camera cables in 1999. But eben this disply is only fired up on 'special' ocassions.
Like most specialist problems in life don't expect any government solution - becuase if you want something done properly you will have to do it yourself.
I hope to be a 'white knight' in the next few years - i.e offering a dry, clean equipment display and repair facilites, for both my current collection and for other like minded collectors.
But it does take money to setup such establishments, and pay for that little thing needed top keep it going and make it all happen ... electrcity
