Questions
How the museum works.
What is the difference between the Permanent Collection and a Limited Edition?
Works in the Permanent Collection are always available, in every size, each print carrying the work's accession number, and each acquisition recorded in the registry when it is made. A Limited Edition is printed in a numbered run with a stated maximum, and when the last number sells the edition is retired for good. Size and scarcity are independent here: the Permanent Collection spans the full range of sizes, and the editions are a separate layer.
Can an edition ever be extended?
No. The edition size stated when you acquire a work is final. If an edition is retired before selling out, it closes permanently at the highest number sold. Edition numbers are assigned in order of completed acquisition.
What does becoming a patron involve?
Patron standing is automatic with the acquisition of any edition. There is no fee. Patrons see new editions seventy-two hours before public release, receive the printed quarterly dispatch, and have access to editions released only to patrons.
What ships with a work?
Every work ships with The Road Museum's certificate of authenticity. The certificate records the work, the photographer, the performing artist of record, the accession number, the format and the paper the print physically shipped on, and the date of issue. Works are certified by the museum; no photographer or artist signature is included or implied.
How do I verify a work?
Every acquisition is recorded in the museum's public provenance registry at the moment it is made. The acquisition record printed on the certificate, and included in the confirmation email, can be entered at the registry to retrieve the record of the work it accompanies.
What does a registry record make public?
A record publishes the work itself: title, photographer, performing artist, collection or edition with copy number and edition size, register identifier, format and paper, date of certification, and the country the work was fulfilled to. It does not publish your name, your address, the price paid, or any other personal information.
Does the record survive resale?
Yes. Certificates and registry entries are records of the work itself and remain valid through any later sale of the physical work.
How are works framed?
Every framed work is made to order. The four core sizes ship in solid hardwood frames in black, white, natural wood, or dark wood, with a border or full bleed, and arrive ready to hang. The oversized works are hand-assembled to order: the 30 x 45 inch works in a window-matted presentation, and the 40 x 60 inch works and the Artist Proof float-mounted in a shadowbox. The full construction of each lane is described at Materials & Framing.
What paper are works printed on?
Archival fine art papers, named per work and per format on each work's page, and recorded on the certificate exactly as shipped. Every print is produced to order at 300 DPI at its final size.
How long does a work take to arrive?
Every work is produced once, to order. The four core sizes and the 30 x 45 inch works are printed, framed where ordered, and delivered within about two to three weeks. The 40 x 60 inch works and the Artist Proof are printed, framed, and crated; please allow three to four weeks.
How do works ship?
Delivery is complimentary and insured within the US on every work. Works through 30 x 45 inches ship by insured parcel. The 40 x 60 inch works and the Artist Proof are crated and delivered by insured freight, with signature on delivery. For delivery inquiries outside the US, contact the museum.
What if a work arrives damaged?
The museum replaces damaged or defective arrivals at no cost. Contact us within 14 days of delivery with photographs of the work and its packaging. The replacement is produced to the same standard, and the provenance record carries forward unchanged. The full policy is stated at Returns & Replacements.
Can I return or exchange a work?
Because every work is made once, for its collector, all sales are final. The terms are stated plainly at Returns & Replacements.
How do I acquire a work?
From the work's own page in the collection. For oversized works, the editions, placement in a project, or any other inquiry, the museum answers directly at hello@theroadmuseum.com.