Objects do not explain themselves, so this archive holds them to a standard: every object must be verifiable, or researchable into verifiability.
In practice that means preferring objects that prove themselves. A dated inscription over a flat signature. A photographer's title printed in the negative over a loose attribution. A documented chain of custody over a dealer's say-so. Where possible, objects are acquired from accountable sources: members of the ABA, ILAB, and PBFA trade associations, and established auction houses, whose invoices are themselves provenance documents.
Each catalogue entry shows two things.
Provenance records what is anchored: inscriptions, stamps, labels, plaques, and the acquisition trail. Where a name appears but its owner cannot be traced, the entry says so. Honest gaps are recorded as gaps.
Verification status grades the evidence. Verified means the object authenticates itself or carries independent confirmation: a dated imprint, a serial number checked against published records, a certificate of authenticity, a presentation plaque. Research Ongoing means the attribution is solid but rests on inference, such as dating by street directories or branding chronology, and a live research question remains open. Research after purchase is treated as part of the acquisition: identifying the unnamed, dating the undated, and correcting the catalogue.
No object is published to this archive while its authenticity is unresolved.