This policy explains what information The Patina Journal collects, why, and how it is handled. It covers this website only.
What we collect
Newsletter and contact forms. If you subscribe to the newsletter or send a message through the contact form, we collect the information you provide: typically your email address, and for the contact form, your name and message. This is used only to send the newsletter or to reply to you.
Comments. If comments are enabled on an article and you leave one, the comment content, your name, email address and IP address are stored, in line with standard WordPress behaviour, so that spam can be filtered and the conversation moderated.
Server logs. Like most websites, our hosting provider automatically logs basic technical information such as IP address, browser type and pages requested, for security and troubleshooting.
We do not run advertising, and we do not sell, rent or trade personal information to anyone.
Cookies and local storage
This site uses only the cookies necessary for it to function, such as a cookie set if you leave a comment, and, if you ever log in, standard WordPress session cookies. We do not use advertising or cross-site tracking cookies.
Some interface preferences, such as a dismissed banner or a saved reading position, may be stored using your browser’s local storage rather than a cookie. This information stays on your device, is never transmitted to us, and can be cleared at any time through your browser settings.
Embedded content and third-party services
Typefaces used on this site are loaded from Google Fonts, which may receive your IP address as part of delivering the font files. Newsletter and contact submissions are processed by WPForms, a plugin running on this WordPress installation; submitted data is stored in this site’s own database and, for notifications, passed to our email address.
Image hosting. Editorial and archival images are either hosted directly on this site or drawn from open-access museum collections (such as The Metropolitan Museum of Art) under their published open-access terms; the originating institution is credited where an image is used. We do not embed third-party image-hosting widgets that track visitors.
Analytics. We do not currently run third-party analytics or advertising trackers on this site. If that changes, this policy will be updated first to name the service and explain what it collects.
How long we keep information
Newsletter addresses are kept until you unsubscribe. Contact form submissions and comments are kept as part of the site’s ordinary records unless you ask us to remove them.
Your rights
You can ask us what information we hold about you, ask us to correct it, or ask us to delete it, by getting in touch. You can unsubscribe from the newsletter at any time using the link in any newsletter email.
Children
This site is not directed at children and we do not knowingly collect information from them.
Changes to this policy
If this policy changes, the update will be posted on this page with a new revision date below.
Last updated: September 2026.