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The Natural History Museum: Natural History collections, their conservation and interpretation. Julie Harvey New Perspectives Project Co-ordinator Chris Collins Head of Conservation. Natural History Museum. 3.8 million visitors . Museum visitors. Marine Invertebrate Gallery. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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The Natural History Museum: The Natural History Museum: Natural History collections, their Natural History collections, their conservation and interpretationconservation and interpretation
Julie HarveyNew PerspectivesProject Co-ordinatorChris CollinsHead of Conservation
Natural History Museum
•Opened to public 1881
•Architect Alfred Waterhouse
•Complex institution
Museum visitors
3.8 million visitors
Marine Invertebrate Gallery
Bryozoans- Lace corals
Objects of cultural significance
Scientific Institution- 300 scientists:
70 million specimens
Historical Significance
• Sir Hans Sloane• Joseph Banks• Charles Darwin
SEM- Diatom
SEM- Pollen grain- Tomato
Diversity Insects
Bird specimens- Echo parakeet
Natural structures- nests
Palaeontology- Mineralogy
Library, Art + Archives
Complex Conservation ProjectsNatural History Museum, London
Natural Materials
• Natural History Museum holds around 70 million specimens
• Natural origin or artefacts derived from a natural origin
Challenges• Collections support the
research of the museum• Any interventive process
therefore will reduce or change the value of the object
• Collections are held in an environment that reduces rates of deterioration and maximize data– Object– Frozen Collections– Digital Collections– Specialist Control
• Standards Review
Ethics
• Preventive Approach• Object as Data
– DNA– Ore generation– Meteorite– Proteins– Pigments– Specimen Status
Lace and Links• Natural Materials
– Linen (flax plant, Linum usitatissimum), Silk (protein fibre) , Cotton (bolls - Gossypium barbadense
– Metals, human hair, natural history materials
– Hold samples of original materials
– Role as a research collection
• Museum holds its collections as a research archive
• Conservations role is to preserve data
Complexity• Physical structures• Chemical Data
– DNA– Proteins– Glass, Wax– Collagen– Keratin– Chitin– Hydroxyapatite– Cellulose– Mineralogical– Composite minerals
Complex Structures
• Complex Structure• Heavily restored• Value
– Morphology– ADNA
Imaging
• Digitization and analysis• Macro level
– Digital photography– Surface Scanning– Computer Aided
Tomography (CT)– Non-invasive analysis
• Raman• EDX
Analysis in Conservation• Papyrus
– oxidation and efflorescence
– Preservation and access
Composition, Imaging and analysisConservation
• Reduced Oxygen Environments– Analysis of plastics– Design of enclosures– Assessment of monitors– Effectiveness– Use
Imaging in Conservation
• Blaschka Glass Models• Lay over conservation
documentation• Structural Information
– Conservation– Structural– Analysis
• Reduced invasive conservation
Non-invasive investigation and reproduction• Stereo lithography• CAT Scanning and 3D Laser
Scanning• Raman Spectroscopy/Multi
Spectral imaging• Specialist Sampling • Maintenance of Electronic Data• Micro-sampling
Reducing invasive treatments
• Laser Cleaning– Dual Wavelength
• Changing the way we treat specimens
Conservation Research• Non-invasive Conservation
– Reduced invasive treatments– Imaging
• Forensic Conservation– Analysis– Design– Aid in preservation at scenes
of crime– Sampling– Ensure data for ID accessible
• DNA• Geneaology
Changing Methodologies
• Improve techniques for preservation
• Improve knowledge of environmental preservation
• Improving data preservation
• Accessibility – Object– Data
Overview• Research Orientation• Non-invasive analysis• Non-invasive preservtion• Materials analysis• Improved techniques in data
(specimen) management• Improved access
– Imaging– Analysis– (digital) replication
• Environmental standards
Thanks
• Liesa Stertz• Richie Abel• Felicity bolton• Lorraine Cornish