The Natural History Museum: Natural History collections, their conservation and interpretation

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