the natural history museum: natural history collections, their conservation and interpretation
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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 PresentationTRANSCRIPT
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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
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Natural History Museum
•Opened to public 1881
•Architect Alfred Waterhouse
•Complex institution
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Museum visitors
3.8 million visitors
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Marine Invertebrate Gallery
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Bryozoans- Lace corals
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Objects of cultural significance
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Scientific Institution- 300 scientists:
70 million specimens
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Historical Significance
• Sir Hans Sloane• Joseph Banks• Charles Darwin
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SEM- Diatom
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SEM- Pollen grain- Tomato
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Diversity Insects
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Bird specimens- Echo parakeet
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Natural structures- nests
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Palaeontology- Mineralogy
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Library, Art + Archives
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Complex Conservation ProjectsNatural History Museum, London
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Natural Materials
• Natural History Museum holds around 70 million specimens
• Natural origin or artefacts derived from a natural origin
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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
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Ethics
• Preventive Approach• Object as Data
– DNA– Ore generation– Meteorite– Proteins– Pigments– Specimen Status
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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
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Complexity• Physical structures• Chemical Data
– DNA– Proteins– Glass, Wax– Collagen– Keratin– Chitin– Hydroxyapatite– Cellulose– Mineralogical– Composite minerals
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Complex Structures
• Complex Structure• Heavily restored• Value
– Morphology– ADNA
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Imaging
• Digitization and analysis• Macro level
– Digital photography– Surface Scanning– Computer Aided
Tomography (CT)– Non-invasive analysis
• Raman• EDX
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Analysis in Conservation• Papyrus
– oxidation and efflorescence
– Preservation and access
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Composition, Imaging and analysisConservation
• Reduced Oxygen Environments– Analysis of plastics– Design of enclosures– Assessment of monitors– Effectiveness– Use
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Imaging in Conservation
• Blaschka Glass Models• Lay over conservation
documentation• Structural Information
– Conservation– Structural– Analysis
• Reduced invasive conservation
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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
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Reducing invasive treatments
• Laser Cleaning– Dual Wavelength
• Changing the way we treat specimens
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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
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Changing Methodologies
• Improve techniques for preservation
• Improve knowledge of environmental preservation
• Improving data preservation
• Accessibility – Object– Data
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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
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Thanks
• Liesa Stertz• Richie Abel• Felicity bolton• Lorraine Cornish