Transcript Complex Conservation Projects

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
•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 Projects
Natural 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
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Object
Frozen Collections
Digital Collections
Specialist Control
• Standards Review
Ethics
• Preventive Approach
• Object as Data
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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
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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 analysis
Conservation
• Reduced Oxygen
Environments
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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
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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
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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
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Liesa Stertz
Richie Abel
Felicity bolton
Lorraine Cornish