Conservation of Natural History Specimens

Conservation of Natural History Specimens is the first volume to comprehensively cover all aspects of the conservation of the whole range of natural history materials.

Including contributions from a diverse group of experts working around the world, the book covers all natural history preservation methods and materials in detail and shares recent developments in the field, giving conservation and curation professionals the confidence to take the appropriate steps to preserve this essential part of our heritage. The book is divided into seven parts, each of which broadly covers a specific type of preservation or material. Each part contains illustrative examples and useful techniques covering numerous topics, including: preventive conservation, fluid-preserved biological specimens, dry-preserved zoological specimens; entomology, botany and fungi, geology, and cross-discipline groups. Taking a holistic approach that covers scientific and craft-based remedial techniques, as well as preventive conservation, the book will be an essential resource for institutions of all sizes.

Conservation of Natural History Specimens is an indispensable resource for all individuals working with, studying, and conserving natural history collections, including conservators, conservation scientists, curators, collection managers, art historians, industrial historians, archaeologists, collectors and other allied professionals.

List of Contributors
List of Figures
List of Tables
Foreword
Acknowledgements
List of Professional Acronyms and Abbreviations

Part 1. Preventive Conservation
1. Historical Overview of the Conservation of Natural History Specimens / John Simmons
2. Management of Collections / Efstratia Verveniotou, Kurmo Konsa, Mati Martin, Lennart Lennuk and Anna Fenlon
3. Environmental standards for the preservation of natural history specimens / Jéssica Tarine Moitinho de Lima and Anna Fenlon
4. Condition Reporting / Lucie Mascord with contributions from Fran Ritchie
5. Analytical techniques to better understand and preserve natural history collections / Laura Brambilla, Sophie Cersoy, Marc Herbin and Fabiana Portoni
6. Health and Safety / Lucy Watkinson, Robin Hansen, Kathryn Makos, Jeffrey Sotek, and Catharine Hawks

Part 2. Dry stored zoological specimens
7. Taxidermy, skins and keratinous materials / Fran Ritchie, Arianna Bernucci and Lucie Mascord, with contributions from Daisy Greenwell, Anna Ivory, Fabiana Portoni, Tanya Nakamoto, Emilia Kingham and Efstratia Verveniotou
8. Osteology and ivory / Lucie Mascord, Emilia Kingham, Sheldon Teare and Rebecca Desjardins
9. Dry Invertebrates / Jacqueline Chapman-Gray, Anna Fenlon, Mark Carnall and Véronique Rouchon

Part 3. Fluid stored zoological specimens
10. Fluid storage history, best practices and environmental guidelines / John Simmons, Marc Herbin and Sophie Cersoy
11. Storage fluids / John Simmons, Simon Moore and Gali Beiner
12. Fluid storage containers / Dirk Neumann, Ash Dupuis, Laura Brambilla, Sophie Cersoy and Fabian Neisskenwirth
13. Remedial techniques for fluid preserved zoological specimens / Julian Carter, Elodie Granget, Fabian Neisskenwirth and Simon Moore

Part 4. Entomological specimens
14. Storage, Environments and Remedial Conservation for Entomological Collections / Olga Sivell, Suzanne Ryder, Natalie Dale-Skey, Alessandro Giusti and Arianna Bernucci
15. Lepidochromy: research for the understanding of a forgotten technique / Marion Dangeon, Alexandra Lefebvre and Laura Brambilla

Part 5. Botanical specimens
16. Herbarium specimens / Magdalena Grenda-Kurmanow, Jovita Yesilyurt, Konstantina Konstantinidou and Mark Nesbitt
17. Other Botanical Collections / Jovita Yesilyurt, Magdalena Grenda-Kurmanow, Konstantina Konstantinidou and Mark Nesbitt
18. Fluid preserved botany / Elodie Granget, Marion Dangeon and Laura Brambilla

Part 6. Geological specimens
19. Minerals / Lu Allington-Jones, Véronique Rouchon, Robin Hansen and Evangelia Kyriazi
20. Gemstones and geological adornments / Lu Allington-Jones and Robin Hansen
21. Meteorites / Natasha Almeida and Lu Allington-Jones
22. Rocks / Lu Allington-Jones, Julianne Snider and Evangelia Kyriazi
23. Fossils / Vicen Carrió, Lu Allington-Jones and Evangelia Kyriazi
24. Geological and palaeontological specimens exhibited in situ and outdoors / Evangelia Kyriazi

Part 7. Cross-discipline groups
25. Microscope slides / Birger Neuhaus, Alice Gimat and Jens Riedel
26. Models / Emilia Kingham, Lu Allington-Jones, Sabina Carraro, Astrid van Giffen, Nikki Harrison and Tannis Davidson
27. Tissue and DNA techniques: standards and storage for preservation of frozen plants and animal tissue / Heather Avrili
28. Eggs and nests / Anna Fenlon, Douglas Russell and Suzanne Ryder

Index