[NHCOLL-L:608] FW: Re: concerns re display of extinct bird specim ens

[Panza, Robin]

               IT seems to me there are a couple of separate questions here.
One is security from theft--are the specimens safe from humans who might
think it would be fun to own an extinct bird.  The dodo bones aren't likely
to be suffering from public display, so the concern is theft.  This is not
that different from the question of theft of something exotic, like a bird
of paradise, or a piece of pottery.  Do you consider the area and the
housing to be reasonable for other display materials?  Then I would think it
adequate for the bones.
 
The other security question is whether the specimen should be exposed to the
potential damage of display.  The real question here is scientific value,
and part of their scientific value is collection data.  For something like
Passenger Pigeons, I don't see this as a big deal.  There are many PPs in
collections, so anything without (or with poor) data is not especially
valuable.  If the ones you have on exhibit are  like this, their value for
education far outweigh the risk of damage (in my opinion, anyway).  At the
other extreme, if you're exhibiting one of the only specimens left of a
species and you have good collection data on it, perhaps its educational
value does not justify exhibition.  The duck and the curlew might fall into
this category, again, depending on the data with them.  
 
How's that for an emphatic, resounding maybe?
 
just my 2 cents,
Robin

Robin K Panza                         panzar at carnegiemuseums.org 
Collection Manager, Section of Birds          ph:  412-622-3255 
Carnegie Museum of Natural History       fax: 412-622-8837 
4400 Forbes Ave. 
Pittsburgh  PA  15213-4008  USA 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Tim White [mailto:tim.white at YALE.EDU] 


From: Paula Hildebrandt 


We have a similar problem with a pair of passenger pigeons. I would be
interested in any responses you receive. Would you mind forwarding them? 



> 
>The Redpath Museum at McGill University in Montreal has been exhibiting a 
>selection of extinct bird specimens for several years and would like 
>response from the natural history curatorial/collection management
community 
>regarding the security and preservation concerns of this practice. In terms

>of conservation, all specimens are shielded by UV films and tubes over the 
>flourescant lighting. They are in closed display cases with no 
>environmental controls. All the cases are standard issue glass, wood and 
>paint constructs with no special locking or security. The cases are in 
>isolated corners of the museum rather than in the heavily used areas. The 
>specimens on exhibit include one mounted Labrador Duck, 2 passenger
pigeons, 
>1 Arctic curlew and 4 bones of a Dodo. I would appreciate hearing your 
>comments and concerns via e-mail at ibirker at hotmail.com or tel:
514/398-4086 
>ext. 4094. Yours sincerely, 
> 
>Ingrid Birker 



Tim 


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Tim White, Senior Collection Manager Yale University