[NHCOLL-L:2882] Re: Greenery in Museums

[Bob Glotzhober]

Rachel et al.:
Have any of you ever tried preserving real plants with a product called "Never Say Dye Plant Preservative."  It is available from WASCO (Wildlife Artists Supply Company) which is basically a taxidermy supply -- they use it for habitat preparations.  I've tried it a little with mixed results.  I think it takes some time and experimentation.  Once completed, it is authentic looking, looks alive, but is dead and preserved.  You would probably want to double check and eliminate any insects, insect eggs still attached, but since it is no longer living, a variety of approaches should be able to do that. Check it out at:  http://www.taxidermy.com/default.html
 
Bob 
========================================== 
Robert C. Glotzhober          614/  297-2633 
Curator, Natural History       bglotzhober at ohiohistory.org 
Ohio Historical Society 
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Columbus, Ohio  43211-2497 

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-----Original Message-----
From: Gretchen Anderson [mailto:gretcha at smm.org]
Sent: Tuesday, November 08, 2005 10:25 AM
To: mtilson at csra.net; NHCOLL-L at lists.yale.edu
Subject: [NHCOLL-L:2880] Re: Greenery in Museums


Hi Rachel, 

I am the conservator at a natural history museum, in Minnesota  -- so magnolia leaves are not the kind of greenery we have to deal with. But, we have the same concerns, and greenery is brought in.   The problem is that the standard we use (freezing) does not work well on living plants

My recommendations are:
1) Fake plants/leaves etc (if possible)

if that fails

2) Go to a nursery that uses systemic pesticides -- get their cast offs, you know the leaves that fall off. Isolate them away from the collections to be relatively sure that no critters are coming in. Examine them carefully before you bring them into the building. Monitor the greenery with blunder traps)

If that fails, and you must bring in living (or recently dead) wild plants (and try to avoid this if at all possible)
3) Isolate the plant material and examine it.  Wash it thoroughly (are you talking leaves and branches or living plants?) using an insecticidal soap. Monitor it before you bring it into the galleries with blunder traps (sticky traps -- no phermones) until you feel relatively sure that you do not have bugs. Then, when the greenery is placed around the galleries, place out fresh blunder traps under and around the decorations. Then you will at least know if the procedures worked and what critters were introduced,  and whether or not they are incidentals or pests.  That will help with the clean-up and might give you ammunition for next year!

Good Luck
Gretchen Anderson 
Conservator
Science Museum of Minnesota


At 07:55 AM 11/8/2005, Malloy, Rachel (MHM) wrote:



Good Morning Everyone, 

This is a cross-posting from the Registrar's listserve.  Please respond to the NHCOLL list-serve or to mtilson at csra.net.

Thank you, 
Rachel Delovio-Malloy 

Have any of you ever used greenery in your historic houses for decorating. And by greenery I mean things like magnolia leaves that you pick up outside. Does anyone have any idea how this can be treated before the items are brought in, for instances making sure that there are no bugs or other issues.

Thanks, 
Misty Tilson 
Registrar 
Augusta Museum of History 

Rachel Kaleilehua Malloy 
Assistant Curator of Object Collections 
Historical Museum of Southern Florida 
101 West Flagler St   Miami, FL 33130 
305.375.1492   www.historical-museum.org <http://www.historical-museum.org/>  

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