[NHCOLL-L:5406] Vintage sealants on fluid specimen containers?

[Judith Price]

A friend at another museum is asking for advice on a specimen borrowed for exhibit from another institution (hence my cagey discretion!)

 

The item in question is an early 20th century anatomical preparation in a glass container sealed with a black material. A corner of the sealant has chipped, and he is concerned as to how he could repair the area in time for the exhibit. It sounds to me like an asphaltum sealing compound (I'll get a better look later today). Anyone know of what those arcane mixtures were composed, and whether he could patch it with wax, tinted or otherwise?

 

Thanks

Judith

 

Judith C. Price

Secretary, Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections

Assistant Collections Manager, Invertebrates / Gestionnaire adjointe des collections invertébrés

Canadian Museum of Nature / Musée canadien de la Nature

PO Box 3443 Station D / CP 3443 Succ <<D>>

Ottawa, Ontario K1P 6P4 CANADA

Tel.613.566.4263 / Fax.613.364.4027

jprice at mus-nature.ca

@nature_jcp <http://twitter.com/nature_jcp> 

www.nature.ca <http://www.nature.ca/>  / www.spnhc.org <http://www.spnhc.org/> 

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