[Nhcoll-l] taxidermy and mold/mildew

Wed Jun 18 19:40:59 EDT 2014

I would like to add to Steve's excellent comments.

The idea that the specimens have both mold and residues of arsenicals seems unliklely. Arsenic salts are deadly to mold.

It is possible that what is being viewed as mold may actually be salt efflorescences from any number of sources ranging from past treatments to naturally occurring materials, fatty spue, or even darkening caused by the action of mercury choride treatments on sulfur-containing substrates (like hair and feathers) that have been exposed to light after treatment.

Verifying the presence of mold by having a qualified mycologist examine the residues should be the first step. There are indeed, uncomplicated protocols for decontamination should mold be actually present.

Cathy

Catharine Hawks
Conservator
National Museum of Natural History, MRC 106
Research & Collections, NHB 394
Smithsonian Institution
PO Box 37012
Washington, DC 20013-7012
Office 202.633.0835
SI Cell 202.701.8458
CH Cell 703.200.4370
hawksc at si.edu<mailto:hawksc at si.edu>

________________________________
From: nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu [nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu] on behalf of Steve Sullivan [ssullivan at naturemuseum.org]
Sent: Wednesday, June 18, 2014 7:13 PM
To: Heather.Thorwald at dmns.org; nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu
Cc: jessica.cruz at uni.edu
Subject: Re: [Nhcoll-l] taxidermy and mold/mildew

Treatment for mold can be better addressed by others but I have $0.02 on the use or disposal of specimens like these...  A few years ago I coordinated the re-exhibition of specimens that sound just like yours.  Ours were on display for the better part of the century with few augmentations or changes.  When they were removed, the specimens exhibited fading, some insect damage, and had accumulated some soot.  But in many cases, the taxidermy was excellent and audiences still responded positively to the artifact.

In our specialties we can often become overly perfectionist. As a taxidermist I am often reluctant to display any specimen that exhibits less than Carl-Akeley-like perfection.  As a curator I want each specimen to have ideal coloration.  As a collections manager,  any sign of insect damage or other agents of deterioration are anathema.  However, as any craftsperson can tell you, most people will not see the imperfections that you see.  In our case, the specimens were removed but not deaccessioned and remained off display for about 10 years.  With significantly less work and expense that would be necessary to create a display using new carcasses, we were able to reuse these older specimens in a new context.

I worked with interns and volunteers to make new bases and refurbish background material as necessary.  Where fading was bad we might simply reposition the bird to make the unfaded side the show side, but in other cases I simply airbrushed color onto the feathers in the way you might when painting a reproduction fish.  In doing this, I used all of the materials a modern taxidermist might (i.e. I was not concerned with specimen “conservation” in the academic sense of reversibility, etc.).  In one case where the feet of a goose had been eaten away by dermestid, I gave him a new puddle to stand in, complete with muddy feet.

Today we have a new multi-media exhibit that uses these old specimens, along with some new ones, that helps Museum visitors identify common birds that show up in their backyard. The exhibit does everything it was intended to from a modern aesthetic and informational perspective.  Additionally, we use the specimens to talk about the importance of historic collections and specimen preservation, institutional activities of the past, changes in taxidermy techniques, negative impacts of buildings, cats, and windfarms on bird populations, and many other issues that are more effectively discussed through the use of these historic and not-so-perfect specimens than they could be with a new specimen.

To be able to show Museum visitors a specimen from the late 1800s that looks (to them) almost as good as one that was accessioned yesterday helps them have confidence in us as stewards of our collections and as users of the natural world.

--Steve

Steven M. Sullivan  |  Senior Curator of Urban Ecology
The Chicago Academy of Sciences and its Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum

Museum|2430 North Cannon Drive|Chicago Illinois 60614|naturemuseum.org<http://www.naturemuseum.org/>
Collections|4001 North Ravenswood Ave.|Chicago Illinois 60613|projectsquirrel.org<http://projectsquirrel.org/>
P 708-937-6253 | F 773-755-5199 | ssullivan at naturemuseum.org<UrlBlockedError.aspx>

A century of memories and lessons from the Passenger Pigeon at passengerpigeon.org<http://passengerpigeon.org/>

From:  nnhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu [mailto:nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu] On Behalf Of Heather.Thorwald at dmns.org
Sent: Wednesday, June 18, 2014 2:03 PM
To: nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu
Cc: jessica.cruz at uni.edu
Subject: [Nhcoll-l] taxidermy and mold/mildew

I am posting this on behalf of a colleague from the registrars’ listserv.  Please reply to her directly at the address below.  -- Heather

From:  Jessica Cruz, University of Northern Iowa

I am in the process of cataloging and dismantling the ornithology exhibit my museum has had on display for the past 25 years. Naturally, this has yielded some unfortunate surprises. I have found a number of birds that show signs of mold and mildew and wanted to know what people might recommend. Overall, these are not unique specimens so I doubt we will want to invest in conserving them. My initial reaction is to deaccess and dispose of them, but I wonder if there might be some way to neutralize it.

I should also mention that these are birds from the late 1800's/early 1900's, and they are being moved to a new display where they will probably sit for another 20-30 years.

We are assuming these have been treated with arsenic and are taking all proper precautions. I am also working with the University's hazardous materials manager to make sure the birds we have to depose of are taken care of properly.

Thanks!
Jess
Exhibit Preparator
University Museums, University of Northern Iowa
jessica.cruz at uni.edu<mailto:jessica.cruz at uni.edu>
319-273-2495

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