[Nhcoll-l] [HERBARIA] displaying plants

Wed Jan 11 16:35:13 EST 2017

Hi Deb,

We have been working on an exhibit for the FLMNH 100th Anniversary (the herbarium is actually older ☺).

We learned from an earlier experience that light is certainly an agent of deterioration!  We placed some duplicate specimens in a display case for public viewing which faces a covered walkway from October to mid-Feb.  The window "supposedly" has UV protection but I believe it does get some strong direct sun. There is probably little or no climate control.

Here is a comparison of the specimens before and after:
https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.flmnh.ufl.edu_herbarium_specimens_zoom_imagezoom-5Fhtml5.asp-3Ffolder-3D240-26image-3D240186a1-23ImageTop&d=CwIGaQ&c=-dg2m7zWuuDZ0MUcV7Sdqw&r=CLFZJ3fvGSmDp7xK1dNZfh6uGV_h-8NVlo3fXNoRNzI&m=4LKKxDBKanOjL6SIs4Q-Qj_OfdjSYVJqNc4XW6pwiNc&s=k7G_niaxHblXVgH2YBNTjfaTCkyb26mMkxgsULKx37M&e= 
https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.flmnh.ufl.edu_herbarium_specimens_zoom_imagezoom-5Fhtml5.asp-3Ffolder-3D240-26image-3D240186a2-23ImageTop&d=CwIGaQ&c=-dg2m7zWuuDZ0MUcV7Sdqw&r=CLFZJ3fvGSmDp7xK1dNZfh6uGV_h-8NVlo3fXNoRNzI&m=4LKKxDBKanOjL6SIs4Q-Qj_OfdjSYVJqNc4XW6pwiNc&s=IgV6jY57Eq15yEmKIia89H16K--SN4BRtaEFJQPMcSQ&e= 

https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.flmnh.ufl.edu_herbarium_specimens_zoom_imagezoom-5Fhtml5.asp-3Ffolder-3D240-26image-3D240162a1-23ImageTop&d=CwIGaQ&c=-dg2m7zWuuDZ0MUcV7Sdqw&r=CLFZJ3fvGSmDp7xK1dNZfh6uGV_h-8NVlo3fXNoRNzI&m=4LKKxDBKanOjL6SIs4Q-Qj_OfdjSYVJqNc4XW6pwiNc&s=WG9HtSBVL1aNCu_WdFVf2A3lRQtywGFYbh7b189ExAY&e= 
https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.flmnh.ufl.edu_herbarium_specimens_zoom_imagezoom-5Fhtml5.asp-3Ffolder-3D240-26image-3D240162a2-23ImageTop&d=CwIGaQ&c=-dg2m7zWuuDZ0MUcV7Sdqw&r=CLFZJ3fvGSmDp7xK1dNZfh6uGV_h-8NVlo3fXNoRNzI&m=4LKKxDBKanOjL6SIs4Q-Qj_OfdjSYVJqNc4XW6pwiNc&s=A_6YQT_7Rnc6L3ssiiO4mFKOSWsjfBPhfA02VrxNNok&e= 

The specimens in our new exhibit will definitely be sheltered from light.  But, to be safe we are not using any accessioned material.  We are creating “surrogate” specimens or high quality photographs.  In fact, I think the public would be just as pleased with the photos of the specimens as they are with the real thing.

There was an inquiry on this subject some while ago, I think on NHCOLL.  Tim Dickinson (https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.eeb.utoronto.ca_people_d-2Dfaculty_Dickinson.htm&d=CwIGaQ&c=-dg2m7zWuuDZ0MUcV7Sdqw&r=CLFZJ3fvGSmDp7xK1dNZfh6uGV_h-8NVlo3fXNoRNzI&m=4LKKxDBKanOjL6SIs4Q-Qj_OfdjSYVJqNc4XW6pwiNc&s=fj-rkJC4Xgrbc58Gtkxx7Hou27i22mPexZ7gCAXnZME&e= ) responded with the following:
----
“The experience of the ROM Green Plant Herbarium is similar to that of others who have replied to this enquiry: herbarium specimens placed on display fade. In our experience, rotating the contents of display cases is usually impractical, and doing so would take away time from more pressing activities. Where they can be mounted a few feet away from a museum visitor, color scans of specimens are almost indistinguishable from the real thing.

My colleague, Deb Metsger, describes how she and her co-workers dealt with this issue in part of a report she made on the ROM's " Life in Crisis: The Schad Gallery of Biodiversity" that opened in 2009. This report was published in the Bulletin of the Canadian Botanical Association, and is available online at https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.cba-2Dabc.ca_Bulletin-5F43-5F3.pdf&d=CwIGaQ&c=-dg2m7zWuuDZ0MUcV7Sdqw&r=CLFZJ3fvGSmDp7xK1dNZfh6uGV_h-8NVlo3fXNoRNzI&m=4LKKxDBKanOjL6SIs4Q-Qj_OfdjSYVJqNc4XW6pwiNc&s=xeDcmvLrrYhTY7Z03inQq1od1GXlICcakSnzr0jOCdg&e=  (p. 12 of the .pdf file, page 60 of the Bulletin). The report describes how the gallery team used scans of herbarium specimens, real plants, and models to convey the diversity of plants to museum visitors, not as backdrops to animal displays, but rather as vital components of diverse ecosystems. It may be of interest to others confronted with similar challenges
---TAD.”
We’ve found that publication to have a lot of helpful hints.
Best wishes,
Kent
---------------------------
Kent D. Perkins, Manager of the Collection
University of Florida Herbarium (FLAS)
Florida Museum of Natural History
379 Dickinson Hall
PO Box 110575
Gainesville, FL  32611-0575
Ph. 352-273-1990
---------------------------
From: HERBARIA [mailto:herbaria-bounces at NACSE.ORG] On Behalf Of Debra Trock
Sent: Wednesday, January 11, 2017 12:46 PM
To: nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu; herbaria at NACSE.ORG
Subject: [HERBARIA] displaying plants

Does anyone have experience with different ways of preserving/presenting plants for exhibitions?  We are planning an exhibit of California coastal life and a portion of that exhibit will be devoted to plants and algae.  Our exhibits team is asking for advice on interesting ways (besides herbarium sheets, fake plants, or living plants) to preserve plants for exhibition.

I have no experience in this realm, so am open to any ideas or suggestions.

Deb

Dr. Debra Trock
Director of Science Collections
Senior Collections Manager, Botany
California Academy of Sciences
55 Music Concourse Drive
San Francisco, CA 94118
dtrock at calacadmy.org<mailto:dtrock at calacadmy.org>
PH:  415-379-5363
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