[Nhcoll-l] Natural history museum controversies?

[Knox, Dr Alan G.]

Hi Derek

And another: not sure if there is anything you could use here as well. Bit dated now but some comments still relevant.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/280315152_Under_the_skin_the_bird_collections_of_the_Natural_History_Museum

This paper describes briefly the museum at Tring, outlines the scope and nature of the NHM bird collections and presents information about the specimens and their documentation. Attention is drawn to some of the possible sources of inaccuracy associated with museum data. Some of this information is relevant to any large collection. The curatorial comments may be of interest to staff with responsibilities for bird collections in other museums.

Alan

From: Knox, Dr Alan G.
Sent: 14 October 2020 09:17
To: Derek Sikes <dssikes at alaska.edu>
Subject: RE: [Nhcoll-l] Natural history museum controversies?

Hi Derek

Not sure where you are trying to go with this but is this any use:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/229670308_Richard_Meinertzhagen-a_case_of_fraud_examined

Museum collections are rich repositories of information. The specimens and the data they bear continue to provide new insights into ornithology and biological processes decades or even centuries after they were collected. The benefits to be gained from museum collections depend implicitly upon the accuracy of the information associated with the specimens and the correct interpretation of those data (Parkes 1989, Knox & Walters 1992). Collectors and dealers have often been suspected of fabricating data for a variety of reasons, but proven cases have been documented only rarely (e.g. Nicholson & Ferguson-Lees 1962). This paper examines one such case.

Alan

Dr Alan Knox
Emeritus Head of Museums
University of Aberdeen
King's College
Aberdeen AB24 3SW

From: Nhcoll-l <nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu<mailto:nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu>> On Behalf Of Derek Sikes
Sent: 14 October 2020 02:45
To: ECN-L at listserv.unl.edu<mailto:ECN-L at listserv.unl.edu>; nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu<mailto:nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu>
Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Natural history museum controversies?

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Do any of you know of any *published* natural history / science controversies in museums that are quite famous? These could range from taking on specimens or collections that are controversial, to research conducted by museums staff/curators that was deemed controversial, etc.

Ideally, I'd like a publication or documentary / video that has the details. No need to reply with unpublished accounts! & These should involve museum specimens (so no need to reply with stories of misbehaviors of museum personnel if specimens were not involved).

Thanks!
Derek



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