[Nhcoll-l] Refrigeration for tanned skins

[Hawks, Catharine]

As Mary Lou Florian noted long ago, the rate of lipid oxidation increases as temperature decreases, so can be detrimental to skin (tanned or untanned) materials  as a long-term storage solution.

Cathy
Catharine Hawks (she, her)
Conservator
Collections Program
MRC 170 Rm M85-J
National Museum of Natural History
10th Street & Constitution Ave NW
Washington DC 20560
w 202.633.0835 or 4041  c 703 200 4370
hawksc at si.edu<mailto:hawksc at si.edu>

SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY
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From: Nhcoll-l <nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu> On Behalf Of Chinn, Anna RBCM:EX
Sent: Wednesday, May 11, 2022 12:25 PM
To: nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu
Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Refrigeration for tanned skins

External Email - Exercise Caution
Hello all,

We are planning storage conditions for a new collections building. In our current building, all tanned mammal skins are stored in a refrigerated, locked room. Recently, the fridge unit malfunctioned and the room had to be completely emptied. We are considering eliminating the fridge in the new building and integrating the tanned hides with the rest of the collection to avoid the risk of future melt down.

I would love to hear your experiences with tanned hides. Have you found refrigeration to be a net benefit to preservation? We have been storing some mounted taxidermy in the fridge room, as well. I am a little concerned that the fridge might make these specimens more prone to drying and cracking. Do other people have experience with this?

Thank you for all of your thoughts,

Anna
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Anna Chinn (She/Her)      Collection Manager, Birds and Mammals  |  Collections Care and Conservation
ROYAL BC MUSEUM
Traditional Territory of the Lekwungen (Songhees and Xwsepsum Nations)
675 Belleville Street, Victoria, BC Canada V8W 9W2
T 250-387-1216   |  M 250-886-1528

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