[Nhcoll-l] Protecting whale bones for exhibit

[Bethany Palumbo]

Hi Miguel,

I don't recommend coating the bones in a varnish as this won't protect
against UV penetration and won't allow the bones to expand and contract
with environmental fluctuations.

Instead try to find a way to protect the area with external means, applying
UV film to the windows or a strategically placed fabric canopy might do the
job. Or ideally find another location to exhibit the specimen where it
won't be exposed to outside light.

All the best,
--
Bethany Palumbo, ACR
Head of Conservation Unit

Statens Naturhistoriske Museum
Universitetsparken 15, 2100 København



Instagram | @palumbo_conservation


On Mon, 24 Mar 2025 at 22:22, Miguel Pinto <miguel.pinto.baez at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Dear Colleagues:
>
> At the Charles Darwin Research Station in the Galápagos Islands, we are
> planning to display a Bryde's whale skeleton in a corridor. While the
> specimen will be sheltered from rain, some parts of the skeleton may
> receive direct and indirect sunlight for a few hours each day.
>
> What recommendations would you suggest to minimize potential damage from
> sun exposure? Would applying a protective varnish to the bones be an
> effective solution?
> Very best,
>
> Miguel Pinto, PhD
> Coordinador de Colecciones | Curator
> Colecciones de Historia Natural | Natural History Collections
> Estación Científica Charles Darwin | Charles Darwin Research Station
> Fundación Charles Darwin | Charles Darwin Foundation
> Puerto Ayora, Islas Galápagos, Ecuador
> Tel. +593 5 2 526 146 - ext 318
>
> Research Gate <https://www.researchgate.net/profile/C-Pinto> | Google
> Scholar
> <https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=ogsGq5oAAAAJ&view_op=list_works>
>
> www.darwinfoundation.org
>
> La misión de la Fundación Charles Darwin y su Estación Científica es
> abordar las mayores amenazas y desafíos para Galápagos a través de
> investigación científica y acciones de conservación para salvaguardar uno
> de los tesoros naturales más importantes del mundo.
>
> The mission of the Charles Darwin Foundation and its Research Station is
> to tackle the greatest threats and challenges to Galapagos through
> scientific research and conservation action, in order to safeguard one of
> the world’s most important natural treasures.
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