[Nhcoll-l] Inquiry about collections originating from animal experimentation

[Violette Fonrose]

Hi everyone,


I’m looking for information from anyone who may have collections of
specimens originating from animal experimentation.


I would especially be interested in hearing from museums or universities
holding monkeys, particularly macaques bones or skin or any remains, that
were used in experiments related to the development of the polio vaccine
during the 1950s–1960s.


For context, I am currently researching the history of a macaque collection
assembled by Professor Georges Vandebroek during the 1950s-60s for the
zoology collections of the University of Louvain (Leuven, Belgium).


These macaques appear to have been animals used in the development and
testing of the polio vaccine. In Belgium, this vaccine played a major role
in protecting the population during the polio epidemics, which makes the
collection particularly important both scientifically and historically.


I am trying to better understand the lives of these animals before they
entered museum or university collections, and what happened afterwards: how
they became collection objects, whether they were used for teaching or
research, who worked on them, how they circulated between institutions,
etc.. for my master thesis.


I would therefore love to know whether any of you have similar collections
in your institutions or countries:

   -

   macaques linked to polio vaccine research,
   -

   or more generally specimens originating from animal experimentation.


If so, I would be very interested in learning:

   -

   which animals you have,
   -

   in what quantities,
   -

   how they entered the collections,
   -

   whether documentation about their experimental history survives,
   -

   and how these collections were used afterwards (research, exhibitions
   etc..).


At the moment, I am trying to determine whether this type of transfer from
laboratories to teaching or research collections was something relatively
common at the time.


Any information, references, experiences, or contacts would be really
helpful.


Thank you very much,


Best regards


Violette Fonrose

intern UCLouvain


Museology of Natural and Human Sciences, Master degree

National Natural History Museum of Paris
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