"Standards in the care of skins and taxidermy collections", Conservation Centre of the Natural History Museum, London (UK)

Standards in the care and conservation of skins and taxidermy collections
Webpage of the Conservation Centre, Natural History Museum, London (UK)
URL

This webpage comprises notes take from the Clothworkers Foundation workshop 23rd-24th January 2013. Project supported by the Cloth Workers Foundation and SYNTHESYS.

These notes have been developed from a workshop comprised of a collection of experts in the field. The notes are for development and will be a living document covering best practice in the preservation of skins and taxidermy materials. The Project does not cover or recommend interventive processes for the stabilization of skins and taxidermy materials.

Overview of discussion:
1. Review of Materials included in a skin and taxidermy collection
2. Ethical Problems and issues
3. Collecting techniques for specimen preservation
4. Processing Methods
5. Deterioration Mechanisms
6. Specimen Handling and Transportation
7. Health and Safety
8. Storage and storage environment
9. Monitoring Equipment and standards
10. Storage Media
11. Training Syllabus
12. Key Research questions

"In the Flesh? Anthropodermic Bibliopegy Verification and Its Implications" by Gordon (2016)

Gordon, J.; "In the Flesh? Anthropodermic Bibliopegy Verification and Its Implications", RBM: A Journal of Rare Books, Manuscripts and Cultural Heritage 17(2) (2016) 118–33.

URL (rbm.acrl.org, open access)

Gilt Leather Artefacts: White Paper on Material Characterization and Improved Conservation Strategies within NICAS (2016)

Posthuma de Boer, M.; Groves, R. M.; Koldeweij, E.; Gilt Leather Artefacts: White Paper on Material Characterization and Improved Conservation Strategies within NICAS, Delft University of Technology - Netherlands Institute for Conservation, Art and Science (NICAS), Delft (2016).

URL / PDF (TUDelft Repository, open access)

Abstract:

Due to its sensitivity, the conservation and upkeep of gilt leather is often underestimated. It can sincerely be considered as endangered cultural heritage. This publication describes the current state of knowledge from the perspectives of Technical Art History, Material Dynamics, Conservation and Diagnostics, and sets out research directions for 2017-2025.