Natural-History-Conservation.com

We provide training courses on the following subjects:

  • Preventive conservation strategies for natural history collections
  • Preventive and remedial conservation strategies concerning the cleaning of natural history specimens
  • The remedial conservation, care, and maintenance of fluid-preserved zoological collections
  • Handling, packaging, storage and safe transportation of natural history specimens
  • Integrated pest control management
  • The care and conservation of geological and palaeontological material
  • Moulding and casting museum specimens

    COURSES IN 2010:

    Simon Moore is giving another Fluid Preservation course at the Sedgwick Museum's Brighton Building, Madingley Road, Cambridge from the 7th to 10th of June 2010. The Cost for the course remains at £250 for the four days. Participants will learn about the effects of fluid fixatives and preservatives on, largely, zoological and botanical materials. Most of the course is practical, given over to repairing specimens that have decayed, collapsed and/or dried out etc. Also, time will be spent on jar comparisons and sealing techniques, together with tips for fluid analysis, and specific problem analysis. You are invited to bring along a problem specimen or two to work on, from your own museum's collections provided that they can travel safely.

    There are presently 7 spaces available.

    Please contact Simon Moore at couteaufin@aol.com for more details and/or inclusion on the course.



    COURSES DELIVERED IN 2008:

    Simon Moore delivered several Fluid Preservation courses in 2008 in locations as far afield as Norwich Castle Museum, Trinity College Dublin and Museum d’Histoire Naturelle Paris. Each course was fully subscribed, training between 10 and15 participants each time.

    Below are some photographs of course participants:


    Nigel Larkin delivered a couple of pracical workshops in 2008 showing curators How to Mould and Cast Museum Specimens. This was for the Renaissance in the East Natural History Collections Project:
    Care of Natural History Collections – practical workshops for curators.
    It was delivered at the Shirehall Study Centre, Norwich Castle Museum on 4th November 2008 - and repeated on 5th November due to demand.
    This was a one-day practical workshop (repeated the next day due to demand) covering aspects of moulding and casting museum objects. Aimed primarily at Natural Science curators, this workshop may also be of interest to archaeologists, conservators and display technicians.
    It was led by Nigel Larkin, who has many years experience in palaeontological conservation and making replicas for research and display.
    All materials, information sheets, refreshments and lunch were included in the cost.
    After a presentation outlining moulding and casting techniques including conservation aspects and preparing specimens for the moulding process and further conservation applications of using the moulding and casting products, the participants undertook practical sessions laying-up specimens, making moulds and producing casts. This included discussions comparing the various techniques and materials available and the health and safety aspects of the various materials. Participants took home the casts they made, along with a variety of information sheets and relevant manufacturers catalogues. This course can be lengthened to two days or more to give participants more time to get used to the technique and to try more materials.



    We can create courses specifically tailored to your needs and your staff. Most courses run for a day or two, and courses can be combined.


    Example: A one-day course on the conservation of fluid-preserved specimens:

    Course content:

  • Talk on the biomechanics of fixation and preservation
  • Review of re-hydrating agents
  • Discussion on the latest types of jars and fluids available
  • Discussion on caring for collections and moving collections
  • Practical demonstrations on all aspects of fluid preservation and re-hydration techniques, including sealing of all types of jar and specimen repair.

    For an example of one of these courses click here for more details.

    1, 2, 3, 4,
    Staff from Exeter Museum and the Horniman Museum on one-day courses learning about the conservation of fluid-preserved specimens: 1 & 2 - Trying out celloidin glue (pyroxylin) technique for mending alcohol-preserved specimens, 3 - a cluster of swan mussels (c.1790) in a period jar, dried out, the glass clouded, prior to successful rehydration, preservation and cleaning, and 4 - a novel technique for removing a museum jar lid attached with irreversible sealing cement, using discarded scalpel blades.



    For more details about what we can do for you, or for a quote, please contact:
    enquiries@natural-history-conservation.com
    We are members of the United Kingdom Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works

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