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Carnegie Museum of Natural History

One of the Four Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh

behind the scenes

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New Dioramas at CMNH

leopard diorama

We made exciting progress on our redesigned gift shop this week here at Carnegie Museum of Natural History!

Three beautifully restored dioramas were wrapped in plastic and carefully moved to the gift shop on Tuesday.

The new store is scheduled to open later this month, just in time for holiday shopping!

Read more about the store redesign or the conservation process!

Stay tuned for updates by following the museum on Facebook or on Twitter, and Instagram @carnegiemnh

Several people helping to move a case
Carefully moving the cases into place using lifts and casters.

 

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5 Surprising Conservation Facts

cleaning a panda diorama

by Kathleen Bodenlos

Gretchen Anderson is a conservator at Carnegie Museum of Natural History. She is restoring a panda diorama that will be prominently placed in our newly renovated gift shop. (Stay tuned for more on the gift shop in the next few weeks).

Here are 5 surprising things about conservation of a diorama.
1. Less is more: Use as few chemicals as possible

  • Soot sponges, water, and vacuums are the top
    choices in lieu of harsh chemicals. Water is one of the most powerful solvents!
  • Gretchen begins with a fan brush and a HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air filter) vacuum to remove as much dust and arsenic traces as possible.
  • She is wearing a protective face mask and gloves to protect herself from any arsenic that might be stirred up.
  • Soot sponges are a rubber sponge designed to absorb soot and are used dry. Another handy tool is a makeup sponge. A make-up sponge is used when just a little tiny bit of water is needed to move the dirt.
  • Particulate dust (dust, dirt and soot) is extremely damaging to museum collections. It is best to remove it.
dirty sponge

2. Some conservationists also do a little restoration on paint

  •  When in doubt go lighter to match a color
  • Think impressionism and mottle with several colors if possible. A good example is the natural colors on a rock.

restored panda diorama

3. Move ‘em up and head ’em out—RAWHIDE!

  • For many older dioramas, the skin of the animal is literally a raw hide. They are often treated with arsenic to keep the hide from becoming infested with insects and being eaten/damaged
  • Mercury, and other pesticides were also used to prevent insect attack on some museum collections.
  • A sealed exhibit case helps to keep the diorama safe from damage. Dust and insects are kept out. If there are any pesticides inside the case these are kept in – protecting the public.
  • Plant material
    ·  Not all of it is fake. Some of the actual plant materials are painted to make them look alive
    ·  Even a non-expert can discern what is fake and what is real upon close examination
  •  Save money—use less
    ·  When washing clothes the soap is to keep dirt from settling back on clothes
    ·  Agitation and water are the real cleaner
    ·  Use 1/3 less soap and your clothes will be clean
    and you will ensure that all the soap is removed which will help protect your
    skin

Kathleen Bodenlos is the Director of Marketing at Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Museum employees are encouraged to write about their unique experiences.

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From Antarctica to Pittsburgh

Last week, several tons of fossils arrived at Carnegie Museum of Natural History from Antarctica, where our paleontologist and principal dinosaur research Matt Lamanna led the AP3 Expedition this spring. The fossils traveled by boat from Antarctica to Chile to the United States, where they were then trucked across the country to our museum.

In the coming weeks, our staff will begin carefully unpacking these specimens and studying them.

To read more about the expedition, visit our expedition blog.

 

Lamanna and Dan Pickering, a scientific preparator, open one package containing the largest fossil in the shipment.
A box with fossils collected from Vega Island in Antarctica.

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Mollusk Collection

specimen drawers from the Mollusk Collectionby Hayley Pontia

Carnegie Museum of Natural History’s collection of mollusks is home to about 3 million specimens that include more land and freshwater snails from Pennsylvania and its adjacent states than all other U.S. museums combined.

What are mollusks you ask? They are one of the most diverse groups of animals on the planet. They have a soft body with a ‘head’ and ‘tail’ region. Their bodies are most commonly covered in a hard exoskeleton, but some can even have their shells on the inside.

You may know the most common mollusks without even knowing they are mollusks: snails, clams, octopuses, scallops, oysters, and even squids are all part of this phylum. Many people are around these animals, yet know very little about them.

As assistant curator and head of mollusks at Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Tim Pearce spends a lot of time researching and understanding these specimens.  Every second Saturday, Pearce gives tours of the collection found in the basement of the museum for those interested in learning more about these unique species.

Pearce collecting snails at Carrington Point on Santa Rosa Island, California. San Miguel Island is visible in the distance. (Photo by Charles Drost.)

Hayley Pontia is the marketing assistant at Carnegie Museum of Natural History and a student at the University of Pittsburgh. Museum employees are encouraged to blog about their unique experiences of working at the museum.