Care and Conservation of Specimens

Examples of damaged Herbarium specimens

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Poor storage – plastic bag Click to expand
Poor storage – dirty specimens Click to expand
Poor storage – unprotected bulky specimen Click to expand
Careless handling – crushed specimen Click to expand
Careless handling – cut sheet Click to expand
Careless handling – torn label Click to expand
Breakdown of mounting materials - brittle (acid) paper Click to expand
Breakdown of mounting materials - ageing adhesive Click to expand
Breakdown of mounting materials - detached tape Click to expand
Insect damage – “grazed” specimens Click to expand
Insect damage – larvae skins on specimen Click to expand
Insect damage – insecticide residue Click to expand

Safe storage environment

The herbarium collections are housed in a secure, purpose-built building. We monitor the temperature and humidity of the storage environment, aiming for a stable 20 degrees temperature and 50% relative humidity (extreme fluctuations in temperature or humidity can damage the fragile plant material).

Metal storage cabinets with rubber door seals protect the specimens from light, dust and insects.

 

Repair Techniques

The techniques and materials we use to repair specimens have been developed with the help and advice of professional conservators.

Repairs or annotations to specimens, particularly if they are types or important historical collections, should interfere with the specimen as little as possible.

A simple but effective solution for fragile or damaged specimens is to use a large capsule with a sheet of mounting board inside it to protect and support the specimen.

For further information see our factsheet.

 

Some repaired herbarium specimens

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Bulky fruits packed for safe storage in the carpologcal collection Click to expand
Surface dirt removed with cleaning sponge Click to expand
Specimen kept in folder to prevent loss of plant material Click to expand
Type specimen repaired Click to expand
Archival polyester pocket to protect a fragile label Click to expand
Sellotape replaced with archival paper tape Click to expand
Archival capsule added to collect loose material that would otherwise be lost Click to expand
Sellotape removed from Echinops flower Click to expand
Small flimsy sheets attached to supportive board using archival paper tape on reverse Click to expand
Plastic bag replaced with archival paper folder Click to expand

Specimen Handling

We have these posters in the Herbarium to remind staff and visitors how to handle specimens so as to minimise damage. Click on the images to enlarge.

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The video shows how to pack herbarium specimens for sending out to other institutions on loan:

 

 

Mounting Materials

If the materials used to prepare Herbarium specimens are not of archival quality, they may deteriorate over time. For further information see section 2 of RBGE Collections Care: Preparation and Care of Herbarium Specimens (link in the sidebar)

 

Condition surveying

Older specimens in the collection may have been stored previously in less suitable places or suffered damaged from careless handling.

In order to identify the types of damage to specimens in our collection, we carried out a condition survey during imaging and databasing of mounted herbarium specimens.

This allowed us to prioritize specimens for repair, and estimate the cost in terms of staff time and materials. Click on the image to enlarge.

infographic of overview of the Pilot Condition Survey