Natural history collections, feathers, quills, ivory and bone

The following resources provide information on the care of feathers, quills, horn and other keratinous materials, as well as bone, ivory, shell and natural history collections (taxidermy, mineral specimens, etc.). Resources on health and safety measures for pesticide residues, which are often associated with these types of collections, are also provided.

Preventive conservation guidelines for collections

• Caring for feathers, quills, horn and other keratinous materials
• Caring for natural history collections

Canadian Conservation Institute (CCI) Notes

• N1/7 Mercury in Museum Collections (2002)
• N6/1 Care of Ivory, Bone, Horn and Antler (1988)
• N6/5 Care of Quillwork (1991)
• N6/9 Care of Inuit Carvings (2016)
• N8/3 Care of Mounted Specimens and Pelts (2015)

Related CCI resources

• Agents of deterioration
• Basic requirements of preventive conservation
• Handling heritage objects

External links

• Agents of Deterioration That Threaten Collection Specimens (Canadian Museum of Nature)
• Bone, Antler, Ivory, and Teeth (PDF format) (Minnesota Historical Society)
• CanOSH | Canada's National Workplace Health and Safety Website
• Conserve O Grams – sections 2 and 11 (National Park Service)
• Detecting Pesticide Residues on Museum Objects in Canadian Collections—A Summary of Surveys Spanning a Twenty-year Period (PDF format) (Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections)
• Ivory, Bone, Antler and Horn (Pitt Rivers Museum)
• Quills, Horn, Hair, Feathers, Claws, and Baleen (PDF format) (Minnesota Historical Society)
• Residual Pesticides (American Museum of Natural History)
• Resources – Residual Pesticides (MuseumPests.net)
• Respirators – Respirator Selection (Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety)
• Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections
• The Care and Handling of Ivory Objects (Smithsonian Museum Conservation Institute)
• The Care of Feathers (PDF format) (Bishop Museum)