The document discusses the oldest insect collection at the Natural History Museum in London. It provides background on the early homes and founders of the collection, including Montagu House, The Waterhouse Building, Sir Hans Sloane, and James Petiver. It then describes the fragile state of three historic bound volumes from the collections - the Sloane Insect Collection, Leonard Plukenet volume, and two Petiver Volumes. The document outlines conservation challenges faced with these volumes and plans for continued conservation work, digitization, and future access and study of the collections.

1. Making the world's oldest
insect collection
accessible
Suzanne Ryder

2. Natural History Museum, London

3. Darwin Centre II
DC II opened in
2009 housing the
Entomology and
Botany collections

4. Montagu House
The first home of the British Museum, which included
Natural History.

5. The Waterhouse Building c1890
The Natural History Collections separated from the
British Museum, Bloomsbury to move to the new
Natural History Museum in South Kensington.

6. Sir Hans Sloane, 1660-1753

7. Other Notable Historic Collections
•
•
•
•
Alfred Russel Wallace
Charles Darwin
Sir Joseph Banks
Johann Fabricius

8. Sloane Insect Collection
• 18 drawers
• 3 bound volumes

9. James Petiver, 1665-1718
There are two bound volumes
containing insect specimens

10. Leonard Plukenet, 1642-1706
This bound volume is the
oldest know insect
collection

11. Condition of the Plukenet volume
The fragile state of the pages has been a great
concern when handling the volume

12. Conservation challenges
• Some damage to the spine
• Pollutant build up
• Specimens detached from
the page

13. Cleaning and repairing the pages

14. The condition of the Petiver
Volumes
• The book boards
have separated
• Severe red rot
• Pollutant build up

15. The specimens are preserved between
mica sheets

16. The future of these bound
collections
• Complete the remedial conservation
• Digitise these volumes
• Make these collections virtually accessible
• Possible molecular investigations
• Possible limited physical access and display

17. Questions