American Museum of Natural History

The American Museum of Natural History will partner with Yale Institute for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage and UCLA/Getty Master's Program in the Conservation of Archaeological and Ethnographic Materials to conduct conservation research on cleaning taxidermy feathers and preserving and restoring color in taxidermy feathers and fur. The project team will investigate the impact of cleaning methods and materials on the preservation of feathers; the potential for ultraviolet absorbers and hindered amine light stabilizers to preserve natural and restored color to fur and feathers; and application methods and long-term stability of colorants for restoring faded feathers. An extensive training, education, and resource effort will ensure dissemination of best practices for the care and conservation of historic taxidermy. This will benefit museums and other institutions at risk of losing pieces of their collections; conservators, taxidermists, and professionals charged with the care of historic taxidermy; and museum visitors, including artists and students who rely on anatomically correct taxidermy to learn about biology.