Written by Lu Allington-Jones (Principal Conservator), The Natural History Museum, London UK Mould is probably not at the top of the list of worries of a geological curator, but it does frequently occur in geological collections. It is not only a significant health risk, but it can leave permanent staining, it is an indicator of … More Mould in Geological Collections

Written by Matthew Butler, Work Experience Student Anticipation was high when cars rolled into the quarry car park. The group grew steadily. There was a buzz of noise as we all became acquainted, preparing for the day’s adventure. Present was a wonderful mix of people at varying stages of their careers, palaeontological or otherwise. We … More Walking in the Footsteps of Sauropods

Written by Sherri Donaldson, curatorial assistant volunteer, National Museums Scotland Since late 2017 I’ve been a curatorial assistant volunteer at the National Museums Scotland Collection Centre in Granton, Edinburgh, working on accessioning their historic Hugh Miller Collection. How did I become inveigled into volunteering on this specific collection? Back in September 2017 whilst at the … More Making a right use of my eyes… getting to grips with physical curation

Written by Dr Emma Nicholls, Collections Manager – Vertebrate Palaeontology, Oxford University Museum of Natural History Chapter 1: A Job No-One Can Explain It seems no one outside of the sector really understands what curators do. It wasn’t until workingfrom home together for an extended period in 2020 that my own husband exclaimed “wow, yourjob’s … More So Far So Good – The Next Step in a Curatorial Career

Written by Roger Osborne, Curator, Whitby Museum Photos ©Tony Bartholomew It is ten past ten on the morning of Saturday 10th June. I have been up since 6:30 getting food wagons in place, finding out which power cables work (and which ones don’t), pointing exhibitors, volunteers, museum staff and random walkers in the right direction; … More The circus comes to the Museum: Yorkshire Fossil Festival 2023

Written by Dr Douglas Palmer, Museum Information Developer, Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge Superficially, this rock is one of the least interesting in the Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences – resembling a small chip of road gravel. However, it is an unique and historic specimen, as hinted at by its original label. … More Sampling the roof of the world: what’s in a label?