I am posting this for our Director of Exhibits, Bruce Scherting.  If you wish to respond directly to Bruce, his email is [log in to unmask]



--John Simmons ([log in to unmask])

Director, Museum Studies Program

and

Collections Manager, Natural History Museum and Biodiversity Research Center, University of Kansas





We are planning to move a large mounted mammal to a new exhibit case and want to determine what an appropriate (and attainable) environmental target range should be for the specimen in our geographical location of Lawrence, Kansas. 



The specimen is a horse, mounted in 1892 by Lewis Lindsay Dyche, was prepared using William Hornaday’s approach. The armature is made of wood and steel with the skull and leg bones attached. The form is wrapped in jute, staff, and tow with the final shape formed using a water-based clay. The skin was cured in salt brine and stretched over the body form. There have been some repairs made over the decades but we have no record of what has been done or what materials were used. The specimen has been in its current exhibit case for several decades with humidified and circulated air. Records indicate that the humidity levels have been between 35% - 60% with spikes on either side, especially when the building HVAC system changes over from heating to cooling or during large weather/climate shifts. The temperature for the exhibit case is determined by the building HVAC system and will continue to be so in its new location. 



I have received two different exhibit case environmental target recommendations. They are as follows:



70º ( 5º) with a relative humidity level of 50% ( 5), not to exceed 60%.

Or

65º-72º with a relative humidity level of 30% to 40%.



I’m interested in hearing what others think about this subject.