The Evolution of Biological Collections in Museums

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Answering the prompt, “Research the evolution of biology collections in museums from 1890 circa to the present day. (How were samples collected, preserved, and displayed? How has technology influenced these aspects?) Comment on the importance of museums in promoting awareness of scientific and environmental issues.”

        Observing museums and institutions that have preserved multitudes of specimens for the enrichment of students, scientists, and the curious, shows that the growth of their collections involves many steps. Collecting the samples from many places on the earth, the information that is gleaned from the environment in which they are found assists the discoverers to understand each sample’s role in the world. Preserving the samples gives many more years of life to the collected samples in order for observation and learning to be available to many generations. Displaying these preserved specimens is the final step that gives access to many who want to see and learn about these collections and how they affect the environment and the earth.  By understanding the processes that museums and scientific institutions use to collect, preserve and display biology samples in their respective collections gives insight into how to understand and gain knowledge from the collections. By using technology, institutions are making their collections available to a much wider audience and therefore, the collections are more capable of being used, while helping to create awareness for major scientific and environmental issues.

        Gaining insight into the accumulation of these samples into collections by institutions and museums included a lengthy process of looking at the time periods from which the samples came, and thus looking into the history of the institutions. The most notable institution in the United States that has preserved a vast amount of these specimens is the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History. Founded in 1846 by Congress, the National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) was only a division of the Smithsonian. The NMNH was formed as part of the preservation and display team for the specimens brought back to Washington, D.C., in 1842 by the United States Exploring Expedition and other Expeditions, that took place in the 1850s and 1860s into the Midwest of North America. By 1911, the NMNH was completely moved into its current location, which also allowed all the biological specimens to dwell in their own building. (siarchives.si.edu) Another large collection is found in the Natural History Museum (NHM), located in London, but originated as a result of a gift that was willed to the British government by Sir Hans Sloane – who had a passion for “collecting natural history specimens and cultural artefacts”. (nhm.ac.uk) Officially founded in 1881 as the National History Museum, this institution also was a division of a larger organization, the British Museum, before being commissioned as its own entity and provided with its own building. (nhm.ac.uk) Although founded before 1890, and the collections that are housed in these institutions were collected before 1890, the processes of collection and of preservation that are used by these institutions have allowed them to gain vast collections that are still used in modern times.