Scientific paper by staff of the Croatian Natural History Museum published in an international journal
Staff members of the Croatian Natural History Museum, Marko Lukić, Denis Bućan, and Irena Grbac, have published a scientific paper titled “Comparative evaluation of sealants for exhibition glass jars in wet natural history collections: application and protocol refinement” in the international journal Natural History Collections and Museomics.
The paper presents the results of research conducted during the preparation of the new permanent exhibition of the Croatian Natural History Museum, in which approximately 200 wet-preserved zoological specimens were prepared for display. Special attention was given to the selection and testing of materials for sealing glass containers with ground-glass stoppers, which are used for the long-term preservation of specimens in preservatives such as ethanol.
The authors compared nine different sealants – including silicone-based, wax-based, and other specialized materials – assessing their effectiveness, durability, ease of application, and aesthetic suitability for museum exhibitions. The most successful solution proved to be a mixture of beeswax and rosin, which was selected for sealing the exhibition jars in the museum’s permanent display.
In addition to the comparative analysis, the paper also presents an improved practical protocol for applying this type of sealant, which can serve as a valuable guide for other natural history museums and institutions managing wet collections. The results confirm the importance of proper material selection for the long-term preservation of natural heritage and highlight the contribution of the Croatian Natural History Museum to the development of modern collection management methods.
The published work was supported by the European Regional Development Fund and the City of Zagreb.