Specimen conservation

It takes time, endless patience and skill to transform a fossil into a museum-worthy exhibit. 

Discover the story of the 11-tonne fossil that's been welcoming visitors to the Museum since 1887.

Discover the important contributions made by one of London's first woman geologists.

Women working with Museum collections share what they love about their jobs, and their advice for budding curators.

Find out what it takes to care for an enormous, scientifically irreplaceable fish.

Meet the brightly coloured sea slugs committing serial stinging-cell crimes.

Discover how Iguanodon's true identity was finally revealed.

Minerals may look tough, but getting these crystals from ground to display case needs a very steady hand.

After months away, the blue whale skeleton has returned to the Museum. How did conservators get it through the Victorian doors?

Resin deer lungs, a warthog and a pterosaur fossil are just a few of the curious specimens to be found in the new Hintze Hall. 

Discover how crumpled newspapers have turned a blue whale skeleton into a historical treasure trove.

Moving a dinosaur is never easy. Watch as Museum conservators pack Dippy the Diplodocus into boxes, one bone at a time.

How do you conserve an ancient wedge of giant tree? With solvent, buckets of resin and a lot of patience.

Lorraine Cornish, Head of Conservation, prepares to dismantle the Diplodocus skeleton.

Watch a Museum conservator reposition the delicate skeleton of Napoleon's horse, Marengo.

Watch as our blue whale is moved into storage and the conservators start their work.

Go behind the scenes as the first bones are taken down from the blue whale skeleton.

Follow the journey of a large shark specimen from a beach in Northumberland to being sealed in our spirit collection.