Progress Update: protecting our largest exhibits

Progress Update

Much progress has been made in the past month behind the scenes at Ipswich Museum, with Gipping Construction continuing their work. Raising of floor levels to enable level access through the Museum has been ongoing and new openings have been made in existing internal walls along with some old doorways being bricked up to create new pathways round the galleries and improve flow. A new partition wall has been built to create the area for our new coffee shop, and a new wall and steel has been added in the basement to support the opening into this floor for stairs leading to the new visitor toilets. Externally, repair surveys of windows and brickwork at higher levels has been completed.

A closer look behind the scenes: Protecting our largest exhibits

When construction works began at Ipswich Museum, it was crucial to ensure larger objects and features of the Museum which could not be moved were protected.  A walk-around with the architect, builders and Museum staff took place before work began to plan how the exhibits would be kept safe and identify any problems which might arise during construction. For example, vibrations could damage the ichthyosaur fossil built into a first-floor wall so the team had to find ways to avoid work which might cause excessive vibrations.

Many of the largest exhibits are in the Victorian Natural History Gallery, with the giraffe, rhino, cased mountain lion, cased gorillas, jungle case, and Wool-I-Am the mammoth all needing to stay in place during the redevelopment. The tops of the large cases were protected with foam and polystyrene and then covered with large tarpaulins to guard against anything dropping onto them from above.

As the mammoth and rhino were not in cases, they were swaddled in foam and Tyvek, and any protruding areas were also covered in foam. The mammoth’s tusks were removed, which proved a challenge for the team as they were not designed to be taken off and were heavy to manoeuvre. It was very much a team effort to complete the task. Both exhibits were then covered in tarpaulins to protect against water ingress and dust.

The large taxidermy specimens were moved as far back towards the rear of the main gallery as possible. A temporary boarded and covered enclosure was then constructed to enclose this whole area and protect the exhibits within it.

Elsewhere in the Museum, the ichthyosaur fossil on the first floor was carefully packed out in its wall case with plastazote foam. A boarded wall was then built around it for further protection. The large whale skull in the Geology Gallery was carefully wrapped by the Museum team, then a protective scaffolding built around it by the builders, with boarding over the top.

All the birds from the Great Bass Rock diorama display were removed for conservation, but the exhibit itself remains in situ. The birds were documented and photographed to record the location of each and how it was attached to the display, so that they can later be returned to the same positions. After the birds were removed, they were frozen to ensure they were free of pests before being stored.

With the exhibits all carefully protected, the team also need to ensure they can be monitored throughout the redevelopment. Telemetric humidity and temperature monitors allow staff to monitor the objects remotely, with data being sent from the monitors to the conservation lab’s computer system.

Access doors were created for all the boarded areas to allow the Museum team to continue to monitor the exhibits in person as well as remotely. The objects are checked at least twice a month for condition and any signs of pests. If humidity levels rise, heaters can be placed in some areas to lower the humidity and dry the air. Humidity levels need to be kept within 40% to 60%. If the humidity is too low, it will result in the animal skins drying, cracking and splitting, while too high a humidity can lead to mould growth and insect infestation. So regular monitoring is important to ensure that all the exhibits are kept in good condition.

Before the Museum reopens, the objects and cases will be checked over and cleaned. Many of the large natural history specimens will remain where they are, such as the giraffe and jungle case. Rosie the Rhino will remain within the same gallery but will be returned to her original spot opposite the entrance. The birds from the Bass Rock display will be carefully returned to their places in the case, and the whale skull will form part of a brand-new display in the gallery around it.

Our much-loved mammoth model will be relocated to a new gallery alongside other items from the Ice Age. Due to the mammoth’s size, it will require specialist help and equipment to safely manoeuvre it into its new position. The team are working on strategies of how best to accomplish this feat.

Display plans for all the galleries are still being finalised, and we are looking forward to sharing more details of what the interior of the Museum will look like when the redevelopment is complete. Alongside many of our visitors’ favourite exhibits and objects, you will also be able to see many items which have not recently been on display, meaning there will be plenty to see both familiar and new.