Conservation of the Arthur von Hochstetter Collection
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Date
2024
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Rīgas Stradiņa universitātes Medicīnas vēstures institūts (Institute of History of Medicine, Rīga Stradiņš University)
Abstract
This article describes the conservation project of a selection of specimens from the A. v. Hochstetter Collection, a collection of historical anatomical specimens used for the lectures of Professor Arthur H. C. von Hochstetter during his tenure at the University of Basel from the 1960s to the 1980s. The collection was donated to the Rīga Stradiņš University Anatomy Museum in 2022 and is now on permanent display. The biographical background of Professor Hochstetter is presented, along with the circumstances under which the collection was gathered, before being inherited by Oscar Baldomero, the current curator and owner of the remaining collection.
The project aimed to achieve the highest standards in conservation practice. This involved utilising all available resources to gain a better understanding of the collection’s provenance and employing modern technology to identify the materials used, thereby creating an adequate conservation treatment that included restoration of some of the specimens and their attached materials. Fluid-preserved specimens were transferred to new preservation fluids and mounted in customised jars to ensure their better display.
The conservation treatment successfully preserved the significance of the collection, maintaining its historical and educational value. Thus, it can continue to inform and inspire future generations. The true wonder of collections like these lies in their ability to connect us across centuries, demonstrating how some of the earliest anatomical preparations and medical teaching methods have laid the foundations for practices in use today.
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Keywords
historical anatomical collections, restoration, conservation, Arthur H. C. von Hochstetter