Lisa Goldberg

Bio: Lisa Goldberg is an academic researcher. The author has contributed to research in topics: Collections management & Poultice. The author has an hindex of 3, co-authored 3 publications receiving 79 citations.

A history of pest control measures in the anthropology collections, national museum of natural history, smithsonian institution

Abstract: Since the mid-19th century, various pest eradication techniques have been employed on the anthropology collections at the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution. These techniques are reviewed, and pesticide and fumigant use by early collectors and later collections management staff is documented. Also chronicled are the ways in which the choice of chemicals has changed over the years and the decisions that led to those changes. The effects of pest eradication techniques on the collections are discussed, and the author's findings are offered as the basis for further research.

The legacy of anthropology collections care at the national museum of natural history

Abstract: Priorities for anthropology collections care have remained remarkably constant over the past 150 years within the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History and are consistent with contemporary approaches to preventive conservation. Concerns for adequate staff, storage, pest management, and treatment for deteriorating artifacts throughout the history of the Institution have created a legacy affecting almost all aspects of collections care, research, and repatriation. The details of this history have had profound effects on the current condition of objects and their potential for present and future use. This paper will provide an Institution-specific overview of collections care history which may inform museum professionals about the care and research potential of ethnographic and archaeological material.

A Fresh Face for Samuel Gompers: Methyl Cellulose Poultice Cleaning

Abstract: A marble bust of Samuel Gompers was evenly cleaned of surface grime and dirt, using a modified methyl cellulose poultice. The rheology, adhesion and film-forming properties of the poultice medium were modified by adding propylene glycol and fumed silica to a product with a lower degree of substitution than is more commonly used in conservation. The poultice film was peeled away after it had dried.

Temporal increase in organic mercury in an endangered pelagic seabird assessed by century-old museum specimens

Abstract: Methylmercury cycling in the Pacific Ocean has garnered significant attention in recent years, especially with regard to rising mercury emissions from Asia. Uncertainty exists concerning whether increases in anthropogenic emissions over time may have caused increased mercury bioaccumulation in the biota. To address this, we measured total mercury and, for a subset of samples, methylmercury (the bioaccumulated form of mercury) in museum feathers from an endangered seabird, the black-footed albatross (Phoebastria nigripes), spanning a 120-y period. We analyzed stable isotopes of nitrogen (δ15N) and carbon (δ13C) to control for temporal changes in trophic structure and diet. In post-1940 and -1990 feathers, we detected significantly higher mean methylmercury concentrations and higher proportions of samples exhibiting above deleterious threshold levels (∼40,000 ng·g−1) of methylmercury relative to prior time points, suggesting that mercury toxicity may undermine reproductive effort in the species. We also found higher levels of (presumably curator-mediated) inorganic mercury in older specimens of albatross as well as two nonpelagic species lacking historical exposure to bioavailable mercury, patterns suggesting that studies on bioaccumulation should measure methylmercury rather than total mercury when using museum collections. δ15N contributed substantially to models explaining the observed methylmercury variation. After simultaneously controlling for significant trends in δ13C over time and δ15N with methylmercury exposure, year remained a significant independent covariate with feather methylmercury levels among the albatrosses. These data show that remote seabird colonies in the Pacific basin exhibit temporal changes in methylmercury levels consistent with historical global and recent regional increases in anthropogenic emissions.

Smart cleaning of cultural heritage: a new challenge for soft nanoscience

Abstract: The search for innovative, smart and performing cleaning agents is one of the main issues of modern conservation science. Nanosciences do not only provide solutions to this scientific field in terms of new materials but also change radically the approach to problems and challenges. In this feature article we review the most innovative nanostructured systems developed in the last decade for the cleaning of artworks together with some noteworthy case studies. Micelles, microemulsions, thickened complex fluids, and responsive gels that constitute the new “cleaning palette” for modern conservators are here presented and critically analyzed. The development of these smart nanostructured systems requires the comprehension of their behavior and interactions with other materials down to the nanoscale. In the last section of this manuscript we report on the most recent results from a study about the mechanism of polymer removal from porous artifacts using nanofluids, such as micelles or microemulsions. The rules of classical detergency do not fully address the polymer removal mechanism and a schematic model of the process is proposed.