Bethany Palumbo
Abstract
Materials historically used in the restoration of natural history collections have not always demonstrated good reversibility or long-term chemical stability. However, with the increasing influence of the wider field of art and artifact conservation, there is currently a movement among professionals who work with natural history collections to embrace materials that are consistent with its standards.
One such product is ‘Lascaux 498-20X’, an acrylic adhesive that is commonly used in textile and painting conservation. The aim of this paper is to supplement our knowledge of these existing usages with a selection of recent case studies describing the use of Lascaux on taxidermy and entomology collections. These examples demonstrate the use of Lascaux 498-20X as an adhesive, a consolidant, and a loss compensation material. Applied with Japanese tissue, either in multiple layers or mixed into a paste, it provides a strong yet flexible base for a variety of applications. It can be used in repairing torn or broken skin, and rebuilding areas of loss as a fill material. If mixed with pigments, Lascaux provides a realistic fleshy appearance in the restoration of fish fins and tissue. Diverse in its applications and easily removed with acetone or toluene if required, Lascaux shows much promise as a standard adhesive in the conservation of natural history collections.