Museum Display

The work to extract the fossils from the ground, to clean them of the encasing rock, restore the missing parts, and mount the skeleton for display can take years (Farlow et al, 1997).

Models of the display are made in various positions and arrangements to determine which would be the best for the museum. this method is often cheaper then going directly to the display, because if something needs to be changed it is much easier to change a model than the entire display (Farlow et al, 1997).

To be able to make these models a certain degree of knowledge of the comparative and functional anatomy is required, so that the models can look as lifelike as possible (Farlow et al, 1997).

When mounting the fossil casts into the predetermined display, everyday hardware store tools can be used. Examples of which are hammers, saws, pliers, wrenches, nuts and bolts, electric drills, bench vises, paints or wood stains and artist brushes of various sizes. Steel bars and cables are used to balance the specimen in the display (Farlow et al, 1997).

Another method of diplay is the panel method where the specimen is either still encased in the host rock and displayed, or when half of the specimen is so badly damaged that it cannot be reconstructed, and only one half is displayed (Farlow et al, 1997).

Barriers are errected around the display to protect it from vandalism and labels are prepared to inform the public about the specimen that is being displayed (Farlow et al, 1997).