Tools & Materials Spotlight: New Archival Acid-Free Supplies & More 🛠️✨

Shannon Kira Mcmillan
Feb 9
3 min read

Updated: 3 hours ago

Finding and using acid-free, archival materials is essential for taxidermy projects focused on long-term preservation. These materials help prevent dust, mould, and pests, creating a protective environment that respects the specimen’s natural beauty and integrity. Choosing archival supplies is a way to honour the life and story of each specimen, enhancing its conservation with care and dignity. Alongside increasing my experience with museum and archival grade supplies and practices for Natural History Specimens.

🧰 New Materials and Tools

I’m thrilled to share a peek into the new tools and materials I’ve gathered for three upcoming projects — and many future ones that align with my deepening commitment to sustainable, archival-quality care for natural history specimens. These choices reflect a blend of integrity, preservation, and creativity, honouring the life and stories behind each piece.

Black Deep Photo Frames
Museum Putty (for gentle, reversible mounting)
Polished Sliced Wood Piece (for mounting a deer wall art piece)
Wire (to hang the deer wall piece securely)
Archival White Matboards (acid-free, for reframing)
Archival A4 Acid-Free Black Paper (for backing in reframing)
Archival Neutral pH Adhesive (safe for long-term preservation)
Archival Acid-Free Acrylic Varnish Matte (to seal and protect surfaces)
Paintbrushes (for applying glue and varnish with care)

Tools on a wooden table - archival glue, sealant, black paper and matboards - museum putty, paintbrushes, two frames, wire, and a polished wood slice.

Cow Hoof Cleaning 🌿🐄

This project marks a meaningful start to 2026 — cleaning my first found specimen of the year! I discovered this cow hoof in an alleyway near my Sheffield home. It likely came from someone making stock or curry, or was carried by animals before being left behind.

It was my first time seeing a detached hoof up close. Growing up, I took horse riding lessons from ages four to eight and regularly handled and cleaned horses’ hooves, but I hadn’t realised they are slightly soft to the touch. This discovery deepened my connection to the natural world, reminding me how even familiar creatures hold subtle surprises.

Reframing Project – Cicada & Gecko 🪲🦎

This is the first time framing a specimen — reframing my Ghost Cicada and Flying Gecko specimens with archival-grade, acid-free materials to protect and showcase them thoughtfully. The frames feature acid-free white matboards and black paper backings, sealed to guard against mould, dust, and pests. I’m using museum putty to gently secure both specimens alongside delicate pressed flowers, creating a living, textured story within each frame. For the Flying Gecko, I’m applying two thin layers of archival acrylic varnish to provide extra protection while preserving its fragile beauty.

Mounted Deer Wall Piece 🦌

For this piece, I’m blending natural beauty with thoughtful design: a polished wood slice serves as the base, adorned with pressed Lobelia flowers from my deer bones curio, all sealed with matte acrylic varnish for lasting durability and subtle elegance. I’ll mount my White-tailed deer skull cap and antlers at the center using wire, then carefully add other deer bones from the same curio—likely from Roe Deer—secured with museum putty. This finished artwork will hang above my fireplace, a quiet, respectful tribute to nature’s intricate and delicate forms.

✨ A Journey of Stewardship: Honouring Nature through Art and Care

I began these projects last week, and each step deepens my connection to museum archiving, collections care, and exhibition design — fields I aspire to grow in, especially within Natural History. These works are more than art; they are acts of respect, preservation, and storytelling, weaving sustainability and integrity into every detail.