Abstract
BY the establishment in April 1931 of the Research Laboratory at the British Museum as a permanent institution under the control of the Trustees, the experimental stage of the undertaking, which had been continued by the Treasury and the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research for no less than eleven years, was brought to a successful conclusion. In a paper read before the Royal Society of Arts on Feb. 24, the Director of Scientific Research, Dr. Alexander Scott, indicated the nature and variety of the work carried out in his laboratory and described some of the results which have been obtained. In discovering the best means of restoring and preserving museum objects, it is essential first to learn all that is possible regarding the previous history of each specimen; neglect of this essential has, in the past, led to many failures and has earned scientific men an evil reputation. The establishment of the research department on a permanent basis, however, is clear proof that the custodians of the nation's treasures have confidence in the methods which have been devised with so much care and applied with so much success.
Article PDF
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Scientific Research at the British Museum. Nature 129, 339 (1932). https://doi.org/10.1038/129339c0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/129339c0