A tale of heavy fossils: the history and storage of the Charles Moore ichthyosaur collection.

Abstract

Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum of Wales (AC-NMW) holds a large collection of fossil ichthyosaurs on long term loan from the Bath Royal Literary and (1814-1881) in the mid-19th Century, mostly from Somerset, although it now also includes Lyme Regis specimens obtained from Mary Anning and previously donated to the BRLSI. Historically they have suffered many moves, and sometimes less than ideal storage, so in 2017, a new shelving system was acquired by the AC-NMW to maximize safe access whilst minimizing damage to the specimens. This paper has been expanded from a poster displayed at the seminar 'Making the most of a move' in Dublin, November 2017.