The legacy of anthropology collections care at the National Museum of Natural History

Priorities for anthropology collections care have remained remarkably constant over the past 150 years within the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History and are consistent with contemporary approaches to preventive conservation. Concerns for adequate staff, storage, pest management, and treatment for deteriorating artifacts throughout the history of the Institution have created a legacy affecting almost all aspects of collections care, research, and repatriation. The details of this history have had profound effects on the current condition of objects and their potential for present and future use. This paper will provide an Institution-specific overview of collections care history which may inform museum professionals about the care and research potential of ethnographic and archaeological material.