Why preserve?

Abstract

The natural sciences are based on the observation of nature in all its forms and are, primarily, descriptive. The naturalists of the 19th century, as well as current researchers, collected samples during their field trips. The museum has its origins in the Enlightenment philosophy of the 18th century, which advocated universal knowledge and a shared understanding. Collecting living matter raises a number of concerns specific to natural history collections, particularly related to the conservation of tissues. The Muséum's collections have always been designed to be exhibited, whether to a large audience or to a more restricted sphere of researchers and enlightened amateurs. An awareness of the need to better define conservation strategies in museums began to emerge at the end of the 19th century. The scientific value of natural history collections is a multiform notion that can be broadly defined in the plural sense.