Welcome To Natural History
The natural history collections held in museums across the world are important because they provide an invaluable scientific resource, a record of social activites and a means of getting close to objects that people would not normally see.
The biological and geological collections of The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery are used by researchers around the world in a variety of studies: genetic research (as plant and animal specimens contain DNA), the study of evolution (using fossil collections), research into rocks and minerals and as a means of establishing environmental change. In the past bird egg collections have been studied to determine the effects of pesticides on wild birds (by measuring the thickness of shells collected at different times) and a toe from the Potteries Museum’s water vole was used to establish relationships between populations of this endangered animal.
The Potteries Museum receives enquiries from scientists all over the world who are undertaking research. Many people arrange to visit special items in our collections and occasionally specimens are loaned to other organisations.
Natural history collections also provide important information about social history. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries many people were fascinated by the natural world and a number of our collections were created during the Victorian period by people from a range of social backgrounds. Studying natural history was a popular pastime for men and women and many people were members of natural history societies and photography clubs. Today very few individuals make collections of live animals and the majority of our animal specimens are received as the result of accidents. Some people continue to make geological and botanical collections and on occasions, where they are offered and are felt to be locally relevant and useful, they are accepted into the museum collections.
Our collections are also a very important means of allowing people to get closer to animals, plants and geological specimens. Seeing a photograph of an animal is not the same as seeing the real thing: our specimens provide the experience of size, touch, colour and wonder. Why not come and have a look for yourself?
