Please note, this is a guide for the exhibition “A natural object's path to a museum collection” exhibited at the museum 21.11.2025.–17.05.2026.
For information in English please scan QR-code in the exhibition. Please use any QR-scnner not museum's app for this content.
Exhibition "A Natural Object’s Path to a Museum Collection"
The collection of the Latvian National Museum of Natural History is a repository of natural treasures that contains more than 230 thousand collection items. The exhibition invites to get to know the behind-the-scenes work of museum specialists and how a wide variety of natural objects, or specimens – minerals, fossils, plants, mushrooms, birds, mammals, mollusks and insects – are collected, then processed and later stored in the museum collection. Since the museum collection contains many species that are disappearing from Latvia and the world, as well as new species in the fauna and flora of Latvia, the value of the museum's collection has increased over the years and the need for preservation of the collection has become increasingly relevant. Various educational games and interactive tools are also included in the exhibition.
A NATURAL OBJECT'S (SPECIMEN’S) PATH TO A MUSEUM COLLECTION
The collection of the Latvian National Museum of Natural History is a repository of natural treasures that contains geological, paleontological, zoological, entomological, botanical and mycological objects. The collection is compiled by a combination of different methods including the gathering of natural objects (specimens) in nature, purchasing objects, receiving objects as gifts, or obtaining items confiscated at customs control. Since the museum's collection contains many species that are disappearing from Latvia and the world, as well as new species in the fauna and flora of Latvia, the value of the museum's collection has increased over the years. The need for preservation of the collection has become increasingly relevant. Currently, the museum possesses more than 230 thousand Items in it's collection. The permanent collection is a part of the National Museum Collection and a national treasure. Therefore, the museum has a responsibility and obligation to ensure a careful maintenance and accessibility of the collection to the public in the long term.
COLLECTING
In order for natural objects to enter the museum collection, they must correspond to the museum's profile and tasks, be of appropriate size and with preservation capabilities. The collecting of natural objects usually happens in the wild. First, specialists conduct research, plan a route and check weather conditions. Different objects may have different collecting times and conditions. Usually the collecting of natural objects happens in summer. The collecting of protected species is legal only with a special permit issued by the Nature Conservation Agency. The process of collecting requires special tools or equipment. An integral part of the equipment is a field book or field labels, where important information and features are noted. Often specialists capture photographs of the collected objects.
PROCESSING
In order for natural objects, or specimens, to be pereserved in a museum's collection, they must be properly prepared. Each object has its own processing algorithm. Knowledgeable specialists – botanists, mycologists, mineralogists, petrographers, geologists, palaeontologists, theriologists, ornithologists, entomologists and malacologists – are responsible for processing. They use specific determinants, scientific literature and various magnifying devices. The specimens are signed or numbered, entered into databases, labeled and photographed. Documentation is prepared in accordance with the Cabinet of Ministers' regulations. It is important to go through the process of freezing before adding the natural objects to the museum’s collection, in order to protect them from any damage caused by various insects.
COLLECTION
After careful processing of the objects, they are stored in special storage rooms, adapted to each type of object. It is important to monitor the humidity and air temperature in the storage rooms in order to provide the best possible conditions, so that the museum's collection is safe and protected in long term. Researchers, students and employees of other museums can view the collection and use it for scientific work. The collection items also serve the public for educational purposes; they can be used as props in theatre, films and art performances. The collection items are the basis for the expositions and exhibitions of the Latvian National Museum of Natural History.