Human hair

My question concerns preservation of a lock of human hair clipped
shortly after the death of the owner (Beethoven) in 1827. We are
concerned about the long-term effects of exposure to light, air, and
humidity. How would you suggest we store the hair? For over 100
years it was kept in a small oval frame made of wood and glass. The
leather seal that kept the frame reasonably air tight was broken a
couple of years ago. We will need to display the hair from time to
time, but our main concern is transferring it to an enclosure that
will best protect it from the elements. The lock includes about 500
strands, some of which still have follicle cells.

The facility where the hair is housed and displayed does have
temperature and humidity controls as well as UV shields on the
lights and windows.

Patricia Elliott
Curator
Center for Beethoven Studies
San Jose State University

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                  Conservation DistList Instance 10:58
                Distributed: Tuesday, December 17, 1996
                       Message Id: cdl-10-58-012
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