Collections update: Icicle’s grand adventure

The Society’s Cartographic Collections Manager, Dr Katie Parker, reflects on a recent conservation project involving a penguin affectionately nicknamed Icicle and an overnight stay at our neighbours, the Natural History Museum (NHM). 

Icicle was a two-month-old Macaroni penguin chick collected on Heard Island by the Australian National Antarctic Research Expedition (1947-48). This expedition established Australia’s first permanent research stations on Heard and Macquarie Islands. Icicle was then presented to the Society by William Arthur Scholes, a member of the expedition, on 1 January 1950.  

Icicle has been stored in various places around Lowther Lodge, most recently in our climate-controlled stores. However, earlier this year, while Icicle was part of a display of natural history specimens and documents put together for conservation staff at the NHM, it was noticed that Icicle had some frass (insect poo!) under its feet. It is likely that the insect damage happened years (possibly decades) ago but, to be safe, our friends at the NHM offered to freeze Icicle.  

After careful wrapping, so that it wouldn’t become damaged in transit or come into direct contact with other specimens at the NHM, Icicle ventured down Exhibition Road. Once at the NHM, specialist conservators inspected, labelled, and gently placed Icicle in a walk-in freezer for 72 hours.  

Once back at the Society, Icicle was cleaned with an archive-grade brush to gently remove dust and frass, before being replaced in its case, clean, stable, and ready to live its best life in the Director’s Office.