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Post by nomad on Apr 23, 2013 10:29:27 GMT -8
 I have been wondering how most collectors store their treasured specimens and what is there preferred method. In the UK many collectors use Entomological cabinets but these are very expensive new, being made out of Oak or Mahogany. Second hand cabinets are few and far between and retain there value very well. Younger British collectors often used to house their collection in store boxes of different sizes that were cork and papered, the best of these being made by Watkins and Doncaster. Even some larger British private collections were kept this way. Today there are a few firms that sell the metal cabinets empty and you have to purchase the wooden drawers to fit them. For some reason I think the latter might be okay for museums but could not imagine one standing in my room. I do believe in the United States wooden cabinets are much cheaper but they do not export these. I have been lucky in that I know someone that obtains the odd cabinet at a very reasonable price. I believe some large European collections are kept in glass display boxes in what we call exhibition cases. I suppose these are kept in some sort of shelving system. I believe in America some collectors store their specimens in riker butterfly cases that are made to adorn their walls. I suppose in the end whatever we use the main thing is that they are well made but it is still interesting to know other collectors preferred storage methods. Peter.
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Post by dertodesking on Apr 23, 2013 12:26:42 GMT -8
Cabinets for me...but not those ugly metal monstrosities ;D (no offence to anyone on here that uses them - I can see the benefits of a fire-proof cabinet but they just done't have the aesthetic appeal of a nice wooden cabinet IMHO).
Luckily for me I have a friend who is a highly skilled cabinet maker so I'm able to order cabinets and drawers as and when I need them at cost price (plus the cost of a beer or two thrown in!)
Simon
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Post by anthony on Apr 23, 2013 12:36:14 GMT -8
I have used Riker mounts and Schmidt boxes for more than 57 years, no complaints really.
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Post by saturniidave on Apr 23, 2013 16:15:22 GMT -8
It has to be cabinets (wooden) and storeboxes for me. As long as the light and beasties are kept out I don't care what condition they are in. I currently have 15 cabinets of various sizes and around 40 storeboxes. Most are full, none are perfect!
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leptraps
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Post by leptraps on Apr 23, 2013 18:00:00 GMT -8
I use metal cabinets manufactured by the Interior Steel Equipment Co. (ISE) of Cleveland, OH. I was employed by ISE for 12 years and designed the double cabinet with two separate compartments of 24 drawers each, ISE was sold to Viking Metal Cabinet Co. of Chicago, IL in 1995 and the names was buried. During my employment I acquired 12 ISE and 1 Lane. All of the others were given to me at one time or another. I have 17 Cabinets of which 12 are ISE. I have acquired two 25 drawer Lane Cabinets, one BioQuip 22 drawer cabinet and two FSCA old cabinets of 24 drawers each. I have 502 Cornell Drawers housed in the cabinets. I made all but 24 of the drawers. The small white boxes on the doors are for PDB. Each box has a a magnetic strip on the back and the stick to the doors and can be easily removed. I have never had a dermestid or any other pests in my collection. The ISE cabinets have a pull out shelf. I drawer can be placed on the self while working in the collection. Attachments:
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leptraps
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Post by leptraps on Apr 23, 2013 18:01:22 GMT -8
Cabinet with pull out shelf. Attachments:
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Post by Deleted on Apr 23, 2013 19:28:53 GMT -8
I have/use the following:
Homemade drawers / wood cabinet
Jean Paquet (CANADA) drawers / wood cabinets
Calif. Academy Drawers via BioQuip kits / wood cabinets
Cornell Drawers / metal cabinet
custom drawers (2' x 2') by Tom Payne wood cabinet
metal drawers w metal cabinets
Shadow boxes
Riker mounts (using fewer and fewer these days)
What matters most to me is the quality of the drawers. Honestly, I don't pay that much attention to the cabinets part. Just my thoughts. Keeping light, pests, and moisture out is the top priority as I see it.
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Post by timsbugs on Apr 23, 2013 19:30:37 GMT -8
Very nice Leroy!!!!! I was just about to post a picture of my homemade cabinets....  Great workmanship! I assume all those drawers are full??? Tim |
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Post by leptraps on Apr 24, 2013 9:54:14 GMT -8
I am retired and my collection remains in the growth mode. During 2012 I placed almost 3200 specimens into the collection. The vast majority are moths, especially Noctuids. All of the drawers contain specimens, some more than others. Since I retired, I add about 24 to 30 drawers per years. I also have 40 Schmidt boxes with specimens. These are store in a 348 Museum Cabinet (Another Interior Steel product). The 348 (3' deep, 4' wide, 8' tall) cabinet contains metal shelves. I also store my full spreading boards on 8 shelves in the 348 cabinet to allow the specimens 60+ days to dry. The bottom third of the 348 cabinet holds the Schmidt boxes. All of my mounted specimens are in cabinets. All of my papered material are in Bio-Seal Containers in a Freezer. The specimens in the Schmidt boxes are either UFO Noctuids, waiting for drawer space, or waiting on me to place them into the collection. I am currently in the process of making 24 Cornell drawers. At my current pace, I should have all the material in the Schmidt boxes into Cornell drawers by years end. The specimens in the freezer are another story!!!!!!!!!!! Attachments:
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Post by timsbugs on Apr 24, 2013 10:39:38 GMT -8
Very impressive!
I would love to have a tour someday.
I guess all those specimens are proof your traps work!
I sure love mine!!!!
Tim
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Post by bobw on Apr 24, 2013 13:15:54 GMT -8
What is a "Schmidt box"? It means nothing to those of us outside the US.
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Post by leptraps on Apr 25, 2013 3:26:09 GMT -8
I misspelled Schmitt. The link below is to BioQuip Products who offer them in there catalog: www.bioquip.com/html/view_catalog.asp?page=10I assumed that the origins of the Schmitt Box was European. Does anyone know the history? I acquired several hundred from from a museum in the late 1980's. I still have several dozen, including the ones in the photograph that acquired from Jack Heinrich's estate in 1996. Attachments:
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Post by bobw on Apr 25, 2013 3:40:17 GMT -8
Oh I see. It's what we'd just call a storebox, but the ones we use in Europe are usually double-sided.
Bob
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Post by nomad on Apr 25, 2013 11:07:11 GMT -8
From a check of the web, it does seem that the one-sided American store boxes were first manufactured by John Schmitt of Brooklyn New York in 1888. His father from Germany was a collector and cabinet maker. They were initially sold through their company? The American Entomological co.
Peter.
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leptraps
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Post by leptraps on Apr 25, 2013 15:58:04 GMT -8
The first time I saw a double sided Schmitt Box was at the University of Kentucky. After I retired I worked part time curating the Insect Collection and there were 100+ double sided Schmitt boxes that dated back to the 1920's or earlier.
I will be at the University of kentucky next week and if I remember, I will take some photographs of them and post then on this forum.
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I have been wondering how most collectors store their treasured specimens and what is there preferred method. In the UK many collectors use Entomological cabinets but these are very expensive new, being made out of Oak or Mahogany. Second hand cabinets are few and far between and retain there value very well. Younger British collectors often used to house their collection in store boxes of different sizes that were cork and papered, the best of these being made by Watkins and Doncaster. Even some larger British private collections were kept this way. Today there are a few firms that sell the metal cabinets empty and you have to purchase the wooden drawers to fit them. For some reason I think the latter might be okay for museums but could not imagine one standing in my room. I do believe in the United States wooden cabinets are much cheaper but they do not export these. I have been lucky in that I know someone that obtains the odd cabinet at a very reasonable price. I believe some large European collections are kept in glass display boxes in what we call exhibition cases. I suppose these are kept in some sort of shelving system. I believe in America some collectors store their specimens in riker butterfly cases that are made to adorn their walls. I suppose in the end whatever we use the main thing is that they are well made but it is still interesting to know other collectors preferred storage methods.
