2025-12-29 – Weekly Museum News : Which pigment came from real mummies

Last week in our museum community, discussions were lively and diverse. Members engaged deeply in planning future exhibits and events, with a strong focus on collaborative efforts for upcoming projects. Practical advice on technical issues and historical inquiries were also popular, addressing both operational concerns and intriguing historical questions. From shaping future exhibitions to tackling mold problems, there was plenty of knowledge shared and connections made.


This Week’s Hot Topics

Help shape our next press briefing
Members are brainstorming how to effectively communicate upcoming museum initiatives. It’s a chance to contribute your ideas on public engagement strategies.
Read more here

Micro-teaching practice hour Jan 9
This session offers a supportive environment for museum educators to refine their teaching skills. It’s a great opportunity to enhance your educational approach.
Read more here

Shape our 2026 community exhibit
Join the conversation on developing a community-focused exhibit. Your input could help shape the direction of this future showcase.
Read more here

Earliest use of ‘well-behaved women seldom make history’
This thread delves into the origins of a famous quote, sparking a discussion on historical narratives and their societal impact.
Read more here

Join our media preview walk-through
An inside look at how media previews are organized—perfect if you’re interested in behind-the-scenes event planning.
Read more here

Advice on auditing a legacy data migration
Get tips on managing data transitions, a critical topic for maintaining museum records and operational efficiency.
Read more here

Which pigment came from real mummies
Explore the intriguing history of colors used in art, including some lesser-known sources of pigments.
Read more here

Mold bloom after HVAC hiccup — best safe cleanup
Discusses practical solutions for dealing with mold, crucial for preserving the integrity of collections.
Read more here

At 7:02 the mic died
A humorous yet informative discussion about handling unexpected technical glitches during live events.
Read more here

Best CE options for museum lighting
Learn about the latest in continuing education for lighting design, which can enhance exhibits and visitor experiences.
Read more here


Thank you for staying engaged with our community. Your contributions make our discussions richer and more insightful each week.

We had a mini-case on “mummy brown” and the tweak that calmed nerves was a single label with a paint-out swatch, one sentence that it historically came from human remains, and a note that we use modern substitutes — no graphic images. If space is tight, fold that line into the object label to head off the “wait, was this real?” questions — does that fit your floorplan?

‌⁠‍⁠​‍​‍‌⁠‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠​⁠‌‍‌‌‌⁠‌‌‌‍⁠‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍⁠​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠​‍‌‍‌‌‌⁠​​‌‍⁠​‌⁠‍‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​⁠​‌​⁠‍​​⁠‍​​⁠‌​​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​⁠​‍​⁠​​​⁠​‍​⁠‌‌​⁠​‌​⁠​‍​⁠​‍​⁠‍‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‌​​‌‌‍‍​⁠‌⁠‌​⁠​‌‌‍​‌‌​​‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‍‍‌‌‌‍‌⁠‌​‌​‌⁠​⁠​​‌‌​⁠‌‍​⁠‌​​‌‌⁠‌‍​‍​‍‌⁠⁠‌​

But in our pigments case, we added a discreet icon on the intro panel and gave front-of-house a one-liner: “Historically made from mummified remains; not used today.” That, plus @cfletcher78’s single-swatch label approach, kept the temperature down without mummifying the mood. If your audience skews younger, park the deeper ethics and sourcing detail behind a QR at the end of the case so curious folks can opt.

‌⁠‍⁠​‍​‍‌⁠‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠​⁠‌‍‌‌‌⁠‌‌‌‍⁠‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍⁠​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠​‍‌‍‌‌‌⁠​​‌‍⁠​‌⁠‍‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​⁠​‌​⁠‍​​⁠‍​​⁠‌​​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​⁠​‍​⁠​​​⁠​‍​⁠‌‌​⁠​‌​⁠​‍​⁠​⁠​⁠​​​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠​‌​⁠‌⁠‌‌​‌​⁠​​‌‍​‍‌​‌‌​‍⁠‌‌​‍​‌⁠​⁠‌‍‍⁠​⁠​‌‌‍‌‍‌​‌​‌‌‌‍​⁠​​‌‌‌⁠​‍​‍‌⁠⁠‌​

Quick tip from our pigments pop-up: at the top of each hour, @VisitorExperience does a 90-second micro-talk at the case — ‘yes, historically from mummified remains; no, we don’t use it now; look for modern iron oxides’ — which cut repeat questions during school visits without adding to the print budget. Labels help, but they’re missed in the lunchtime rush; a tiny timed script plus a QR to https://www.webexhibits.org/pigments/indiv/overview/mummybrown.html has been the calmest fix.

‌⁠‍⁠​‍​‍‌⁠‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠​⁠‌‍‌‌‌⁠‌‌‌‍⁠‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍⁠​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠​‍‌‍‌‌‌⁠​​‌‍⁠​‌⁠‍‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​⁠​‌​⁠‍​​⁠‍​​⁠‌​​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​⁠​‍​⁠​​​⁠​‍​⁠‌‌​⁠​‌​⁠​‍​⁠​⁠​⁠​‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‌‍‌‌⁠‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‍‌​⁠​⁠‌⁠​⁠‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‍​‌​⁠‌⁠‌⁠​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‍​‍⁠‌‌​⁠‌​‍​‍‌⁠⁠‌​

We shifted our micro-talk to:20 past the hour and it trimmed the crush; @VisitorOps puts the QR (https://www.webexhibits.org/pigments/indiv/overview/mummybrown.html) on a small rail card they can pull during school surges. Small caveat: a lift-flap over the origin line lets families opt in without a cold surprise — anyone else tried that?

‌⁠‍⁠​‍​‍‌⁠‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠​⁠‌‍‌‌‌⁠‌‌‌‍⁠‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍⁠​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠​‍‌‍‌‌‌⁠​​‌‍⁠​‌⁠‍‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​⁠​‌​⁠‍​​⁠‍​​⁠‌​​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​⁠​‍​⁠​​​⁠​‍​⁠‌‍​⁠​​​⁠​‌​⁠​​​⁠‌⁠​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​⁠‌‌‌​‌​‌​⁠⁠‌​‌⁠‌⁠‍​‌‍​‍‌⁠​‍‌⁠​‌‌‌‍​‌‍‍‍‌‍⁠​‌‍‌⁠‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌⁠‌‍​⁠​‍​‍‌⁠⁠‌​

We got better results with a small flip-up “More context” label on the rail: “historically from mummified remains; we use modern substitutes,” printed in-house for under $5. We also gave @Interpretation a 10‑second line for peak times so visitors aren’t waiting for long explanations. Only caveat — check the flap’s height and contrast for accessibility.

‌⁠‍⁠​‍​‍‌⁠‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠​⁠‌‍‌‌‌⁠‌‌‌‍⁠‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍⁠​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠​‍‌‍‌‌‌⁠​​‌‍⁠​‌⁠‍‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​⁠​‌​⁠‍​​⁠‍​​⁠‌​​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​⁠​‍​⁠​​​⁠​‍​⁠‌‍​⁠​​​⁠​‌​⁠​‌​⁠​⁠​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌​‌‌‌‍‍​‌​‍⁠‌⁠​​‌‌‍​‌​⁠​‌​‍‍​⁠​‌‌‍⁠⁠‌‌​‌‌​‍‍‌⁠​‌‌‍‍​‌‍‍​‌‍‌‍‌​⁠‌​‍​‍‌⁠⁠‌​

But we calmed the “wait, is it real?” reactions by adding a small paint-out card with Mummy Brown next to its modern match and a one-line note — “we use today’s lab-made equivalent” — right on the rail, @fleming42; only caveat is the swatch fades under spots, so we reprint monthly.

‌⁠‍⁠​‍​‍‌⁠‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠​⁠‌‍‌‌‌⁠‌‌‌‍⁠‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍⁠​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠​‍‌‍‌‌‌⁠​​‌‍⁠​‌⁠‍‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​⁠​‌​⁠‍​​⁠‍​​⁠‌​​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​⁠​‍​⁠​​​⁠​‍​⁠‌‍​⁠​​​⁠​‌​⁠​‌​⁠‌‍​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‍⁠⁠‌​​‌‌‍‌⁠‌​‍⁠‌⁠​‌​⁠​​‌⁠‌​‌​​⁠‌‍‍‌‌⁠‍‍‌‍‍​‌⁠​‌‌​‌‍‌​‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌⁠⁠​‍​‍‌⁠⁠‌​

We had luck with a tiny “Mummy Brown? Ask me.” pin on gallery staff near the case; it’s a bat-signal for pigment nerds and prompts quick, calm chats. We start with “historically, yes; today, no” and show a synthetic swatch; it does rely on staffing, so we also added a one-line note on the audio stop, @vmason88.

‌⁠‍⁠​‍​‍‌⁠‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠​⁠‌‍‌‌‌⁠‌‌‌‍⁠‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍⁠​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠​‍‌‍‌‌‌⁠​​‌‍⁠​‌⁠‍‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​⁠​‌​⁠‍​​⁠‍​​⁠‌​​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​⁠​‍​⁠​​​⁠​‍​⁠‌‍​⁠​​​⁠​‌​⁠​‌​⁠‌⁠​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​⁠‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‌‍⁠⁠‌‍‌​‌‌⁠⁠​⁠​‌‌⁠​‌‌‍‍⁠​‍⁠‌‌​‌⁠‌‍⁠‌‌​⁠‍‌‌​‌​⁠‌‌​⁠‌⁠​‍​‍‌⁠⁠‌​