Hereford's fishy tale

A huge 2.2m long sturgeon, caught in the River Wye in Herefordshire 160 years ago, has made a lengthy overland journey to Ipswich to undergo conservation work by specialist natural history conservator, Dominique Rogers. 
 
The remarkable sturgeon, one of only two recorded as being caught in the River Wye, has been a favourite exhibit at Hereford Museum and Art Gallery over the years.

In recent years, it has been cared for in ideal conditions at the new Museum Resource Centre, but curators felt that it needed some love and attention before being displayed again.

Grant aid to support the conservation has been provided by Museum Libraries Archives West Midlands and the sturgeon will be displayed again as part of the temporary exhibition “Every object tells a story,” which runs from Saturday, January 21 to Saturday, March 4. 

“Back in 1846, techniques for mounting natural history specimens were not well developed – our splendid sturgeon was quite literally ‘stuffed’ with straw after being gutted,” said Kate Andrew, Herefordshire Council’s Principal Heritage Officer.

“We will not be re-shaping him at this stage, but the conservation work has enabled us to learn more about the specimen, and any areas of weakness and to make sure that it will survive for at least another 160 years!” added Kate.

“It’s difficult to know what colour the specimen was originally, it is currently painted a dark green-brown, although the side exposed to the now blocked skylights for many years is rather paler!”

A specimen caught last summer in Swansea Bay was pale grey.

Conservator Dominique Rogers will be cleaning and re-varnishing the fish, repairing its fins and filling in gaps where the skin has shrunk, ready for display.

The Sturgeon will return to Hereford next week and will go on public display in the “Every object tells a story” exhibition along with a selection of other objects which each have a story to tell.