Presidential Profile | The Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections

Suzanne Ryder

I am Principal Curator and Senior Curator in Charge of the Hymenoptera and Historical Entomology collections at the Natural History Museum (NHM), London. I manage a small team of curators, students and volunteers and oversee one of the most significant collections of Hymenoptera. Of global cultural, scientific and historical significance, the collection comprises approximately 3.5 million specimens housed in 11,000 drawers of dry-pinned material, together with 25,000 microscope slides, a substantial spirit collection, and more than 1,000 nests. I am also responsible for the historic entomology collection, which includes collections from Sir Hans Sloane and Sir Joseph Banks. These unique collections are approximately 300 years old and are key to telling the history of collecting and the science of taxonomy.

I have worked at the Natural History Museum for more than 30 years. I hold a combined degree in Biology and Geology and an MSc in Museum Studies. I am also Honorary Curator of Entomology for the Linnean Society of London and have valued being an active member of the Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections (SPNHC) for many years.

Throughout my career, I have developed particular expertise in the care, conservation and preservation of natural history and cultural heritage collections, with a specialist interest in Integrated Pest Management (IPM). I was IPM Coordinator at the Natural History Museum for more than 10 years and continue to support this work as a Senior Advisor to the NHM. I am secretary of the Pest Odyssey group and contribute to the MuseumPests.net working group, supporting the development and sharing of knowledge and best practices in pest management for museum collections.

International professional exchange and collaboration have also been an important part of my career. I initiated and organised an exchange and internship programme that enabled me to spend a year in Canada as part of my professional development. The experience was highly valuable both personally and professionally.

I completed two three-month internships at the Canadian Conservation Institute in Ottawa. The first was within the Conservation Processes and Materials Research Division, where I investigated the application of Parylene coating to entomological specimens as a potential preservation technique. The second was with Tom Strang in the Preventive Conservation Division and Rob Waller of the Canadian Museum of Nature, where I evaluated pest-control features at the Natural Heritage Building of the Canadian Museum of Nature. This work included collecting and comparing pest-control data from new collection facilities around the world and contributing to the development of a risk model for pests in museums.

I also undertook a six-month exchange with the Curator of Entomology at the Canadian Museum of Nature. Working with an insect collection of approximately 700,000 specimens, predominantly Coleoptera, during the exchange, I re-curated a significant portion of the Curculionidae collection.

I have a particular interest in historical entomological collections. I have led projects to bring together and rehouse the Natural History Museum’s historic entomology collections and am now involved in their digitisation. My current research includes the insect collection of Sir Joseph Banks, alongside a wider interest in the history, preservation and use of historic natural history collections.

My career combines curatorial expertise, collection care and conservation with research into the history and preservation of natural history collections. Through my work at the NHM and my international collaborations, I have contributed to the development of practical approaches to collection preservation, pest management and the long-term care and accessibility of natural history collections.

Thank you,
Suzanne Ryder president@spnhc.org

Suzanne Ryder is the Principal Curator and Senior Curator in Charge of the Hymenoptera and Historical Entomology collections at the Natural History Museum (NHM), London.