Item 13 - F. Howie to J. Cannon

Safety Officer at Natural History Museum, London.

[From NHM Archive]
Frank working at the Museum in the early 1970s in what was then known as the Palaeontology Laboratory. With a background of chemistry, Frank worked on conservation methodology and published numerous books and articles on the care and conservation of geological material.

He is well known for his early pioneering work on identification and treatment for pyrite as well as using thioglycolic acid to remove haematite from vertebrate specimens.

In 1984, Frank was appointed Safety Officer and helped establish the Museum’s first Health and Safety division. He continued his academic interests and published on aspects of safety in Museums and Galleries.

Frank retired to Cornwall in the early 2000s where his longstanding interest in natural sciences led him to become a member and later chair of Cornwall Geoconservation Group and he was appointed a Trustee of Cornwall Wildlife Trust. He had been actively working and preparing a publication on the recent geological history of Cornwall.