Fingerprints as an analytical tool
Otter’s head
Birds' eggs
There is general awareness that fingerprints are used by forensic scientists to identify criminals. But fingerprints have another use – they are a good method of identifying which items in the museum are of most interest, particularly to children.
Our team of museum volunteers regularly go round the museum polishing the glass cabinets. They find lots of fingerprints when the museum has been busy and many of our visitors are children, something we encourage!
The displays in Louth Museum that are the most popular according to fingerprint analysis are the butterflies, birds’ eggs (new on display in 2022), otter’s head, ropemaking, knots, old keys, carriage hubs, and Louth Flood.
If you haven’t recently seen all these, do come and add your fingerprints!