Pub Date : 2022-05-18DOI: 10.1080/01971360.2022.2031459
Lora V. Angelova, Gates Sofer, A. Bartoletti, B. Ormsby
ABSTRACT The cleaning of a poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) sculpture, Op Structure by Michael Dillon (1967, Tate Collection T03717), was undertaken as a case study during the NANORESTART project. Novel cleaning techniques, including microemulsions and gels, were evaluated and compared against more commonly used treatment methods on mock-ups created to broadly represent the conservation challenges presented by this artwork. The experimental design is presented, including the creation of mock-ups of a contemporary plastic work that required surface soil reduction and removal of two non-original labels with different pressure-sensitive adhesives. More than thirty cleaning systems were applied to soiled mock-ups and evaluated using a combination of imaging, instrumental analysis, and empirical observations. A summary of results, which reflect the decision-making process that led to the final treatment strategy, is presented. After extensive trials, surface cleaning was carried out using an aqueous surfactant-chelator solution applied with microfiber cloths; adhesive labels were removed with dilute water/propan-2-ol cotton poultices.
{"title":"A Comparative Surface Cleaning Study of Op Structure, an Op Art PMMA Sculpture by Michael Dillon","authors":"Lora V. Angelova, Gates Sofer, A. Bartoletti, B. Ormsby","doi":"10.1080/01971360.2022.2031459","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/01971360.2022.2031459","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT The cleaning of a poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) sculpture, Op Structure by Michael Dillon (1967, Tate Collection T03717), was undertaken as a case study during the NANORESTART project. Novel cleaning techniques, including microemulsions and gels, were evaluated and compared against more commonly used treatment methods on mock-ups created to broadly represent the conservation challenges presented by this artwork. The experimental design is presented, including the creation of mock-ups of a contemporary plastic work that required surface soil reduction and removal of two non-original labels with different pressure-sensitive adhesives. More than thirty cleaning systems were applied to soiled mock-ups and evaluated using a combination of imaging, instrumental analysis, and empirical observations. A summary of results, which reflect the decision-making process that led to the final treatment strategy, is presented. After extensive trials, surface cleaning was carried out using an aqueous surfactant-chelator solution applied with microfiber cloths; adhesive labels were removed with dilute water/propan-2-ol cotton poultices.","PeriodicalId":17165,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the American Institute for Conservation","volume":"62 1","pages":"58 - 77"},"PeriodicalIF":0.5,"publicationDate":"2022-05-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47050507","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-05-09DOI: 10.1080/01971360.2022.2031456
Eleonora E. Nagy, Alfred Lippincott, Donald Lippincott, Jamie Chasse, Roseann Prosser
ABSTRACT The conservation of Kiosque l’évidé, a painted outdoor fiberglass-reinforced phenoxy resin sculpture by Jean Dubuffet (1901–1985), involved a number of unusual challenges that necessitated the development of novel treatment protocols. Remedying the sculpture's severely compromised physical condition demanded the complete removal of its painted surface and innovative planning for the precise replication of its paint scheme and pattern. The sculpture's large size and layered material composition presented challenges; moreover, the technical data received from the artist's foundation posed ethical questions about the definition of original materials, color, and appearance, forcing us to search for alternate sources of reliable information, which included analysis of the sculpture's materials. This article describes the broad range of issues we faced during a major conservation treatment, the irregular path that such a complex effort invariably took, and the perseverance and decision-making processes required to achieve a successful outcome. We detail three main solutions: a custom dolly system to safely and easily transport and handle the oversized sculpture; a method to photograph and accurately project the original paint scheme so that we could replicate the paint pattern; and challenges in sourcing paint products that provided an unusual and narrow range of optical and working properties.
{"title":"The Treatment of a Large Painted Outdoor Sculpture: Kiosque l’évidé (1970) 1984, by Jean Dubuffet","authors":"Eleonora E. Nagy, Alfred Lippincott, Donald Lippincott, Jamie Chasse, Roseann Prosser","doi":"10.1080/01971360.2022.2031456","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/01971360.2022.2031456","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT The conservation of Kiosque l’évidé, a painted outdoor fiberglass-reinforced phenoxy resin sculpture by Jean Dubuffet (1901–1985), involved a number of unusual challenges that necessitated the development of novel treatment protocols. Remedying the sculpture's severely compromised physical condition demanded the complete removal of its painted surface and innovative planning for the precise replication of its paint scheme and pattern. The sculpture's large size and layered material composition presented challenges; moreover, the technical data received from the artist's foundation posed ethical questions about the definition of original materials, color, and appearance, forcing us to search for alternate sources of reliable information, which included analysis of the sculpture's materials. This article describes the broad range of issues we faced during a major conservation treatment, the irregular path that such a complex effort invariably took, and the perseverance and decision-making processes required to achieve a successful outcome. We detail three main solutions: a custom dolly system to safely and easily transport and handle the oversized sculpture; a method to photograph and accurately project the original paint scheme so that we could replicate the paint pattern; and challenges in sourcing paint products that provided an unusual and narrow range of optical and working properties.","PeriodicalId":17165,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the American Institute for Conservation","volume":"62 1","pages":"28 - 57"},"PeriodicalIF":0.5,"publicationDate":"2022-05-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46668900","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-04-03DOI: 10.1080/01971360.2021.1988527
Caroline O. Fowler
It was an honor to have my book, The Art of Paper: From the Holy Land to the Americas, reviewed in the Journal of the American Institute for Conservation (JAIC) as this book clearly stated that it was a cultural and not a technical history of paper, and so an unexpected review in this specialist publication offers an important opportunity for conversation between two disciplines. I appreciate Burns’s review offering this chance, particularly given her expertise as a paper conservator. I am grateful for her clarification around certain technical definitions, and I have no doubt that some of the language in my book would sound different to a conservator than an art historian. I am certain that from her perspective as a conservator, my terminology fell short of her expertise, and I appreciate her dedicated attention to language. She also wonderfully nuanced some of my readings with her vast knowledge, and it is unfortunate that she felt a need to characterize this as my failings as a scholar rather than a productive dialogue. I am primarily concerned, however, as Burns not only omitted large parts of my argument but also misrepresented the thesis and scope of the book. It was easy to do this, as she did not summarize the arguments of each chapter, as is standard in a book review. Instead, she drew upon certain threads while omitting others; most importantly, she ignored that this is a book about the mythologies surrounding European art history. I focused on the ways in which white paper, as a ground for drawing, thinking, writing, mapmaking, and bureaucracy, has played a role in creating certain mythologies around European exceptionalism from the fifteenth century to today. In many instances, Burns and I disagree on the evidence and arguments, such as the role of erasure in late-medieval drawing. It is productive to have both viewpoints circulating, and I appreciate her engaged consideration. Many of her arguments, however, are willful mis-readings. There are many points of clarification that Burns makes, such as rag paper was not always filthy when delivered to the watermill. Obviously, this is true, but the cultural, poetic, and verse landscape around paper in early-modern Europe built up a mythology about the transfiguration of filthy rags transformed into a white surface, a mythology that was part of a Christo-centric culture, which is elucidated in the book. She also quotes out of context; for example, suggesting that I argued that blue paper was a new technology when Dürer adopted it. As my examples of earlier blue paper suggest, I do not think it was a new technology, but it clearly held a specific novel appeal for Dürer who exclusively used it for a set of drawings made while he was in Venice. In some instances, the vocabulary of a non-conservator prevents Burns from engaging with my argument, such as when I refer to a piece of paper as pigmented, meaning that it was exactly as she described, dyed fibers intimately interwoven into the struct
很荣幸我的书《纸的艺术:从圣地到美洲》在《美国保护研究所杂志》(JAIC)上发表评论，因为这本书清楚地表明，这是一本纸的文化史，而不是技术史，因此，这本专业出版物的意外评论为两个学科之间的对话提供了一个重要的机会。我很感激伯恩斯的评论给了我这个机会，尤其是考虑到她作为一名文件管理员的专业知识。我很感激她对某些技术定义的澄清，我毫不怀疑，我书中的一些语言对文物保护学家和艺术史学家来说听起来会有所不同。我确信，从她作为一名管理员的角度来看，我的专业术语与她的专业知识相差甚远，我很欣赏她对语言的专注。她还用自己渊博的知识对我的一些阅读进行了细致入微的解读，不幸的是，她觉得有必要把这描述为我作为一个学者的失败，而不是一次富有成效的对话。然而，我主要担心的是，伯恩斯不仅省略了我的大部分论点，而且歪曲了这本书的主题和范围。这很容易做到，因为她没有像书评中标准的那样，总结每一章的论点。相反，她只提到了某些线索，而忽略了其他线索;最重要的是，她忽略了这是一本关于欧洲艺术史神话的书。从15世纪到今天，作为绘画、思考、写作、地图制作和官僚机构的基础，白皮书在围绕欧洲例外论创造某些神话的过程中发挥了怎样的作用。在许多情况下，伯恩斯和我在证据和论点上存在分歧，比如在中世纪晚期绘画中擦除的作用。让两种观点都流传是有益的，我感谢她的认真考虑。然而，她的许多观点都是有意的误读。彭斯澄清了很多问题，比如，碎布纸送到水磨时并不总是脏的。显然，这是真的，但是在近代早期的欧洲，围绕纸的文化、诗歌和诗歌景观建立了一个神话，关于污秽的破布变成白色的表面，这个神话是克里斯托中心文化的一部分，这在书中得到了阐明。她也会断章取义;例如，他说我认为，当 rer采用蓝皮书时，它是一项新技术。正如我之前提到的蓝纸的例子所表明的那样，我并不认为这是一项新技术，但它显然对画家·雷尔有着特殊的新奇吸引力，他在威尼斯时专门将它用于一组绘画。在某些情况下，非保护人员的词汇会阻止伯恩斯参与我的论点，比如当我把一张纸称为着色的时候，这意味着它完全像她描述的那样，染色的纤维紧密地交织在结构中。我只是用色素作为另一个术语来描述颜色。但也许是保护术语中对染料和颜料的强烈区分，让伯恩斯误读了我的论点?然而，最成问题的是，伯恩斯指出，我的首要论点是:“纸不是表现的对象”，它的成功要求“它保持透明，否认它本身传达信息的能力”。也许，如果她被迫单独阐述每一章的论点，她会反驳这本书的实际主题，即考察从中东到欧洲的破纸技术的传播如何改变了艺术生产和作者的观念。《纸的艺术》探讨了早期现代欧洲人是如何“忘记”破布纸的中东起源，并认为它是在欧洲发明的。这种文化失忆成为17世纪哲学家的核心，比如约翰·洛克(John Locke)，他把思想比作一张干净的白纸，我认为这是一种新的语言，与当前围绕将美洲想象成殖民的空旷之地的辩论有关，并在“发明”欧洲白纸的基础上实施了一系列官僚主义。有趣的是，正是通过约瑟夫·冯·卡拉巴切克(Joseph von Karabacek, 1845-1918)和尤利乌斯·维斯纳(Julius Wiesner, 1838-1916)对公元8世纪阿拉伯手稿的技术研究，欧洲人被迫承认，他们实际上并没有发明破布纸，我在书中概述了这段历史。在这篇书评中忽略这些更大的论点是书评人不负责任的。如果我们的两个学科仅仅关注于我们对物体的理解之间的语言差异，也许我们会错过更大的图景。忽视这些更大的争论会阻碍艺术史和艺术保护之间就构建我们学科的以欧洲为中心的叙事进行必要的对话。
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Pub Date : 2022-04-03DOI: 10.1080/01971360.2022.2058298
J. M. del Hoyo-Meléndez
Welcome to the second issue of the year 2022, which marks the 50th anniversary of the incorporation of the American Institute for Conservation. This year will appear in history books as the start of the largest war in Europe since World War II. We are also still living in the middle of the COVID19 pandemic. In addition, our activities keep negatively impacting the Earth’s climate at an alarming and unprecedented rate as reported in numerous research publications. As cultural heritage professionals we are committed to dealing with these problems by implementing sustainable practices in the conservation field to help fight climate change, devising ways of lowering the risk of virus spread, and developing preservation strategies to protect cultural heritage from the disasters of war. In this difficult time, I would like to share with you a bit of joy, which I hope will be provided by the articles featured in this issue. The papers in this issue present work that has important practical implications for the conservation field. They also emphasize the significance of international collaboration, which is key to our field, featuring work by researchers from Austria, Italy, New Zealand, UK, and US. The first paper in this issue, by Pintér, discusses research carried out to evaluate salt-affected mineral materials found in two historical buildings in Austria. The author conducted ion chromatographic analysis in conjunction with scanning electron microscopy to determine the water-soluble ionic component and spatial distribution of salts present in samples taken from the buildings. The paper presents the advantages and disadvantages of the proposed methodology, emphasizing the influence of sample preparation, type, and solubility of salts on the reliability of the data. It is widely known that salt crystallization processes can create severe damage on historical buildings. To overcome this problem, the characterization approach presented in the paper could be of special interest to AIC’s Architecture Specialty Group and Archeological Heritage Network. The second paper, by Chang and Lu, presents a comprehensive case study conducted on a red carved lacquer dish from the Jiajing period of the Ming dynasty. The paper highlights the need for having a broad discussion on materials and techniques together with stylistic studies to achieve a better understanding of cultural heritage objects. The results were also evaluated in the context of other three similar objects. Although the use of reference objects is recommended for these types of case studies, the authors recognize that the low number of objects used for comparison was not enough to definitively determine whether a carved lacquerware belongs to the Jiajing period. Nevertheless, a multi-technique approach such as the one presented in the paper can provide a foundation for future studies on similar objects. The complexity of metal objects and their degradation mechanisms continue to raise interesting quest
{"title":"Editorial","authors":"J. M. del Hoyo-Meléndez","doi":"10.1080/01971360.2022.2058298","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/01971360.2022.2058298","url":null,"abstract":"Welcome to the second issue of the year 2022, which marks the 50th anniversary of the incorporation of the American Institute for Conservation. This year will appear in history books as the start of the largest war in Europe since World War II. We are also still living in the middle of the COVID19 pandemic. In addition, our activities keep negatively impacting the Earth’s climate at an alarming and unprecedented rate as reported in numerous research publications. As cultural heritage professionals we are committed to dealing with these problems by implementing sustainable practices in the conservation field to help fight climate change, devising ways of lowering the risk of virus spread, and developing preservation strategies to protect cultural heritage from the disasters of war. In this difficult time, I would like to share with you a bit of joy, which I hope will be provided by the articles featured in this issue. The papers in this issue present work that has important practical implications for the conservation field. They also emphasize the significance of international collaboration, which is key to our field, featuring work by researchers from Austria, Italy, New Zealand, UK, and US. The first paper in this issue, by Pintér, discusses research carried out to evaluate salt-affected mineral materials found in two historical buildings in Austria. The author conducted ion chromatographic analysis in conjunction with scanning electron microscopy to determine the water-soluble ionic component and spatial distribution of salts present in samples taken from the buildings. The paper presents the advantages and disadvantages of the proposed methodology, emphasizing the influence of sample preparation, type, and solubility of salts on the reliability of the data. It is widely known that salt crystallization processes can create severe damage on historical buildings. To overcome this problem, the characterization approach presented in the paper could be of special interest to AIC’s Architecture Specialty Group and Archeological Heritage Network. The second paper, by Chang and Lu, presents a comprehensive case study conducted on a red carved lacquer dish from the Jiajing period of the Ming dynasty. The paper highlights the need for having a broad discussion on materials and techniques together with stylistic studies to achieve a better understanding of cultural heritage objects. The results were also evaluated in the context of other three similar objects. Although the use of reference objects is recommended for these types of case studies, the authors recognize that the low number of objects used for comparison was not enough to definitively determine whether a carved lacquerware belongs to the Jiajing period. Nevertheless, a multi-technique approach such as the one presented in the paper can provide a foundation for future studies on similar objects. The complexity of metal objects and their degradation mechanisms continue to raise interesting quest","PeriodicalId":17165,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the American Institute for Conservation","volume":"61 1","pages":"69 - 70"},"PeriodicalIF":0.5,"publicationDate":"2022-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43725078","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-03-31DOI: 10.1080/01971360.2022.2031460
S. J. S. Sobeck, G. Smith
ABSTRACT Daylight fluorescent pigments are complex artists’ colorants made of multiple admixed dyes and additives infused in a polymer resin. Their unique photochemistry creates interesting optical effects that make them appealing for a range of applications. The wavelength dependence of the dyes’ emissive properties has also led to their use in works meant to be displayed under nontraditional high energy light sources, such as blacklights. The intended display methods and the photochemistry of the constituent dyes can lead to chemical instability and also pose unique challenges for conservation and exhibition. In Part 1 of this research, we reported on the chemical constituents of colorants from two major manufacturers. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive report of the spectral properties and lightfastness of paints prepared with the pigments. The optical properties and chemical stability of these colorants are correlated with the composition. Variation in composition can lead to unique markers that could be useful for conservation treatment and exhibition considerations. Changes in the dyes used in the pigment formulation over time are considered in the comparison of two objects: a Stephen Sprouse silvered leather motorcycle jacket featuring fluorescent art by Stefano Castronovo and selections from the Day-Glo Designer’s Guide from 1969.
{"title":"Shedding Light on Daylight Fluorescent Artists’ Pigments, Part 2: Spectral Properties and Light Stability","authors":"S. J. S. Sobeck, G. Smith","doi":"10.1080/01971360.2022.2031460","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/01971360.2022.2031460","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Daylight fluorescent pigments are complex artists’ colorants made of multiple admixed dyes and additives infused in a polymer resin. Their unique photochemistry creates interesting optical effects that make them appealing for a range of applications. The wavelength dependence of the dyes’ emissive properties has also led to their use in works meant to be displayed under nontraditional high energy light sources, such as blacklights. The intended display methods and the photochemistry of the constituent dyes can lead to chemical instability and also pose unique challenges for conservation and exhibition. In Part 1 of this research, we reported on the chemical constituents of colorants from two major manufacturers. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive report of the spectral properties and lightfastness of paints prepared with the pigments. The optical properties and chemical stability of these colorants are correlated with the composition. Variation in composition can lead to unique markers that could be useful for conservation treatment and exhibition considerations. Changes in the dyes used in the pigment formulation over time are considered in the comparison of two objects: a Stephen Sprouse silvered leather motorcycle jacket featuring fluorescent art by Stefano Castronovo and selections from the Day-Glo Designer’s Guide from 1969.","PeriodicalId":17165,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the American Institute for Conservation","volume":"62 1","pages":"222 - 238"},"PeriodicalIF":0.5,"publicationDate":"2022-03-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44556789","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-03-25DOI: 10.1080/01971360.2021.1983710
M. Hiebert, T. Lam, Sarah Oakman, Shannon A. Brogdon-Grantham
ABSTRACT The Photographic History Collection at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History houses the largest collection of glass photographic plates from Eadweard Muybridge’s Animal Locomotion series. These images are the immediate predecessor to moving pictures and serve as an invaluable research tool for those seeking to better understand Muybridge’s process and place in the history of photography. As part of a survey of the condition of this collection, analysis of the materials and deterioration products found on these plates was conducted. This paper focuses on observations made during the analysis of the image-bearing gelatin emulsion layer of these objects, as the deterioration and loss of this layer is the most compromising to the identity and significance of the objects themselves. The analysis was performed on image plates and fragments that have become disassociated from their original composite panels. The results of the analyses included: the identification of the gelatin and image forming materials, new information about the photographic processes used in the production of these plates, namely the use of mercury intensification, and significant insights into the various mechanisms of deterioration found on these objects including silver mirroring, water damage, and gelatin cracking, which threaten the long-term stability of this collection.
{"title":"Observations from the Analysis of the Gelatin Silver Emulsion Layer of Glass Photographic Inter-Positive Plates from Eadweard Muybridge’s Animal Locomotion Series at the National Museum of American History","authors":"M. Hiebert, T. Lam, Sarah Oakman, Shannon A. Brogdon-Grantham","doi":"10.1080/01971360.2021.1983710","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/01971360.2021.1983710","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT The Photographic History Collection at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History houses the largest collection of glass photographic plates from Eadweard Muybridge’s Animal Locomotion series. These images are the immediate predecessor to moving pictures and serve as an invaluable research tool for those seeking to better understand Muybridge’s process and place in the history of photography. As part of a survey of the condition of this collection, analysis of the materials and deterioration products found on these plates was conducted. This paper focuses on observations made during the analysis of the image-bearing gelatin emulsion layer of these objects, as the deterioration and loss of this layer is the most compromising to the identity and significance of the objects themselves. The analysis was performed on image plates and fragments that have become disassociated from their original composite panels. The results of the analyses included: the identification of the gelatin and image forming materials, new information about the photographic processes used in the production of these plates, namely the use of mercury intensification, and significant insights into the various mechanisms of deterioration found on these objects including silver mirroring, water damage, and gelatin cracking, which threaten the long-term stability of this collection.","PeriodicalId":17165,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the American Institute for Conservation","volume":"61 1","pages":"237 - 253"},"PeriodicalIF":0.5,"publicationDate":"2022-03-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47759856","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-03-22DOI: 10.1080/01971360.2022.2031457
M. Tedone, Rosie Grayburn
ABSTRACT Analysis of nineteenth-century, cloth-case publishers’ bindings at Winterthur Library revealed starch-coated bookcloth colored with the toxic pigment “emerald green” (copper acetoarsenite). While this pigment was widely used in Victorian home goods and apparel, its use specifically in bookcloth has not been formally explored. A survey of bookcloth pigments was conducted to identify which toxic elements may be present in bookcloth and to determine how many bindings were colored with emerald green. English-language books at Winterthur published between 1837 and 1900 were analyzed with x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy. When arsenic and copper were found together, Raman spectroscopy was used to confirm emerald green. The dataset was further expanded using The Library Company of Philadelphia’s significant holdings of cloth-case publishers’ bindings. Copper and arsenic were detected in 38 rare and circulating books in total. Based on this data, trends in emerald green bookcloth use include: consistently vivid green hue; stamped decoration; English and American imprints from 1840s to 1860s. Quantitative analysis revealed significant levels of arsenic in friable bookcloth colorant. Emerald green books in the Winterthur collection were rehoused in zip-top polyethylene bags with hazard labels and circulating books were moved into the access-controlled rare book collection.
{"title":"Arsenic and Old Bookcloth: Identification and Safer Use of Emerald Green Victorian-Era Cloth Case Bindings","authors":"M. Tedone, Rosie Grayburn","doi":"10.1080/01971360.2022.2031457","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/01971360.2022.2031457","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Analysis of nineteenth-century, cloth-case publishers’ bindings at Winterthur Library revealed starch-coated bookcloth colored with the toxic pigment “emerald green” (copper acetoarsenite). While this pigment was widely used in Victorian home goods and apparel, its use specifically in bookcloth has not been formally explored. A survey of bookcloth pigments was conducted to identify which toxic elements may be present in bookcloth and to determine how many bindings were colored with emerald green. English-language books at Winterthur published between 1837 and 1900 were analyzed with x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy. When arsenic and copper were found together, Raman spectroscopy was used to confirm emerald green. The dataset was further expanded using The Library Company of Philadelphia’s significant holdings of cloth-case publishers’ bindings. Copper and arsenic were detected in 38 rare and circulating books in total. Based on this data, trends in emerald green bookcloth use include: consistently vivid green hue; stamped decoration; English and American imprints from 1840s to 1860s. Quantitative analysis revealed significant levels of arsenic in friable bookcloth colorant. Emerald green books in the Winterthur collection were rehoused in zip-top polyethylene bags with hazard labels and circulating books were moved into the access-controlled rare book collection.","PeriodicalId":17165,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the American Institute for Conservation","volume":"62 1","pages":"1 - 12"},"PeriodicalIF":0.5,"publicationDate":"2022-03-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41594754","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-02-21DOI: 10.1080/01971360.2021.1980696
Emanuel Sterp Moga, Alicia Sánchez Ortiz
ABSTRACT Guided by the criterion of minimum intervention, this article proposes an alternative method to traditional procedures for the fixation of color and preparation layers in contemporary two-dimensional paintings based on the use of neodymium magnets. The first part describes the materials, experiments, and tests carried out on models with different types of deterioration to test the behavior of the magnets. The obtained data demonstrates specific solutions for the restoration of three contemporary two-dimensional works. The proposed method is simple to use, can be combined with other traditional methods, allows to reduce the manipulation of the object during the treatment, and proves to be minimally invasive and respectful of the original.
{"title":"Neodymium Magnets as a Minimal Intervention Alternative to Traditional Treatments for Fixing Paint on Contemporary Paintings","authors":"Emanuel Sterp Moga, Alicia Sánchez Ortiz","doi":"10.1080/01971360.2021.1980696","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/01971360.2021.1980696","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Guided by the criterion of minimum intervention, this article proposes an alternative method to traditional procedures for the fixation of color and preparation layers in contemporary two-dimensional paintings based on the use of neodymium magnets. The first part describes the materials, experiments, and tests carried out on models with different types of deterioration to test the behavior of the magnets. The obtained data demonstrates specific solutions for the restoration of three contemporary two-dimensional works. The proposed method is simple to use, can be combined with other traditional methods, allows to reduce the manipulation of the object during the treatment, and proves to be minimally invasive and respectful of the original.","PeriodicalId":17165,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the American Institute for Conservation","volume":"61 1","pages":"275 - 283"},"PeriodicalIF":0.5,"publicationDate":"2022-02-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43564202","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-10-13DOI: 10.1080/01971360.2021.1928842
A. Shugar, R. Ploeger, Meredeth Lavelle
ABSTRACT Art conservation science education is intertwined with the education of conservators. An apropos quote from Dr. Christopher Tahk, former scientist and director at the Cooperstown and later Buffalo State art conservation graduate training program, clearly describes this relationship and sums up the success of the science curriculum in the art conservation training programs “students are going out now, becoming conservators and understanding science, and so they can talk with scientists and there is a more of a rapport between the two.” Conservation science education has evolved to better achieve this aim, and this article highlights, discusses, and reflects on the challenges presented to conservation science educators, while examining possibilities and hopes for the future.
{"title":"A Review of 50 Years of Teaching Conservation Science at SUNY Buffalo State","authors":"A. Shugar, R. Ploeger, Meredeth Lavelle","doi":"10.1080/01971360.2021.1928842","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/01971360.2021.1928842","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Art conservation science education is intertwined with the education of conservators. An apropos quote from Dr. Christopher Tahk, former scientist and director at the Cooperstown and later Buffalo State art conservation graduate training program, clearly describes this relationship and sums up the success of the science curriculum in the art conservation training programs “students are going out now, becoming conservators and understanding science, and so they can talk with scientists and there is a more of a rapport between the two.” Conservation science education has evolved to better achieve this aim, and this article highlights, discusses, and reflects on the challenges presented to conservation science educators, while examining possibilities and hopes for the future.","PeriodicalId":17165,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the American Institute for Conservation","volume":"61 1","pages":"202 - 212"},"PeriodicalIF":0.5,"publicationDate":"2021-10-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44642568","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-10-04DOI: 10.1080/01971360.2021.1951551
S. Davis, H. Sadek, C. Chemello, G. Smith, P. Hatchfield, R. Blanchette, Ahmed M. Abdel-Azeem, J. Richards
ABSTRACT Severely deteriorated wood statues dating to the later third millennium BCE and excavated at Abydos, Egypt, were investigated to learn about their original manufacture, subsequent deterioration, and to develop a conservation treatment plan. Because Egypt restricts the sampling and export of archaeological materials, scientists and conservators conducted non-destructive analysis and engaged in empirical testing of potential treatments at the Abydos field site. The wood substrate was examined microscopically to determine wood species and to understand damage by insects and fungi, and fungi were cultured for identification. Decorative surfaces were studied to identify pigments and binding media; elemental compositions were analyzed with portable XRF, mid-infrared spectra were collected using a small spectrometer, and several wet chemical tests were performed. Notable results include the likely use of orpiment on artifacts dating to the Old Kingdom and the identification of a wide variety of wood types within a discrete archaeological context and, probably, in single objects. Conservation treatment testing focused on choosing consolidants and fill materials for the highly degraded wood substrate and friable paint layer. Two case studies present the successful treatment of the two largest and most elaborately decorated statues from the time of excavation to readiness for display.
{"title":"Conservation of Severely Deteriorated, Dry Painted Wood: A Case Study From Abydos, Egypt","authors":"S. Davis, H. Sadek, C. Chemello, G. Smith, P. Hatchfield, R. Blanchette, Ahmed M. Abdel-Azeem, J. Richards","doi":"10.1080/01971360.2021.1951551","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/01971360.2021.1951551","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Severely deteriorated wood statues dating to the later third millennium BCE and excavated at Abydos, Egypt, were investigated to learn about their original manufacture, subsequent deterioration, and to develop a conservation treatment plan. Because Egypt restricts the sampling and export of archaeological materials, scientists and conservators conducted non-destructive analysis and engaged in empirical testing of potential treatments at the Abydos field site. The wood substrate was examined microscopically to determine wood species and to understand damage by insects and fungi, and fungi were cultured for identification. Decorative surfaces were studied to identify pigments and binding media; elemental compositions were analyzed with portable XRF, mid-infrared spectra were collected using a small spectrometer, and several wet chemical tests were performed. Notable results include the likely use of orpiment on artifacts dating to the Old Kingdom and the identification of a wide variety of wood types within a discrete archaeological context and, probably, in single objects. Conservation treatment testing focused on choosing consolidants and fill materials for the highly degraded wood substrate and friable paint layer. Two case studies present the successful treatment of the two largest and most elaborately decorated statues from the time of excavation to readiness for display.","PeriodicalId":17165,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the American Institute for Conservation","volume":"61 1","pages":"254 - 274"},"PeriodicalIF":0.5,"publicationDate":"2021-10-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42220215","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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