Effects of Light on Materials in Collections : Data on Photoflash and Related Sources

The impact of light on works of art and archival materials has long been an issue of concern to conservators and other museum professionals, yet the literature on this subject has never been systematically reviewed. This volume fills that gap by providing a survey of the impact of exposure to light with an emphasis on photoflash and reprographic sources. The information provided will assist the professional audience, especially conservators and collections managers, in assessing the risk to art and archival objects of such exposures. The text surveys relevant photophysical and photochemical principles, photometric and radiometric measurement, and the spectral outputs of several light sources. Materials discussed include colorants and natural fibers; pulp, paper, and wood; natural and synthetic polymers; fluorescent whitening agents; photographic and reprographic materials; and objects containing combinations of materials. Approximations and assumptions used in the evaluation process are discussed in some detail, with examples of the different types of calculations.

Biophysicist Terry T. Schaeffer spent two decades investigating photosynthetic pigments and membrane transport. She then took up research in conservation, including work at the Getty Conservation Institute. She is currently chemical hygiene officer at the Conservation Center of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.