Museum lighting: a guide for conservators and curators

Abstract

"This indispensable guide to museum lighting, written by distinguished conservation scientist David Saunders, is the first new volume of its kind in over thirty years"--

Contents

Light, Radiation, and Human Vision -- The Nature of Light -- Light, Color, and the Eye -- White Light -- Seeing Objects -- Perceiving Color -- Factors that Affect Vision -- Classifying and Measuring Color -- Color Order Systems -- Measuring Color -- Measuring Color Difference -- Classifying and Measuring Light Sources -- Classifying White Light -- Light and Ultraviolet Measurement -- White Light Sources -- Light and Ultraviolet Radiation as Agents of Deterioration -- Historical Observations of Light Damage -- Radiation-Induced Processes -- Assessing Vulnerability to Light Damage -- Ranking Vulnerability -- The Effect of Wavelength -- Synergistic Effects -- Effect of Light and Ultraviolet Radiation on Museum Objects -- Dyes and Pigments -- Metals, Stone, Glass, Ceramics, and Enamels -- Wood and Furniture -- Prints and Drawings -- Watercolors -- Books and Manuscripts -- Easel Paintings -- Wall Paintings -- Photographs and Digital Prints -- Textiles, Embroidery, Upholstery, Tapestries, Rugs, and Carpets -- Basketry, Matting, Barkcloth, and Papyrus -- Bone and Ivory -- Horn, Tortoiseshell, Hair, Fur, and Quillwork -- Leather and Skin -- Natural History and Paleontology Collections -- Plastics -- Varnishes, Resins, and Coatings -- Conservation Materials -- Light for Studying and Viewing -- Light Levels and Vision -- Color Temperature, Color Rendering, and Vision -- Age and the Viewer -- Color Preferences -- Lighting within Museum Practice -- An Outline Chronology of Museum Lighting -- Light Sources-Pros and Cons -- Recommended Light Levels in the Museum -- Practical Lighting Design I: Minimizing Damage -- Eliminating Ultraviolet and Infrared Radiation -- Minimizing Light Levels -- Minimizing Light Dose -- Keeping Track of Light -- Practical Lighting Design II: Maximizing Visibility -- Adaptation -- Contrast -- Lighting Scenarios -- Lighting Policy and Practice -- Object Lifetimes -- Developing Policy, Strategy, and Practice -- Formulating Guidelines -- Relationship to Other Museum Policies and Practices -- Future Trends in Lighting -- Appendix A: Color Equations -- A.1 Derivation of CIE Lab and CIE LCh Data -- A.2 Color Difference Equations -- Appendix B: Data Tables.