By Terry T. Schaeffer

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 a review of the literature on this subject has never been systematically undertaken. This volume in the Research in Conservation series fills that gap by providing a survey of the impact of exposure to light from photoflash and reprographic sources in a context that will be of most use to the professional audience. The text surveys relevant photophysical and photochemical principles, photometric and radiometric measurement, and the spectral outputs of several light sources. Materials discussed include colorants; natural fibers; pulp, paper, and wood; gums and natural resins; synthetic polymers; polymeric materials containing colorants; fluorescent whitening agents; photographic and reprographic materials; and objects containing a combination of materials. Approximations and assumptions used in the evaluation process are discussed in some detail, with examples of the different types of calculations.

Terry Trosper Schaeffer received her Ph.D. in biophysics from the University of California, Berkeley, and she spent more than two decades doing research on photosynthetic pigments and ion transport across mammalian cell membranes. She has been a consultant to the Getty Conservation Institute and is currently the chemical hygiene officer in the Conservation Center at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

Research in Conservation series
170 pages, 8 1/2 x 11 inches
19 graphs/2 tables
ISBN: 0-89236-645-1, paper, $30.00

To order this publication, go to the Getty Bookstore.