scholarly journals Defining the first preventive conservation guidelines for hand-painted magic lantern glass slides

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ângela Santos ◽  
Beatriz Rodrigues ◽  
Vanessa Otero ◽  
Márcia Vilarigues

This article intends to define and make available guidelines for the preventive conservation of hand-painted glass slides for magic lanterns, the first optical instruments for the projection of images, invented in the 17th century. For this purpose, around 300 hand-painted glass slides from the Portuguese Cinematheque – Museum of Cinema (CP) and Nacional Museum of Natural History and Science of the University of Lisbon (MUHNAC), were studied in terms of representativity in these collections, discursive genre, type of construction or movement mechanism, state of preservation and degradation problems. A survey was designed and distributed to institutions across the globe aiming for an overview of the formal characteristics of the collections of magic lantern slides and the preventive and interventive conservation measures undertaken. The guidelines are focused on the environmental conditions (temperature, relative humidity, and light), fine particles and pest control, storage and display conditions and materials, as well as handling. Recommendations on performative projections or demonstrations are also provided.

Heritage ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 2513-2530
Author(s):  
Rodrigues ◽  
Santos ◽  
Melo ◽  
Otero ◽  
Vilarigues

This paper presents the first systematic investigation of hand-painted magic lantern glass slides using multi-analytical techniques combined with a critical analysis of historical written sources of the painting materials and techniques used to produce them. The magic lantern was an optical instrument used from the seventeenth to the twentieth century that attained great success and impact on the entertainment industry, science, religion, and advertisement industry. The glass, colorants, and organic media of five magic lantern slides from the Museum of Natural History and Science of the University of Lisbon were studied. By means of energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry, the glass was characterized and the oxide quantification unveiled that the glass substrate was possibly produced between 1870 and 1930. Ultraviolet-Visible, Raman and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopies allowed the characterization of the colorants: Prussian blue, an anthraquinone red lake pigment of animal origin (such as cochineal), an unidentified organic yellow, and carbon black. The remaining colors were achieved through mixtures of the pure pigments. Infrared analysis detected a complex fingerprint in all colors, nevertheless, a terpenoid resin such as shellac was identified. Metal carboxylates were also detected, contributing to the assessment of the state of conservation of the paints.


2020 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 63-75
Author(s):  
P. G. Moore

John Robertson Henderson was born in Scotland and educated at the University of Edinburgh, where he qualified as a doctor. His interest in marine natural history was fostered at the Scottish Marine Station for Scientific Research at Granton (near Edinburgh) where his focus on anomuran crustaceans emerged, to the extent that he was eventually invited to compile the anomuran volume of the Challenger expedition reports. He left Scotland for India in autumn 1885 to take up the Chair of Zoology at Madras Christian College, shortly after its establishment. He continued working on crustacean taxonomy, producing substantial contributions to the field; returning to Scotland in retirement in 1919. The apparent absence of communication with Alfred William Alcock, a surgeon-naturalist with overlapping interests in India, is highlighted but not resolved.


1960 ◽  
Vol 92 (10) ◽  
pp. 768-770 ◽  
Author(s):  
George P. Holland

In 1957 James R. Beer, Edwin F. Cook and Robert G. Schwab, of the University of Minnesota, conducted an investigation of mammals and their ectoparasites in the Chiricahua Mountains of southeastern Arizona. The area studied included varied habitats in the general vicinity of the Southwestern Research Station of the American Museum of Natural History at Portal. An account of this investigation has now been published (Beer et al., 1959).


1866 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 444-449
Author(s):  
Wm. Turner

1st, Scaphocephalus.—After making reference to his previous papers, more especially to that in which he had described several specimens of the scaphocephalic skull, in which he had discussed the influence exercised on the production of deformities of the cranium, by a premature closure or obliteration of the sutures, and to the recent memoirs of Professor von Düben of Stockholm,† and Dr John Thurnam, the author proceeded to relate two additional cases of scaphocephalus to those he had already recorded. He had met with one of these in the head of a living person, the other in a skull in the Natural History Museum of the University of Edinburgh.


1897 ◽  
Vol 4 (1-15) ◽  
pp. 415-482 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Sharpe

The present paper has been prepared in the course of work at the University of Illinois for the degree of master of science in zoology. In addition to extensive collections of Entomostraca made at the Biological Station of the University of Illinois, situated at Havana, on the Illinois River, I have been able, through the kindness of Dr. S. A. Forbes, to examine all the accumulations in this group made by the Illinois State Laboratoryof Natural History during the last twenty years,and covering a territory little less than continental.


2018 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. e25853
Author(s):  
Emily Braker

The University of Colorado Museum of Natural History (CUMNH) Herpetology Collection is comprised of over 65,000 fluid-preserved specimens representing over 2,500 taxa from more than 70 countries. Despite its active use, a history of irregular topping up schedules and a decades-long dearth in rehousing projects due to budgetary constraints left the collection in substandard conditions. A 2015 survey of roughly 10% of the collection revealed average ethanol concentrations far below desired levels, with only 15% of specimen jars surveyed containing optimal preservative strengths of 70% (+/- 2.5%). In Fall 2017, CUMNH secured an Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) grant to holistically address shortcomings in the micro- and macro-storage environments within the Herpetology Collection. Program activities include jar-by-jar ethanol remediation using a digital density meter and a topping up algorithm proposed by Notton 2010, collection-wide replacement of faulty jars and lids, and installation of new static and mobile compactor shelving. Updates to nomenclature and a full specimen inventory including condition and location tracking in Arctos also fall within the project scope. This talk will cover progress thus far, our approaches to moving a collection in place, and systematic remedial topping up as a valuable counterpart to routine monitoring in fluid collections.


1908 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 223-238
Author(s):  
Phillips Brooks

The Faculty of the Harvard Divinity School provided for their students in 1883 six lectures by oflBcers of the University representing other departments of government and instruction, as follows:The Minister and the People: Phillips Brooks, D.D., of the Board of Overseers.The Evolution of a Christian Minister: J. F. Clarke, D.D., of the Board of Overseers.One Word more about Free-Will: William James, M.D., Assistant Professor of Philosophy.Plato's Idea of Immortality: W. W. Goodwin, LL.D., Professor of Greek.The Natural History of Altruism: N. S. Shaler, S.D., Professor of Palaeontology.Vivisection: H. P. Bowditch, M.D., Professor of Physiology, and Dean of the Medical Faculty.


Collections ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 155019062110527
Author(s):  
Simbarashe Shadreck Chitima

Zimbabwe has a rich railway heritage that includes rail engines, wagons, coaches, trolleys, ticket rooms, rail stations, and tracks. The National Railway Museum of Zimbabwe (NRMZ) has a long history in providing railway transport and have contributed to the social, economic, and political lives of Zimbabweans. The NRMZ is the only institution that collects, preserve, and display railway heritage. This study investigates the effectiveness of the NRMZ in conserving railway heritage. This study employed qualitative research methodology. It is revealed that railway collections are deteriorating at unprecedented levels. The major agents of deterioration include relative humidity, temperature, pollution, pests and rodents as well as human factors. The study concludes that the NRMZ is employing ineffective conservation strategies and the museum is likely to lose more collections if they do not prioritize preventive conservation, develop collections, and disaster management policies.


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