Preservation Research and Testing Division hosted colleagues from Nottingham Trent University’s ISAAC Research Lab (Imaging & Sensing for Archaeology, Art History, and Conservation) as they explored the Library of Congress’ collection of pith paintings. Their international research project “From Lima to Canton and Beyond: an AI-aided Heritage Materials Research Platform for Studying Globalisation through Art” exemplifies collaboration on a multitude of different levels: between the cultures who produced the art, between institutions researching them in present day, between collections in multiple divisions within the Library, and even between different instruments for analysis.
Library of Congress Fellows share their role conducting comparative analysis on copies of the “same” book and carrying out chemical testing for the Assessing the National Collection (ANC) project funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
Curators, conservators, and preservation scientists collaborate to conduct pre-exhibit testing on 18th Century thangka, Buddha Shakyamuni which will be displayed in Collecting Memories: Treasures from the Library of Congress, in late 2023.
The Library of Congress partners with five universities and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to test 2,500 books and observe trends in the assembled data; assessing the physical condition of the national collection.
One unique and CHARMing collection at The Library of Congress is made up of other peoples’ discards, handmade replicas, and miscellany. A non-collection as it were, it is an amalgamation of reference samples and materials used by preservation scientists to expand discovery and research opportunities.
Laboratory investigation of material evidence in incunables - early printed books - can reveal not just how they were made, but sometimes when, where or by whom they were owned and read.
Scientific analysis of an unusual image of the face of Christ in a late 15th C German devotional manuscript has revealed critical and surprising information about its current condition, its original making, and its meaning.
Some of the colorants traditionally used for dyeing textiles or making paints and inks are also found in foods and drinks. This post describes a festive fall meal using several such ingredients, with examples of the colors and their use in art.
James Madison’s detailed notes on the debates at the Constitutional Convention of 1787 allow researchers a glimpse into the creation of the federal Constitution.
