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Darkening of lead white in old master drawings and historic prints: a multi-analytical investigation
No full textOld master drawings and historic prints often feature white highlights, which are typically painted using lead white, one of the most widely used historical white pigments. However, it has been observed that many of these highlights discolour over time, becoming dark brown or black due to unclear degradation processes. This phenomenon not only misrepresents the original artefacts, threatening their suitability for public display, but also diminishes their longevity. To ensure their preservation, it is essential to determine why some lead white highlights in these museum objects retain their light tones while others are prone to darkening. The objective of this study was to identify the relationships between the composition, provenance, and production methods of lead white pigments, and their role in the discolouration observed on drawings, lithographs and early photographs. Selected samples and artefacts were examined using a range of analytical techniques, namely X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF), X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), and lead isotope analysis. While XRF analyses confirmed the presence of lead as the primary element in the majority of the highlights, XRPD measurements identified a variety of lead compounds such as the carbonates cerussite and hydrocerussite alongside galena—a black crystalline sulfide—and lead sulfates. Additionally, isotope analyses classified the lead raw materials into five main groups. Through these measurements, the examined lead white pigments were categorised based on their compositional properties in relation to the raw materials used, as well as their geographical and temporal origin, suggesting that lead white pigments from different production periods, spanning from older to more modern, are characterised by varying proneness to discoloration
Collecting streaming services
No full textIn the streaming era, the very thing that defines it is what threatens to impede access to important media history and cultural heritage. Streaming’s barriers to entry and its interim content catalogs challenge the actual collection and preservation of it for research and teaching purposes. If researchers and libraries do not work together to document and preserve these, we will keep losing important sources and data. From a collection perspective, we argue that streaming services consist of their catalog, metadata, and graphical user interfaces. First, we map the large-scale legal deposit collection of streaming at a national library as well as a media researcher’s small-scale targeted collection. Second, we compare the resulting collections of web sites and graphical user interfaces in order to discuss methodological challenges. The findings of this comparative analysis indicate the existing deficiencies in both collections and suggest potential improvements in the collection and preservation of streaming services.In the streaming era, the very thing that defines it is what threatens to impede access to important media history and cultural heritage. Streaming’s barriers to entry and its interim content catalogs challenge the actual collection and preservation of it for research and teaching purposes. If researchers and libraries do not work together to document and preserve these, we will keep losing important sources and data. From a collection perspective, we argue that streaming services consist of their catalog, metadata, and graphical user interfaces. First, we map the large-scale legal deposit collection of streaming at a national library as well as a media researcher’s small-scale targeted collection. Second, we compare the resulting collections of web sites and graphical user interfaces in order to discuss methodological challenges. The findings of this comparative analysis indicate the existing deficiencies in both collections and suggest potential improvements in the collection and preservation of streaming services
The missing woman: the reunion of a family portrait by Cornelis de Vos
No full textCorrectly identifying the subjects of familiar portraits transforms our perception of them. We publish here research by Gregory Martin and Anna Orlando on the famous Anthony van Dyck portrait of the so-called Balbi Children in the National Gallery, London, which shows that the artist’s beguiling subjects are in fact members of another Genoese family
Tasting local history:Dissemination of the cultural history of food through cooking and dining
No full textDenne artikel diskuterer, hvordan museer kan formidle madens kulturhistorie ved at lave mad, smage og dele måltider. Artiklen bygger på omfattende data fra et madkulturprojekt (SPIS Ma/eD) gennemført i Lolland-Falster, den sydøstlige del af Danmark, mellem 2020 og 2023. Analysen fokuserer på tre nøgleresultater: det sociale aspekt af erfaringsdeling og måltider, den dialogiske formidling af kulturel madhistorie og sansemæssigt engagement gennem madlavning og smagning. Artiklen konkluderer, at madlavning og spisning sammen med andre museumsgæster beriger museumsoplevelsen og transformerer den til en meget sanselig og social begivenhed, der forbinder historien med deltagernes nuværende hverdag. SPIS Ma/eD-projektet demonstrerer også værdien af at integrere madkultur i museernes kommunikations- og formidlingspraksis. Denne integrerede tilgang til lokalsamfundet, uddannelsesinstitutioner og innovative arrangementer har skabt en model, der kan inspirere andre museerThis article discusses how museums can disseminate the cultural history of food by cooking, tasting, and sharing meals. The article builds on vast data from a food culture project (SPIS Ma/eD) conducted in Lolland-Falster, the southeastern part of Denmark, between 2020 and 2023. The analysis centres on three key findings: the social aspect of sharing experiences and meals, the dialogical dissemination of cultural food history, and sensory engagement through cooking and tasting. The article concludes that cooking and dining together with other museum visitors enriches the museum experience and transforms it into a highly sensory and social event that links history to the present everyday life of the participants. The SPIS Ma/eD project also demonstrates the value of integrating food culture into the communication and dissemination practices of museums. This integrated approach to the local community, educational institutions, and innovative events has created a model that may inspire other museums
