Recovery of Degraded-Beyond-Recognition 19th Century Daguerreotypes with Rapid High Dynamic Range Elemental X-ray Fluorescence Imaging of Mercury L Emission

Kozachuk, M. S.; Sham, Tsun‐Kong; Martin, Ronald R.; Nelson, Andrew J.; Coulthard, I.; McElhone, John

doi:10.1038/s41598-018-27714-5

Cited by 9 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…Moreover, the size and the portability of these system allows to analyze samples with different dimensions, from manuscripts to large paintings [32][33][34][35][36], not only in museums or archives but also in archaeological sites [37], extending in this way the advantages of this kind of analysis to all the possible objects of the CH world. Besides, the higher spatial resolution has opened new possibilities for this technique, which allows not only to analyze the composition of the artist palette, or the presence of underdrawings, but that is also capable of recovering degraded and illegible daguerreotypes [38].…”

Section: State Of the Art Instruments And Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

More than XRF Mapping: STEAM (Statistically Tailored Elemental Angle Mapper) a Pioneering Analysis Protocol for Pigment Studies

et al. 2021

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Among the possible variants of X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF), applications exploiting scanning Macro-XRF (MA-XRF) are lately widespread as they allow the visualization of the element distribution maintaining a non-destructive approach. The surface is scanned with a focused or collimated X-ray beam of millimeters or less: analyzing the emitted fluorescence radiation, also elements present below the surface contribute to the elemental distribution image obtained, due to the penetrative nature of X-rays. The importance of this method in the investigation of historical paintings is so obvious—as the elemental distribution obtained can reveal hidden sub-surface layers, including changes made by the artist, or restorations, without any damage to the object—that recently specific international conferences have been held. The present paper summarizes the advantages and limitations of using MA-XRF considering it as an imaging technique, in synergy with other hyperspectral methods, or combining it with spot investigations. The most recent applications in the cultural Heritage field are taken into account, demonstrating how obtained 2D-XRF maps can be of great help in the diagnostic applied on Cultural Heritage materials. Moreover, a pioneering analysis protocol based on the Spectral Angle Mapper (SAM) algorithm is presented, unifying the MA-XRF standard approach with punctual XRF, exploiting information from the mapped area as a database to extend the comprehension to data outside the scanned region, and working independently from the acquisition set-up. Experimental application on some reference pigment layers and a painting by Giotto are presented as validation of the proposed method.

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Section: State Of the Art Instruments And Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

More than XRF Mapping: STEAM (Statistically Tailored Elemental Angle Mapper) a Pioneering Analysis Protocol for Pigment Studies

et al. 2021

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“…Analysis of pre-electrocleaning samples was conducted using µ-XRF rapid scanning with a Maia-384 element detector [25] at the G3 line with an incident energy of 13.025 keV. The details of these experimental conditions have been previously discussed [26] and the data was processed using GeoPIXE [27]. The A1 line was used to examine the daguerreotypes post-electrocleaning.…”

Section: Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Sourcementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Recently, rapid scanning µ-XRF imaging of daguerreotypes enabled the imaging of severely degraded daguerreotypes, providing an alternative method of uncovering the obscured image [26]. While this method provides an alternative for plates that cannot be, or are not, improved by conservation efforts, the goal of museums is still to conserve and preserve daguerreotypes.…”

Section: The Barger Processmentioning

confidence: 99%

Recovering Past Reflections: X-ray Fluorescence Imaging of Electrocleaned 19th Century Daguerreotypes

et al. 2019

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The first commercially viable photographic image, the daguerreotype, captured images for a span of approximately 20 years . DeDterioration now disfigures many of these valuable images. One proposed restoration method is an electrochemical process. However, its safety and effectiveness are still under debate within the conservation community as the effects of this treatment, and its physical and chemical impact on the daguerreotype image, have not yet been analyzed in depth. This study used synchrotron-based micro-X-ray fluorescence to map the elemental distribution pre-and post-electrocleaning on 19th century daguerreotypes using both soft and hard incident X-rays. X-ray absorption spectroscopy was used to probe local chemistry before and after cleaning. Two different electro-treatment methods were compared: the original method proposed by Barger and a second put forward by Wei. When used correctly, both processes significantly reduced the S and Cl surface contamination without dulling the surface. However, both electrochemical methods used in this study resulted in a loss of Hg and Au from the surface. In all cases, the Hg distribution tracks with image particle density allowing the retrieval of full portraits from entirely corroded daguerreotypes, suggesting that Hg concentration may be a useful proxy for the original image.

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“…Most technical studies of 19th-century photographic media to date focus on daguerreotypes and their degradation [5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20]. Attention to other 19th-century photographic processes, however, has been rising thanks to the availability of cutting-edge methods of non-invasive instrumental analysis, although these studies mostly aim to characterize photographic supports, materials, and techniques used by a single photographer or for a specific photographic category [21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Preliminary photographs and improved positives: discovering the New York Public Library’s Arctic Exploration album

et al. 2021

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In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, original photographs were sent to publishers so that they could be reproduced in print. The photographs often needed to be reworked with overpainting and masking, and such modifications were especially necessary for low-contrast photographs to be reproduced as a letterpress halftone. As altered objects, many of these marked-up photographs were simply discarded after use. An album at The New York Public Library, however, contains 157 such photographs, all relating to the Jackson–Harmsworth expedition to Franz Josef Land, from 1894 to 1897. Received as gifts from publishers, the photographs are heavily retouched with overpainting and masking, as well as drawn and collaged elements. The intense level of overpainting on many of the photographs, but not on others, raised questions about their production and alteration. Jackson’s accounts attested to his practice of developing and printing photographs on site, testing different materials and techniques—including platino-bromide and silver-gelatin papers—to overcome the harsh environmental conditions. In this context, sixteen photographs from the album were analyzed through a combination of non-invasive and micro-invasive techniques, including X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy, fiber optics reflectance spectroscopy (FORS), Raman and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopies, and scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDS). This analytical campaign aimed to evaluate the possible residual presence of silver halides in any of the preliminary and improved photographs. The detection of these compounds would be one of several factors supporting a hypothesis that some of the photographs in the album were indeed printed on site, in the Arctic, and, as a result, may have been impacted by the extreme environment. Additional goals of the study included the evaluation of the extent of retouching, providing a full characterization of the pigments and dyes used in overpainted prints, and comparing the results with contemporaneous photographic publications that indicate which coloring materials were available at the time. Further analyses shed light on the organic components present in the binders and photographic emulsions. This research has increased our knowledge of photographic processes undertaken in a hostile environment such as the Arctic, and shed light on the technical aspects of photographically illustrating books during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

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Recovery of Degraded-Beyond-Recognition 19th Century Daguerreotypes with Rapid High Dynamic Range Elemental X-ray Fluorescence Imaging of Mercury L Emission

Cited by 9 publications

References 29 publications

More than XRF Mapping: STEAM (Statistically Tailored Elemental Angle Mapper) a Pioneering Analysis Protocol for Pigment Studies

More than XRF Mapping: STEAM (Statistically Tailored Elemental Angle Mapper) a Pioneering Analysis Protocol for Pigment Studies

Recovering Past Reflections: X-ray Fluorescence Imaging of Electrocleaned 19th Century Daguerreotypes

Preliminary photographs and improved positives: discovering the New York Public Library’s Arctic Exploration album

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