XRF analysis of historical paper in open books

Barrett, Timothy; Shannon, Robert R.; Wade, Jennifer A.; Lang, Joseph B.

doi:10.2307/j.ctt9qdzfs.10

Cited by 3 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…In addition, sulfur can also be found in papers made after ca. 1300 due to the use of potassium aluminum sulfate (alum) in paper making, adding another potential source for sulfur in papers [12].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For the analysis of prints mounted to bound pages of fascicles, the instrument was attached to a horizontal accessory arm on a tripod. A custom-made acrylic xture was used, modeled on the one described for the analysis of open books [12,13]. The xture held the page being analyzed in an almost vertical position and ensured consistent positioning of the paper surface relative to the instrument's nose and aperture.…”

Section: X-ray Uorescence Spectroscopymentioning

confidence: 99%

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“Indigenous Spots”: Microscopic Imaging and Spectroscopic Analysis of Galvanic Halos Associated with Metal Inclusions in the Paper of Mid-19th Century Salted Paper Prints by William Henry Fox Talbot

Hardman-Peavy,

Wiggins,

Hark

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Metallic inclusions in the paper substrate of historic salted paper prints are responsible for the formation of light-colored or white image regions immediately surrounding the particle, which are especially noticeable in areas of high image density. These low-density regions or “halos” often appear around a dark central spot. Our work shows this formation is connected with the electrochemical reaction of the metallic inclusion with the silver salt solution applied during the preparation of sensitized photographic paper, suggesting that these blemishes found in early prints can be termed “galvanic halos.” Early photographers were aware of the flaws caused by metal impurities and attempted to purchase the best quality paper to mitigate the problem. An ongoing study of prints in William Henry Fox Talbot’s The Pencil of Naturerevealed numerous examples of galvanic halos, prompting an initiative to document and characterize the phenomenon, and an investigation into formation mechanisms. Talbot’s seminal publication was the first commercially produced photographically illustrated book, containing 24 hand-printed photographs. This paper documents observations related to the forty galvanic halos identified and analyzed in the course of this study using X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and Raman spectroscopy, microscopic imaging, and the preparation of simulacra using historic methods. Elemental analysis, including the use of scanning micro- X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (scanning XRF) has shown that copper, brass, and lead particles all cause the formation of halos.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: X-ray Uorescence Spectroscopymentioning

confidence: 99%

“Indigenous Spots”: Microscopic Imaging and Spectroscopic Analysis of Galvanic Halos Associated with Metal Inclusions in the Paper of Mid-19th Century Salted Paper Prints by William Henry Fox Talbot

Hardman-Peavy,

Wiggins,

Hark

et al. 2023

Preprint

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show abstract

“…For low energy X‐rays, the transmission is more like that of UV rays, and it can be stopped even by lightweight materials like paper. So for S, the signal detected by XRF will be more intense for the compounds located on the surface of the sample . In the case of the samples consisting of hypo retained on paper, we are evaluating the amounts of S deposited on the surface, and we therefore rule out any possible sub‐estimation of the analyte signal …”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Investigation of the possible origins of sulfur in 19th century salted paper photographs by x‐ray fluorescence spectroscopy

et al. 2016

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An X‐ray fluorescence method to determine whether sulfur is present in 19th century photographs due to intentional toning or to environmental deterioration is proposed. In the 19th century salted paper print photographic process, AgCl formed on the surface of a sheet of paper was exposed to sunlight in contact with a negative, leading to the printing out of a Ag image that was fixed by immersing it in a sodium thiosulfate solution or hypo. The improper execution of the fixing in these photographs may result in the presence of sulfur, mostly manifested in image fading, irregular staining, and discoloration. Also, 19th century artists produced salted paper prints with a variety of image tonalities, for example, by using an artificially aged thiosulfate bath. The presence of sulfur in photographs may also be due to sulfur‐containing environmental pollutants. Therefore, knowledge about the location and amounts of sulfur is important to understand the artistic technique and/or the deterioration processes. In this study, the amounts of sulfur and the silver to sulfur signal ratios were determined for a salted paper print made in the laboratory following a 19th century procedure and for two artistic salted paper photographs using X‐ray fluorescence and standards prepared with different amounts of retained hypo and quantified by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy. The amounts of sulfur and the normalized silver to sulfur ratios for the artistic photographs were evaluated based on the results obtained in the samples prepared in the laboratory and in the context of the 19th century practices. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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Introducing the Peabody-Yale Reference Obsidians (PYRO) sets: Open-source calibration and evaluation standards for quantitative X-ray fluorescence analysis

Frahm

2019

Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports

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XRF analysis of historical paper in open books

Cited by 3 publications

References 12 publications

“Indigenous Spots”: Microscopic Imaging and Spectroscopic Analysis of Galvanic Halos Associated with Metal Inclusions in the Paper of Mid-19th Century Salted Paper Prints by William Henry Fox Talbot

“Indigenous Spots”: Microscopic Imaging and Spectroscopic Analysis of Galvanic Halos Associated with Metal Inclusions in the Paper of Mid-19th Century Salted Paper Prints by William Henry Fox Talbot

Investigation of the possible origins of sulfur in 19th century salted paper photographs by x‐ray fluorescence spectroscopy

Introducing the Peabody-Yale Reference Obsidians (PYRO) sets: Open-source calibration and evaluation standards for quantitative X-ray fluorescence analysis

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