Materials Conservation

2016-08_CyArk With support through a grant from the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training (NCPTT), CyArk developed a low-cost heritage documentation kit for use by heritage professionals around the world. The kit includes a digital camera, laser distance meter, tablet computer, GPS receiver and a compact tripod. Accompanying the kit are video tutorials on how ...

This is a pre-recorded webinar featuring moderator Steve Pine with presenters Dan Riley, Jason Church, and Melody Gayeski. All materials used by our presenters will be available for download. Steve Pine is Senior Conservator of Decorative Arts at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston. He has assisted in recovery assessments and cleanup of public and private ...

NCPTT researchers continue to study ways to remove crude oil from cultural resources. Most recently, Vrinda Jariwala, an architect and conservator from New Delhi, India, studies the use of EPA approved surface washing agents for removing different types of crude oil from historic materials. Her job is to evaluate the effectiveness of surface washing agents ...

August represents the peak wildland fire season for the western United States. What does that mean for cultural heritage? Kaitlyn Eldredge comes to the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training to answer that question and more. In May, Eldredge began research on how fire suppressants interact with cultural materials and what we can do ...

Proceedings of Preserving U.S. Military Heritage: World War II to the Cold War Fredericksburg, Texas, June 4-6, 2019 Edited by Deborah Dietrich-Smith, NCPTT Fran Gale, Architectural Conservator Sara Amy Leach, Department of Veterans Affairs, National Cemetery Administration Mary F. Striegel, NCPTT ISBN: Soft Bound 978-0-9970440-7-2 The National Center for Preservation and Training (NCPTT) and the National Museum of the Pacific War held a ...

Flood waters damage the contents of a home, including special garments and essential items made of fabric. While everyday clothes can be laundered or dry cleaned, heirloom textiles require special handling. Heirloom tex- tiles, such as wedding dresses, quilts, special garments, rugs, or draperies, may contain different types of fibers. Dry-cleaning can be used to ...

Download this episode as an mp3 or Subscribe via iTunes Kevin Ammons: Welcome to the Preservation Technology Podcast, the show that brings you the people and projects that are bringing innovation to preservation. I’m Kevin Ammons with the National Park Service’s National Center for Preservation Technology and Training. Today we join North Dakota State University’s Alison ...

El COVID-19 es un coronavirus. Los coronavirus son virus que, bajo un microscopio, parecen estar cubiertos de estructuras puntiagudas que los rodean como una corona. No hay una gran cantidad de datos sobre este virus en particular, pero hay información sobre otros coronavirus similares. Todos los virus son fragmentos de código genético incluidos dentro de ...

Good afternoon. My name is Mary Striegel, and I’m a Conservation Scientist with the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training. This is the third Facebook live broadcast that I’ve hosted from my home in Natchitoches, Louisiana. Today we’re going to focus on issues associated with re-entering our cultural sites and the precautions that we ...

Transcrição O tema de hoje é o vírus Covid-19, conceitos básicos. E falaremos sobre desinfectar o patrimônio cultural. Eu sou Mary Striegel, cientista da conservação com mais de 25 anos no Centro Nacional de Tecnologia e Treinamento para Preservação (NCPTT). Hoje falarei sobre como isolar, limpar ou desinfectar materiais históricos. A apresentação que faremos hoje baseia-se no ...

COVID-19 is a coronavirus. Coronaviruses are viruses that, under a microscope, look like they are covered with pointed structures that surround them like a corona, or crown. There is not a lot of data on this particular virus, but there is information on similar coronaviruses. All viruses are bits of genetic code bundled inside a collection ...

Transcripción El tema de hoy es el virus Covid-19, conceptos básicos. Y hablaremos de desinfectar el patrimonio cultural. Soy Mary Striegel, conservadora científica con más de 25 años en el Centro Nacional de Tecnología y Capacitación para la Preservación. Hoy les hablaré sobre como aislar, limpiar o desinfectar materiales históricos. La presentación que vamos a hacer hoy se basa ...

Transcript I want to introduce myself in case you didn’t see the first broadcast by the National Center. I am Mary Striegel. I am a Conservation Scientist with the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training, and I’ll be talking to you today about personal protective equipment, or PPE, which it is commonly referred to. We’re ...

Transcript This presentation is part of the Facebook live video, March 23, 2020. Dr. Mary Striegel:  Today’s topic is COVID – 19 virus basics and we are going to talk about disinfecting cultural resources. I’m Mary Striegel, I am a conservation scientist with about 25 years with the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training.  I’ll be talking to ...

SnowVision represents an innovative, collaborative effort to make accessible archaeological artifacts from the prehistoric Native American “Swift Creek” culture of the American Southeast. Swift Creek pottery was made from the 1st to the 8th century CE using a characteristic wooden paddle stamping technique. Original wooden paddles have been lost to time, but the carved ...

NCPTT has the good fortune to be able to work with professors and students from Northwestern State University of Louisiana on research projects. In the last year, Aura Herandez Canedo was among students working on the evaluation of paint primers on weathered wood. We are thrilled that Aura was awarded the best poster award at ...

This presentation is part of the Preserving U.S. Military Heritage: World War II to the Cold War, June 4-6, 2019, Fredericksburg, TX. Doug Porter:  Thanks Mary. I want to start by saying how much I enjoyed that last presentation. I was fortunate to be associated with a research group that worked for about five years on the ...

This presentation is part of the Preserving U.S. Military Heritage: World War II to the Cold War, June 4-6, 2019, Fredericksburg, TX. Paul Mardikian:  I’m really happy to speak on this project and I want to introduce my co-author Claudia Chemello, who’s here. We’ve had a great opportunity to work with Search. We were hired by Search ...

This presentation is part of the Preserving U.S. Military Heritage: World War II to the Cold War, June 4-6, 2019, Fredericksburg, TX. Daniel Phoenix:   Good morning ladies and gentlemen. Ray , thanks very much for that. I can safely say that just about everything he said is very much the same for us. I can sense deep ...

This presentation is part of the Preserving U.S. Military Heritage: World War II to the Cold War, June 4-6, 2019, Fredericksburg, TX. Claudia Chemello:  Thank you so much Debbie and thank you to everyone from NCPTT, Mary, everyone for doing this amazing conference. It’s such a great topic. Paul and I work a lot with military heritage ...

This presentation is part of the Preserving U.S. Military Heritage: World War II to the Cold War, June 4-6, 2019, Fredericksburg, TX.   Dr. Odile Madden:  Good morning everyone. How do I move forward? Here we go. The Wright brothers made their first powered flight at Kitty Hawk in 1903 in an open frame aircraft with the pilot lane ...

Transcript of “Old Wood Windows, History’s Eyewitness” By Johnna Rizzo and Matthew Twombly From the first buildings built in America to the 1930s, wood windows framed people’s view of the world. Philadelphia, 1776. Westward Expansion, 1800s. San Francisco Chinatown, Early 1900s From Brooklyn to Bourbon Street, wood, ubiquitous and readily available, was the standard for window frames no matter the architectural ...

Abstract Deadline: EXTENDED February 25, 2020. June 2-4, 2020 Cape Canaveral, Florida Join us in Cape Canaveral, Florida for a symposium exploring preservation of Space Race resources!  The NPS National Center for Preservation Technology and Training (NCPTT) is partnering with the US Air Force Space and Missile Museum Foundation to host the three-day symposium, which will bring ...

After emancipation, the South’s slave based agricultural system had to adapt or perish. Enter the new system of Tenant Farming. In the system of tenant farming the laborer lives on the property, borrows money from the land owner to advance seed, fertilizer, mule use, food, and house hold supplies. At the end of harvest season ...

Download this episode as an mp3 or Subscribe via iTunes Kevin Ammons: Welcome to the Preservation Technology Podcast, the show that brings you the people and projects that are bringing innovation to preservation. I’m Kevin Ammons with the National Parks Service’s National Center for Preservation Technology and Training. Today we join NCPTT’s Jason Church as he ...

2018-03 Cultural Heritage Imaging This NCPTT funded project provides practical tools to cultural heritage and natural science practitioners applying close-range 3D photogrammetry. The grant paid to extend earlier versions CHI’s Digital Lab Notebook (DLN) tools for Reflectance Transformation Imaging (RTI) to photogrammetric technology. These DLN tools provide their users the means to build scientific, quantitatively measurable, ...

2018-05 North Dakota State National Association of Corrosion Engineers (NACE) International estimated the global cost of corrosion to be US$2.5 trillion in 2016, equivalent to roughly 3.4% percent of the global GDP. They also found that 15-35% of the cost of damage could be saved by implementing corrosion prevention technologies. Coating is one of the most ...

The National Center for Preservation Technology and Training announces an Fellowship for a period of 12-24 months to (1) study the effects of fire suppressants on cultural resources, and (2) identify methods to remove fire suppressants from cultural resources. According to the National Interagency Fire Center, wildland fires from 2007 to 2017 affected more than ...

This presentation is part of the Are We There Yet: Preservation of Roadside Architecture and Attractions, April 10-12, 2018, Tulsa, Oklahoma Frank Matero: What I am going to talk to you about today is a really remarkable project. It actually is a perfect follow-up from Dylan’s talk, because in my wildest imagination, I had no idea what ...

Download this episode as an mp3 or Subscribe via iTunes Kevin Ammons: Welcome to the Preservation Technology Podcast, the show that brings you the people and projects that are bringing innovation to preservation. I’m Kevin Ammons, with the National Park Service’s National Center for Preservation Technology and Training. Today we join Catherine Cooper and Ingrid Neuman ...

This interview was recorded at the Are We There Yet: Preservation of Roadside Architecture and Attractions Symposium, April 10-12, 2018, Tulsa, Oklahoma What drew you to this symposium? I think what drew me to this symposium is when I heard about what you were doing, and you contacted me, and I looked into it a little bit. I ...

This presentation is part of the Are We There Yet: Preservation of Roadside Architecture and Attractions, April 10-12, 2018, Tulsa, Oklahoma Jennifer Carpenter: Good afternoon. Last presentation. I think it’s the great foresight of our symposium planners that we started with the New York World’s Fair, and that’s where we will end this afternoon a little ...

This presentation is part of the Are We There Yet: Preservation of Roadside Architecture and Attractions, April 10-12, 2018, Tulsa, Oklahoma Kelly Caldwell:  Thank you to the NCPTT for inviting a Northern neighbor, even though I am from the US. But, talking about a Canadian context in terms of roadside architecture and attractions. So, for my presentation … ...

Tidelines, residual damage on paper at a former wet/dry boundary, are produced by environmental wetting and some cleaning treatments.  They interfere with the appreciation of historical artifacts and weaken paper, predisposing it to further damage. In this project, scientists at Dartmouth College, the Library of Congress, and The Metropolitan Museum of Art drew on a ...

Download this episode as an mp3 or Subscribe via iTunes Kevin Ammons: Welcome to the Preservation Technology Podcast, the show that brings you the people and projects that are bringing innovation to preservation. I’m Kevin Ammons, with the National Park Service’s National Center for Preservation Technology and Training. Today we join Catherine Cooper as she speaks ...

Transcript of “When the Rust Settles, Convert It” by Johnna Rizzo and Matthew Twombly USS Texas. 1918, German held waters. 1944, D-Day, Normandy. 1945, Okinawa. 1945, Iwo Jima. Today, rust is the only USS Texas’s only foe. But rust doesn’t threaten just iconic structures. Cast iron, wrought iron, and steel are the base materials in everything from bridges to farm equipment. Exposed iron ...

Introduction The National Center for Preservation Technology and Training (NCPTT) recently completed a study of the durability of traditional and modified limewash formulations. The study tested a variety of limewash recipes for possible use on historic structures located in the Cane River Creole National Historical Park, located in central Louisiana. Limewashes have long been used as surface ...

Study on the Durability of Traditional and Modified Limewash Recipes Results Handmade and Modern Brick Introduction This report is an executive summary of testing undertaken by NCPTT in partnership with the Cane River Creole National Historical Park (CARI) and Quality Finish. In December 2003 meetings were held to discuss applying limewash to the brick cabins at Magnolia Plantation in hopes ...

The proceedings for Are We There Yet: Preservation of Roadside Architecture and Attractions is available for purchase via PayPal, courtesy of the Friends of NCPTT. The proceedings includes seventeen select papers presented at the Are We There Yet: Preservation of Roadside Architecture and Attractions Symposium, held April 10-12, 2018 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The symposium focused on the ...

Hello!  My name is Catherine Cooper; I am a new Research Scientist working in the Technical Services program at NCPTT.  I have dual BSc degrees in Anthropology and Chemistry from Beloit College, and a PhD in Anthropology/Archaeological Science from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, BC.  I have segued into conservation and had the ...

Transcript of “Mortar, Unsung Hero of History” by Johnna Rizzo and Matthew Twombly -FORT SUMTER SURVIVED THE OPENING SALVOS OF THE CIVIL WAR IN 1861. -TODAY, LIKE FOR OTHER HISTORIC STRUCTURES, WATER IS ITS GREATEST THREAT. -IT’S ALSO A CONSTANT ONE -RAIN DRENCHES THEM. -SNOW CLINGS TO THEM. -SPRINKLERS SOAK THEIR SURFACES. -WATER EVEN SEEPS IN FROM THE GROUND, ROOF LEAKS, AND AIR ...

My name is Elizabeth Salmon and I am examining crude oil removal agents in the Materials Conservation Program. The aim of this research is to identify commercial products that can remove oil from historic materials while limiting the physical and chemical damage associated with oil contamination. These products, which are marketed specifically for oil cleanup, ...

Hello! My name is Silvia Lob, I am an intern at the NCPTT, and I am working on a project to evaluate commercially available products marketed to prevent efflorescence on masonry. I have a masters degree in physical chemistry from the University Pierre and Marie Curie in Paris, and I have always had an interest ...

Constructing Historic Masonry Test Walls My name is Elle Farias and I am a Materials Research Associate at the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training. Together with my project partner, Silvia Lob, we are constructing historic masonry test walls to determine the effectiveness of commercially available anti-efflorescence coatings. We are sharing our process in hopes this ...

This research report assesses the structural decay of nine silicified fossil stumps on the Petrified Forest Loop at Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument in central Colorado, and evaluates the use of mechanical pinning as a remedial conservation treatment. Condition assessment was established through an integrated review of archival documents related to the site’s excavation and display ...

NCPTT researchers are excited to test out their new Keyence Profilometer yesterday. This instrument adds to the suite of imaging tools at NCPTT. A profilometer is a measuring system that can accurately determine and quantify the roughness of a surface. The Keyence VR-3200 instrument uses white light to measure surfaces to 0.1um resolution. The great ...

This presentation is part of the Are We There Yet: Preservation of Roadside Architecture and Attractions, April 10-12, 2018, Tulsa, Oklahoma Joel Baker: Great, thanks so much for having me. Like she said, my name is Joel. I’m from American Giants, and this just basically started in 2011, as me discovering these giants in Florida, and what ...

Transcript of “Gravestones Bite the Dust” by Johnna Rizzo and Matthew Twombly -IN THE 1800S, TEXAS SAW… MORMON PIONEERS SETTLING THE WEST -CHINESE IMMGRANTS BUILDING THE RAILROAD -AND NOTORIOUS OUTLAWS LIKE JOHN WESLEY HARDIN. -THESE FIGURES REST IN CONCORDIA CEMETERY IN EL PASO, TEXAS. THEIR HISTORY REMAINS WRITTEN ON WELL-PRESERVED HEADSTONES IN THIS DRY, DUSTY PLACE. -MEANWHILE… IN OTHER PARTS OF ...

Get the Lead Out: Towards Identifying Ammunition on Eighteenth- and Early Nineteenth-Century Battlefields and Settlements This report details the results of the 2017 Get the Lead Out! Workshop that was conducted by the LAMAR Institute and National Park Service in June, 2017, funded through a grant from National Center for Preservation Technology and Training. It also ...

Field Kit and Methodology for Detecting, Measuring, and Remediating Salt Attack (Salt Weathering) in Adobe and Earthen Structures Salt attack (salt weathering) is an insidious natural process that threatens historic and cultural resources around the world. Driven by capillary action coupled with evaporation of salt-laden moisture, salt attack is accelerating the loss of historic adobe and ...

The use of low energy plasmas to generate radiocarbon samples was pioneered in 1990 by Dr. Marvin Rowe and colleagues (Russ et al. 1990, 1991) at Texas A&M University (TAMU). Subsequent research and experimentation with TAMU graduate students, supported in part by an NCPTT grant, eventually resulted in two laboratories being founded, one under the ...

This presentation is part of Are We There Yet? Preservation of Roadside Architecture & Attractions Symposium, Tulsa, Oklahoma, April 10-12, 2018. Presentation Video and Transcript By Joel Baker Abstract From 1962 to 1972 the International Fiberglass company in Venice CA produced hundreds of figures, animals and giants for numerous businesses, amusement parks and tourist attracts across the country. Although many ...

This presentation is part of Are We There Yet? Preservation of Roadside Architecture & Attractions Symposium, Tulsa, Oklahoma, April 10-12, 2018. By Kelly Caldwell, Sophia Zweifel, Joseph Sembrat, and Mark Rabinowitz Abstract The Centre Street Bridge Lions (1916) and Dinny the Dinosaur (1934) along with the Maurice Savoie Mural (1966) are three examples of large-scale outdoor artworks that adorn the ...

This presentation is part of Are We There Yet? Preservation of Roadside Architecture & Attractions Symposium, Tulsa, Oklahoma, April 10-12, 2018. By Jennifer Carpenter Abstract The 1964 New York World’s Fair wowed visitors with dazzling displays of technology and industry promising a bright future. Yet one of its most popular attractions was Sinclair Oil’s Dinoland, a life-size display of ...

This presentation is part of Are We There Yet? Preservation of Roadside Architecture & Attractions Symposium, Tulsa, Oklahoma, April 10-12, 2018. By Kevin Barni Abstract Historical markers, while not typically thought of as roadside architecture, represent early efforts to highlight roadside places, encourage motorists to explore more roadways, and educate citizens about local and regional history. The first part ...

This presentation is part of Are We There Yet? Preservation of Roadside Architecture & Attractions Symposium, Tulsa, Oklahoma, April 10-12, 2018. By Suzanne Wray Abstract In the nineteenth century, the painted panorama allowed viewers to immerse themselves in another world, be it a city or a battlefield.  The purpose-built building in which the realistic circular painting was housed was ...

This presentation is part of Are We There Yet? Preservation of Roadside Architecture & Attractions Symposium, Tulsa, Oklahoma, April 10-12, 2018. By Frank Matero Abstract In 1964 the largest map pavement since the 6th century Madaba floor mosaic was realized by famed American architect Philip Johnson for the New York State Pavilion at the New York World’s Fair.   Known ...

It’s more than just a job… it’s your future. Get hands-on experience and build your resume while preserving the history of your country. The National Center for Preservation Technology and Training announces 2018 internships, pending the availability of funding. We have opportunities for paid internships. We just need you! A variety of projects are available working across ...

Download this episode as an mp3 or Subscribe via iTunes Kevin Ammons: Welcome to the Preservation Technology Podcast, the show that brings you the people and projects that are bringing innovation to preservation. I’m Kevin Ammons with the National Parks Service’s National Center for Preservation Technology and Training. Today we join NCPTT’s Mary Striegel as she ...

Salt attack (salt erosion) is an insidious natural process that threatens historic and cultural resources around the world. Driven by capillary action coupled with the evaporation of salt-laden moisture, salt attack is accelerating the loss of historic adobe and other masonry buildings in the arid southwestern United States. Because salts often provide a footprint for ...

  My name is Lucy Midelfort and I’m originally from Charlottesville, Virginia. I’m a recent graduate of the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate Program in Historic Preservation with a prior background in environmental science, and now I have come to Natchitoches and NCPTT to research how to mitigate the effects of rapidly changing environmental conditions on salts ...

Stone consolidation is essential for the preservation of masonry materials from biodeterioration, salts, pollution, and natural weathering phenomena. A stone consolidant not only protects the stone from degradation, but enhances the mechanical integrity of the stone material through penetration into the pores and binding of the material. This current study involves formulation of alkoxysilane-based coating ...

My name is Alison Rohly, and I’m a new summer intern here at NCPTT. I’m currently a PhD student in the Department of Coatings and Polymeric Materials at North Dakota State University in Fargo, ND. I have worked on a variety of research projects ranging from siloxane-polyurethane marine coatings for naval ships to developing biobased ...

It is with great sadness that we at NCPTT would like to take a moment to remember the recent passing of a true friend, former NCPTT board member, and conservation colleague Frank Preusser. Dr. Preusser was the Senior Conservation Scientist, at LACMA’s Conservation Center. Our thoughts go out to his family and all those in the conservation ...

2017 Internships

For this last blog post on my lab research on the use of chelating agents to remove iron stains from marble, I will look at some of the challenges associated with preparing the cleaning solutions and discuss my treatment set-up as well as go over some general observations. As has been discussed in a previous blog ...

Resetting Ground Supported Headstones : Resetting Volume 3 Jason Church: Hello and welcome to historic Chalmette National Cemetery. My name is Jason Church. I’m a materials conservator with the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training. In this video, we’re going to cover the tips and techniques needed to raise and realign ground supported grave markers ...

One important aspect of my study on chelating agents was to produce samples that adequately represent the properties of naturally iron stained marble. Previously, marble samples were wetted with water and then covered in iron powder. However, this led to a crust rather than a stain forming on the samples. I therefore decided to put the marble into ...

Since my last post, I’ve been gathering data, analyzing spreadsheets full of numbers, and trying to translate them into useful recommendations for outdoor marble conservation. I will soon reach the end of my time at NCPTT as well as the end of my investigation into six sacrificial anti-graffiti coatings. There have been some surprises along ...

My name is Dorothy Cheng and I am currently a Materials Conservation intern at NCPTT, working on a project investigating and comparing six commercially available anti-graffiti coatings for outdoor marble. I am a 2015 graduate of the MA in Conservation Studies program at West Dean College, in West Sussex, England. I specialized in metalwork conservation ...

I am Anna Funke, a recent graduate from the Master program in Conservation for Archaeology and Museums at UCL in London, UK. I am now doing a ten-week internship at the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training during which I am continuing Leah Poole’s 2014 research on the use of medical chelating agents for ...

Executive Summary Background In 2004, The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), National Cemetery Administration (NCA) was facing rising costs associated with maintenance of national cemeteries. NCA staff was looking for more effective ways to maintain headstones to meet VA National Shrine Standards. Historic and older stones were showing signs of accelerated weathering. Headstones were being replaced because ...

PTT Grants

Part 1: Scientific Method Hello. I hope everyone can hear us now. WebEx says that we have audio, so hopefully it does. My name is Jason Church, I am with the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training. We are a research office of the National Park Service, and I am here today to introduce our ...

Mary Striegel, a scientist with the National Park Service’s National Center for Preservation Technology and Training (NCPTT), received the prestigious Sheldon and Carolyn Keck award from the American Institute for Conservation on May 17 at the 44th Annual meeting of the American Institute for Conservation (AIC) held this year in Montreal, Canada. Pam Hatchfield, President of ...

An interdisciplinary team of students from Michigan Technological University completed a series of tests using Supercritical Carbon Dioxide (SC-CO2) to extract water and volatile compounds from samples of corroded archaeological iron artifacts. Test samples were then cracked and examined using back scatter SEM. Qualitative visual inspection showed that pores and microfissures were clear and opened ...

NCPTT announces Spectral Imaging for Conservation, it’s newest workshop in the conservation science series. In August 24-26, 2016, participants will meet at the Udall Center for Museum Resources in Santa Fe, Mew Mexico to learn the hands-on technique of spectral imaging, also known as hyperspectral imaging.  Hyperspectral imaging is the process of taking digital photos of an ...

This presentation is part of the Dance Halls, Juke Joints, and Honky Tonks Symposium, March 22-23, 2016. This symposium focuses on the issues associated with the preservation of dance halls and similar sites throughout the rural South. Some of the constant threats include relevancy, development pressures, deterioration, and financial viability. This symposium brings together experts and enthusiasts to ...

Dance Halls, Juke Joints, and Honky Tonks: Place making and Cultural Sustainability Symposium Tuesday, March 22, 2016 Opening Remarks “Bloody Buckets, Twice Drunk Beer, and Loser Gumbo: The Louisiana Dancehall Project” by John Sharp “A Context for Historic Texas Dance Halls: The development of the immigrant social halls in Texas and their place in the history of settlement, music, ...

This presentation is part of the Dance Halls, Juke Joints, and Honky Tonks Symposium, March 22-23, 2016. This symposium focuses on the issues associated with the preservation of dance halls and similar sites throughout the rural South. Some of the constant threats include relevancy, development pressures, deterioration, and financial viability. This symposium brings together experts and enthusiasts ...

This presentation is part of the Dance Halls, Juke Joints, and Honky Tonks Symposium, March 22-23, 2016. This symposium focuses on the issues associated with the preservation of dance halls and similar sites throughout the rural South. Some of the constant threats include relevancy, development pressures, deterioration, and financial viability. This symposium brings together experts and enthusiasts ...

This presentation is part of the Dance Halls, Juke Joints, and Honky Tonks Symposium, March 22-23, 2016. This symposium focuses on the issues associated with the preservation of dance halls and similar sites throughout the rural South. Some of the constant threats include relevancy, development pressures, deterioration, and financial viability. This symposium brings together experts and enthusiasts ...

This presentation is part of the Dance Halls, Juke Joints, and Honky Tonks Symposium, March 22-23, 2016. This symposium focuses on the issues associated with the preservation of dance halls and similar sites throughout the rural South. Some of the constant threats include relevancy, development pressures, deterioration, and financial viability. This symposium brings together experts and enthusiasts ...

This presentation is part of the Dance Halls, Juke Joints, and Honky Tonks Symposium, March 22-23, 2016. This symposium focuses on the issues associated with the preservation of dance halls and similar sites throughout the rural South. Some of the constant threats include relevancy, development pressures, deterioration, and financial viability. This symposium brings together experts and enthusiasts ...

This presentation is part of the Dance Halls, Juke Joints, and Honky Tonks Symposium, March 22-23, 2016. This symposium focuses on the issues associated with the preservation of dance halls and similar sites throughout the rural South. Some of the constant threats include relevancy, development pressures, deterioration, and financial viability. This symposium brings together experts and enthusiasts ...

This presentation is part of the Dance Halls, Juke Joints, and Honky Tonks Symposium, March 22-23, 2016. This symposium focuses on the issues associated with the preservation of dance halls and similar sites throughout the rural South. Some of the constant threats include relevancy, development pressures, deterioration, and financial viability. This symposium brings together experts and enthusiasts ...

This presentation is part of the Dance Halls, Juke Joints, and Honky Tonks Symposium, March 22-23, 2016. This symposium focuses on the issues associated with the preservation of dance halls and similar sites throughout the rural South. Some of the constant threats include relevancy, development pressures, deterioration, and financial viability. This symposium brings together experts and enthusiasts ...

This presentation is part of the Dance Halls, Juke Joints, and Honky Tonks Symposium, March 22-23, 2016. This symposium focuses on the issues associated with the preservation of dance halls and similar sites throughout the rural South. Some of the constant threats include relevancy, development pressures, deterioration, and financial viability. This symposium brings together experts and enthusiasts ...

This presentation is part of the Dance Halls, Juke Joints, and Honky Tonks Symposium, March 22-23, 2016. This symposium focuses on the issues associated with the preservation of dance halls and similar sites throughout the rural South. Some of the constant threats include relevancy, development pressures, deterioration, and financial viability. This symposium brings together experts and enthusiasts ...

This presentation is part of the Dance Halls, Juke Joints, and Honky Tonks Symposium, March 22-23, 2016. This symposium focuses on the issues associated with the preservation of dance halls and similar sites throughout the rural South. Some of the constant threats include relevancy, development pressures, deterioration, and financial viability. This symposium brings together experts and enthusiasts ...

Corrosion Testing is routinely applied in conservation and preservation laboratories, because many materials used in storage and exhibitions emit volatile components that can corrode metal artifacts, especially lead, copper, and silver. This corrosion not only damages artifacts, but can also lead to loss of historical information (such as nuances of surface details, designs, deliberate patinas, ...

This project was to examine and discuss the challenges of preserving and exhibiting monumental wood carvings from both a Native and Non-Native point of view. The symposium was a collaborative effort that attempted to unite those who care for and/or create Native American carvings which my include conservators, Native American cervers and Native and non-Native ...

Alkaline solutions soaking are the most accepted treatment for the desalination of archaeological iron in an attempt to arrest further detrimental corrosion. The process displaces chloride ions (desalination) and diffuses them out of the artifact. The method relies on high concentrations of hydroxide and low concentrations of chloride in the solution. As the treatment progresses, ...

This study identifies the presence of diverse bacterial communities inhabiting the surface of collections throughout the museum setting regardless of storage, history, subject and preservation treatment. Equally present on collection items from educational to zoological to anthropological, identified bacteria represent commonly-occurring species, many of which are human associated as would be expected given the handling ...

Ancient Ice Age American artifacts shed light on how people may have lived 10,000 years ago. University of Memphis professors Ryan Parish, David Dye and Ying Sing Li used funding from the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training (NCPTT), a program of the National Park Service, to analyze stone spear points from central Tennessee. ...

This symposium focuses on the issues associated with the preservation of dance halls and similar sites throughout the rural South. Some of the constant threats include relevancy, development pressures, deterioration, and financial viability. This symposium brings together experts and enthusiasts to discuss history, architecture, and culture associated with these buildings. A dialog will be created ...

Replication of Delaminated Ft. Morgan Cemetery Headstones. I am Alex Beard, I recently graduated from Xavier University in May of 2014 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree with a Fiber Arts Concentration and a minor in Art History. I intend on going to graduate school to complete my Masters in Art Conservation. I am working ...

Investigating the Harmful Effects of Irrigation Systems on Granite Families value visiting their passed on loved ones in a scenic park-like setting full of towering trees, reflecting ponds, and floral arrangements. While cemetery groundkeepers diligently work to maintain the landscaping, they are unintentionally harming headstones with their tools and maintenance practices. The severe delimitation of granite headstones ...

The National Park Service announced today the launch of a new website with information about the stones that built America, at https://ncptt.nps.gov/buildingstone/. Stone is an important building material used in many of the Nation’s most significant historic places. The National Register of Historic Places, an official list of the Nation’s historic places, contains over 35,000 ...

The St. Louis PBS station, KETC, broadcast the Mid-Century Modern Symposium as part of their “Science Matters” series. Host Jim Kirchherr introduces us to the research of the gateway arch as part of a four video article newscast showing how science benefits society. The August 5 episode shows researchers studying the stains on the Gateway ...

With a 2015 PTT Grant, Eric Liefeld from Mesilla Valley Preservation, Inc. will lead a team to test and validate a cost-effective and minimally-invasive field kit for rapidly detecting and measuring salt loads in earthen walls.  Salt attack (salt weathering) and rising damp are common yet often misunderstood problems affecting historic masonry structures in the ...

Funding from a 2015 PTT Grant will aid North Dakota State University’s Long Jiang in developing new coatings for outdoor metals. His project aims to develop a coating system that is especially tailored toward metallic heritage conservation. The coating possesses a unique combination of properties including strong coating strength and controlled barrier properties, enhanced corrosion ...

Karen Pavelka, at the University of Texas — Austin,  will explore the use of Eularian Video Magnification (EVM) for the examination of cultural heritage materials with a 2015 PTT Grant.  Eularian Video Magnification adds a new and exciting dimension to traditional object examination techniques. The ability to view objects is critical in cultural heritage conservation and ...

Soiling on the walls of limestone buildings can be washed off when the surface erodes due to rain impingement. In this study, the delivery of rain to the 42-story Cathedral of Learning   in Pittsburgh. Pennsylvania, represented by a 30m x 30m x 160m rectangular block. was modeled using the RNG K-,; model for turbulence and ...

The Journal of the American Institute for Conservation (JAIC) is the primary vehicle for the publication of peer-reviewed papers relating to the field of conservation of historic and cultural works. Since its first issue in February, 1997, and Volume 39: 3 (Fall, Winter 2000) there have been 56 issues containing approximately 5000 pages of text ...

The National Center for Preservation Technology and Training (NCPTT) and The Museum of Fine Arts Houston partnered to host a three-day hands-on workshop on Fiber Identification and Analysis for conservation. The workshop was held March 24-26, 2015 at the MFA Houston in the mezzanine level classroom space in the Beck building, this was an ideal ...

Injection grouting is conservation treatment commonly used to fill voids and cracks and reattach separated historic plasters, wall paintings, and mosaics to architectural substrates. On a larger scale, structural injection grout is often used to fill cracks and voids and reinforce masonry constructions. The effectiveness of these treatments is largely dependant upon the physical and chemical properties of the grout. ...

Download this episode as an mp3 or Subscribe via iTunes Laser Cleaning and Laser Scanning with Martin Cooper (Podcast 60) Kevin Ammons: Welcome to the Preservation Technology Podcast, the show that brings you the people and projects that are advancing the future of America’s heritage. I’m Kevin Ammons with the National Park Services National Center for Preservation ...

This presentation is part of the International Cemetery Preservation Summit, April 8-10, 2014 Niagara Falls, NY. The Challenges of Treating Delaminating Slate Headstones: New Treatments with New Materials by Irving Slavid Irving Slavid:  I see they’ve brought the break out, the danishes, so I won’t be long. I do hands-on restoration among other things and I’m going ...

This presentation is part of the International Cemetery Preservation Summit, October 8-10, 2014 Niagara Falls, NY. Confederates in the Cemetery: Federal Benefits & Stewardship by Elizabeth Heavrin and Sara Amy Leach Elizabeth Heavrin: The war department established the first national cemetery during and immediately after the Civil War to provide final honorable resting places for soldiers ...

This presentation is part of the International Cemetery Preservation Summit, April 8-10, 2014 Niagara Falls, NY. Nationwide Monument Conservation at National Cemeteries: Planning, Management, and Treatment Implementation by Sara Johnson Sara Johnson: Going to talk a little bit about a contract that my company has with the National Cemetery Administration for the preservation of a number of ...

This presentation is part of the International Cemetery Preservation Summit, April 8-10, 2014 Niagara Falls, NY. Conserving the Nation’s Gravesite: Treatment of the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery by Debora Rodrigues and Amy Hollis Amy Hollis: I’m going to talk a little bit about a job that I lived for a couple years, which ...

This presentation is part of the International Cemetery Preservation Summit, April 8-10, 2014 Niagara Falls, NY. Reimagining August Bloedner’s 32nd Indiana Infantry Monument (1862) by Sara Amy Leach Sara Amy Leach:  The most fun I have at work is collecting postcards, cemeteries off of eBay and garage sales.  Good afternoon, this presentation is essentially phase tow of ...

This presentation is part of the International Cemetery Preservation Summit, April 8-10, 2014 Niagara Falls, NY. Photogrammetric Documentation of Weathered and Damaged Headstones at the Cataraqui Cemetery,Kingston Ontario by George Bevan and Alexander Gabov George Bevan:  Today for my collaborators in this project. Ian Longo, one of my undergraduate students, who’s worked extensively in the Cataraqui Cemetery ...

This presentation is part of the International Cemetery Preservation Summit, April 8-10, 2014 Niagara Falls, NY. Fragile Grounds: Mapping South Louisiana’s Cemeteries by Jessica H. Schexnayder and Mary H. Manhein  Jessica: Let me give you a little bit of background about this before we start this presentation.  This actually started out as a student project.  I was ...

This presentation is part of the International Cemetery Preservation Summit, April 8-10, 2014 Niagara Falls, NY. Handcrafted Gravemarkers of Julius “Jesse” Thomas  by Anne Shelton   Anne:  Thanks to Stephanie and Gordon I am so pleased to follow their presentation and it was terrific. It was really terrific and I was so pleased to see some really similar ...

This presentation is part of the International Cemetery Preservation Summit, April 8-10, 2014 Niagara Falls, NY. Made from My Own Hand: An Introduction to Concrete Grave Markers by  Gordon Bond and Stephanie M. Hoagland Stephanie Hoagland: Good morning. Yesterday Jonathan Appell showed us some concrete that you never want to see in a cemetery, but today we’re ...

This presentation is part of the International Cemetery Preservation Summit, April 8-10, 2014 Niagara Falls, NY. In Small Things Remembered: The William Peters Reeves Grave Memorial at Kenyon College by Dennis Montagna Dennis: Thanks. Thanks, Jason. David, I think that with all that gnawing, we’ve done some studies and determined that that’s why squirrels don’t get into ...

The Laboratory for Cultural materials in the Department of Materials Science and engineering, led by Professor Pamela B. Vandiver, has established a facility for non-destructive for imaging of the internal structure of objects and materials using xeroradiography. This electrostatic technique provides edge-enhancement of flaws, macrostructural and textural features to a resolution of 50 microns. Supported ...

This presentation is part of the International Cemetery Preservation Summit, April 8-10, 2014 Niagara Falls, NY. Maintaining Leadworks for Cemetery Monuments and Mausolea by Angus “Gus” Fraser and David Gallagher Gus: Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Mount Auburn is a National Historic Landmark. It was the first of a rural or garden cemetery in the United ...

This presentation is part of the International Cemetery Preservation Summit, April 8-10, 2014 Niagara Falls, NY. Red Jacket: Sculpture Conservation Treatment in Forest Lawn Cemetery by Francis Miller Francis Miller: Thanks for having me here today, everyone, and thanks for everyone attending. It’s great getting a group like this together, not only to discuss issues with repairs and ...

This presentation is part of the International Cemetery Preservation Summit, April 8-10, 2014 Niagara Falls, NY. Portland Cement  Vs Historic Gravestones Jonathan Appell:  Apparently, The Pyramid of the Sun in Mexico looked like this before 1910. News story out now … I’ll just go through these images quickly, is this Mr. Menchaca just did a study based ...

This presentation is part of the International Cemetery Preservation Summit, April 8-10, 2014 Niagara Falls, NY. Returning From Oblivion: The Reemergence of a World War II Memorial Sundial by Minxie and James Fannin   James Fannin: I’m going to have to use this for … I’m almost there. Good afternoon. I was going to say late, but we’re ...

This presentation is part of the International Cemetery Preservation Summit, April 8-10, 2014 Niagara Falls, NY. Modern Problems in Historic Cemeteries by Frances Ford Ford: Hello. My presentation today I have titled Modern Problems in Historic Cemeteries, and you’ll find out why in just a second. My presentation outline will sort of set the scene of this ...

This presentation is part of the International Cemetery Preservation Summit, April 8-10, 2014 Niagara Falls, NY. Finding Avondale: Remote Sensing for an Unmarked Cemetery in Difficult Subsurface Conditions by Hugh B. Matternes and Valerie Davis Hugh: Good morning, I’m hoping you’ll learn not only from the results we have here but some of the mistakes we made ...

This presentation is part of the International Cemetery Preservation Summit, April 8-10, 2014 Niagara Falls, NY. Down to Earth: Conservation Decision-Making for Historic Cemeteries by Katharine Untch Katharine: Thank you very much. It’s a pleasure to be here, and I want to especially thank the conference organizers, Jason Church and Mary Striegel, NCPTT, not only for this ...

This presentation is part of the International Cemetery Preservation Summit, April 8-10, 2014 Niagara Falls, NY. The Cycle of Use, Neglect, and Renewal in Historic Family Cemeteries of Niagara, Ontario by Catherine Paterson Paterson: Thank you. I’m very excited to be here and to be speaking with you this morning. The focus of my talk is on ...

This presentation is part of the International Cemetery Preservation Summit, April 8-10, 2014 Niagara Falls, NY. Not Seeing the Cemetery for the Monuments: Understanding the Importance of Preservation Assessments by Michael Trinkley and Debi Hacker Michael:  My talk today deals with how, as conservators, we see the cemeteries in which we work. First, a little bit about ...

This presentation is part of the International Cemetery Preservation Summit, April 8-10, 2014 Niagara Falls, NY. They Died in Rome: Preservation of an Active, Historic Cemetery for Foreigners by Nicholas Stanley-Price Jason: I’d really like to thank also, both the people who welcomed us. Francis Miller for helping me pull together the hands-on. The hotel, because we ...

This talk is part of the Fountain Fundamentals Conference, July 10-11, 2013, Kansas City, MO. Restoration of Rockefeller’s Italian Fountain by Ricardo Viera and Michele Boyd Viera: So in 2005 the BCA was commissioned by the Wildlife Conservation Society to assess the conditions, prepare the documents and monitor the repairs and rehabilitation of the Italian Rockefeller Fountain. ...

This talk is part of the Fountain Fundamentals Conference July 10-11, 2013, Kansas City, MO.

This talk is part of the Fountain Fundamentals Conference, July 10-11, 2013, Kansas City, MO. Water Chemistry Guidelines for Art Fountains by Martin Burke Martin: I am going to try and speak loud enough to get away from the microphone. The one element that has linked all of our presentations over the last two days is water. ...

This talk is part of the Fountain Fundamentals Conference, July 10-11, 2013, Kansas City, MO. Maintenance Programs for Historic Fountains by Fran Gale Striegel: Fran Gale is a lecturer with preservation experience throughout the United States. She’s also the senior lecturer at the University of Texas, School of Architecture, where she teaches Materials Conservation and is the ...

I am Leah Poole, a graduate student at the University of Texas at Austin, and I have been working in the Materials Conservation department with Jason Church. Prior to starting graduate school at the University of Texas, I received an undergraduate degree in chemistry. The project we have been working on this summer is the continuation ...

Have you ever wondered how a sewing machine actually works or why quilts are warmer than blankets? Children from Natchitoches were pondering questions like these as they participated in NCPTT’s first “A Stitch in Time: Heritage for the 21st Century” sewing camp. On July 7-11, NCPTT offered the week long summer camp focusing on sewing heritage. The ...

NCPTT In house Research: Comparative Study of Commercially Available Rust Converters Starting in the summer of 2010 Materials Conservator Jason Church and Materials Conservation Intern Anna Muto began a study comparing commercially available rust converters. A rust converter is a chemical treatment that turns iron oxide into a more stable form such as iron tannate. The ...

This talk is part of the Fountain Fundamentals Conference, held July 10-11, 2013, Kansas City, MO. Bringing the Fountain Back to Life – Marble and Bronze Conservation and Sculptural Figure Replication  by Ricardo Viera and Michele Boyd Striegel: Our next speakers will be talking about Bringing the Fountain Back to Life; Marble and Bronze Conservation and Sculptural ...

On April 24th NCPTT’s Materials Conservator Jason Church taught a lesson to two fifth grade classes (total of 56 students) from Northwestern State University Elementary Lab School. The students looked at how acid rain is produced and how pollution affects cultural materials. As part of the lecture Church discussed experimental design and the scientific method. The ...

Divine Disorder: Folk and Outsider Art Conference 2015 This second conference on the conservation of Folk and Outsider Art took place on February 24-26, 2015 at the Hill Auditorium of the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, Georgia and Paradise Gardens in Summerville, Georgia. The focus of this conference was to highlight the under appreciated decorative works ...

This talk is part of the Fountain Fundamentals Conference, July 10-11, 2013, Kansas City, MO. ENGINEERING 281: Renovation of Fountains – Hydraulic Considerations by David Peterson David Peterson: Let’s see, can you guys hear me without the microphone? Alright ‘cause I like to stand up here a little closer to you and not hide behind the podium. ...

Download this episode as an mp3 or Subscribe via iTunes Historic Preservation Program at Mississippi College (Podcast 51) Ammons: Welcome to the preservation technology podcast, the show that brings you the people and projects that are advancing the future of America’s heritage. I’m Kevin Ammons with the National Park Services’ National Center for Preservation Technology and Training. ...

This talk is part of the Fountain Fundamentals Conference, July 10-11, 2013, Kansas City, MO. Art and Infrastructure: Restoring the Futuristic Fountain and Reflecting Pool by Margot Brunn and Henry Zuehlke Church: Our next speaker is Margot Broom who is a conservator for the Royal Alberta Museum, a provincial museum covering Alberta’s cultural and human history, biological ...

This talk is part of the Fountain Fundamentals Conference, July 10-11, 2013, Kansas City, MO. A Brief Appreciation of Fountains Through History – Changing Functions, Appearances and Meaning – John Scott John Scott: And so, I also hope that after such a really good series of highly technical and practically experienced presentations that we won’t mind a ...

Download this episode as an mp3 or Subscribe via iTunes  FBI and Art Crime (Podcast 50) Ammons: Welcome to the Preservation Technology Podcast – the show that brings you the people and projects that are advancing the future of America’s heritage. I’m Kevin Ammons with the National Park Service’s National Center for Preservation Technology & Training. Today ...

This talk is part of the Fountain Fundamentals Conference, July 10-11, 2013, Kansas City, MO. Challenges of Maintaining the Fountains of “The City of Fountains” – Kansas City by Jocelyn Ball-Edson Jocelyn Ball-Edson: For today’s talk, I tried to categorize this into four super categories. My basic four categories … and this all overlaps. They’re all interchangeable ...

The first Divine Disorder Conference was held February 15-16, 2012 on the campus of Northwestern University in Natchitoches, Louisiana.  This conference  focused on highlighting the under-appreciated decorative works of non-traditional artists. The conservation of these works is vital to preserving the life story of those artists outside the main stream art community. Artists come from ...

This talk is part of the Fountain Fundamentals Conference, July 10-11, 2013, Kansas City, MO. Aquatic Plants for Water Quality Maintenance in Water features and Fountains Mary Willeford-Bair : The National Park Service is responsible for the management of a variety of constructed water features across the nation. The National Park Service is held to a high ...

This talk is part of the Fountain Fundamentals Conference, July 10-11, 2013, Kansas City, MO. A Manageable Approach for the Maintenance of Fountain Water Striegel: Our next speaker today is Robert Krueger. He’ll be talking about a manageable approach for the maintenance of fountain water. Robert Krueger is an Objects Conservator and proprietor of Cascadia Art Conservation ...

The Masonry Production is an indexed bibliography of over 6500 trade and academic references, created through a project, which was conducted by Dr. Debra F. Laefer of the University College Dublin in Dublin Ireland on behalf of TMS for the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training.

The use of noninvasive advanced imaging techniques addresses a critical need to support preservation at all levels – national, state and local. The grant supported the advancement of non-destructive analyses through the integration of aligned spectral techniques to develop a multi-functional system with enhanced capabilities for heritage science. The techniques better informed materials characterization to ...

Building stewards and project managers are often in a quandary when it comes to application of a coating on historic exterior woodwork that has weathered or that has obvious coating performance issues. In 2011, the Association for Preservation Technology International received a grant from the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training to produce a ...

Use of Hydroxyapatite for enhancing durability in marble. This video highlights the recent project by George Scherer’s laboratory at Princeton University on developing state-of-the-art techniques to protect marble monuments and sculptures. This project was funded in part by PTT Grant (MT-2210-12-NC-08). Marble is an elegant material that is used for our most precious sculptures and monuments, ...

“The Science of Sand” crowd sourced database. One of the things that we at NCPTT try not to do is reinvent the wheel. We are however always looking to others that are working on interesting wheels that might help us in the realm of heritage preservation. One of the our main goals in to be a ...

Press Release from the American Institute for Conservation WASHINGTON, D.C. – The American Institute for Conservation of Historic & Artistic Works applauds The Monuments Men movie, whose cast depict some of those who served in the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives program under the Civil Affairs and Military Government Sections of the Allied armies during World War II. This ...

If a soapstone marker is in the need of cleaning. I would only recommend the softest of brushes and water, I  have used a baby hair brush with great results. The biggest thing to keep in mind it how very soft this stone is, some soapstones have a value of 1 to 2 on the ...

This talk is part of the Fountain Fundamentals Conference, held July 10-11, 2013, Kansas City, MO. Fountain Conservation-California Style by Andrea Morse Video Transcription Hello, my name is Andrea Morse, I’m principal conservator of the Sculpture for Conservation Studio in Los Angeles.  Today my presentation will introduce you to the styles, some history and fountain problems that one ...

Marble is used in many of our most precious monuments and sculptures, but it deteriorates when exposed to water, owing to its relatively high solubility. Consequently, researchers have sought methods to enhance the durability of marble through the use of environmentally friendly chemical treatments. A particularly promising route, introduced by our research group, is to ...

This lecture was presented at the 3D Digital Documentation Summit held July 10-12, 2012 at the Presidio, San Francisco, CA Conservation and H?RTI at The Metropolitan Museum of Art In the winter of 2010, the Sherman Fairchild Center for Objects Conservation at The Metropolitan Museum of Art hosted a four?day intensive workshop on Highlight?based Reflectance Transformation Imaging ...

The National Center for Preservation Technology and Training (NCPTT) and The Hooke College of Applied Science with the McCrone Group, Inc. are partnering to host a three-day hands-on workshop on Pigment Identification and Analysis for fine art and architectural finishes. The workshop will be held February 25-27, 2014 at the NCPTT in Natchitoches, LA. This ...

This lecture was presented at the 3D Digital Documentation Summit held July 10-12, 2012 at the Presidio, San Francisco, CA Four Light Total Appearance Imaging of Paintings by Roy S. Berns, Tongbo Chen, and Jim Coddington Imaging artwork for documentation and reproduction has a long and rich history. The vast majority of such imaging reduces an illuminated three-dimensional ...

This lecture was presented at the 3D Digital Documentation Summit held July 10-12, 2012 at the Presidio, San Francisco, CA The Patternmakers Art: Innovation within a Timeless Tradition With a few exceptions, architectural metal castings are made using hollow cavity sand and clay molds.  The molds are made by compacting the sand around patterns which look like ...

Three hundred twelve (312) colored pencils were provided from each of six manufacturers representing the most widely used brands marketed as fin art materials. The pencils were blinded (stripped of identifying commercial information, coded, and sent to the Principal Investigator (PI) by Joy Turner Luke and Rhonda Farfan, who assigned codes to the test pencils: ...

Guide for In-Place Treatment of Wood in Historic Covered and Modern Bridges This guide is another fine product written by the Forest Service’s Forest Products Laboratory, in cooperation with the US-DOT, Federal Highways Administration.  The publication’s abstract gives great description of the book; “Historic covered bridges and current timber bridges can be  vulnerable to damage from ...

NCPTT is a sponsor of the Galveston Historical Foundation’s Center for Coastal Heritage (CCH) two day symposium focusing on the challenges surrounding rising damp on Friday and Saturday, October 25 and 26, 2013.  Reservations for the symposium are $75 per person if purchased before September 30th.  Student discounts are available.  Tickets can be purchased at www.galvestonhistory.org or by calling ...

Thank you for joining us today.  This is the second day of our webinars on disaster preparedness.  Thank you for those who are returning from yesterday and welcome to those that are coming for the first time.  Luckily, most of you know who NCPTT is, having gone to our web site and found out about ...

Hi, I’m Carol Chin.  I’m a Conservation Scientist at theNational Center for Preservation Technology and Training, and I’ve been doing some work with my colleagues here on the Gulf Oil Spill and conservation of some cultural resources down along the coast.  So today I’m going to be talking about Oil and Cultural Resources – Lessons ...

The National Center for Preservation Technology and Training and the Cane River Creole National Historical Park will be conducting the third in a series of workshops this summer related to disaster preparedness and response for museum collections. The Lower Mississippi River Delta Region is frequently threatened by natural disasters including hurricanes, floods, and tornadoes. It is important for the ...

Disaster Preparedness and Response for Collections along the Delta Workshop offered in Tunica, Mississippi. On July 23, 2013 NCPTT conservator’s Jason Church (Materials Conservator) and Sarah Jackson (Architectural Conservator) taught a day long workshop at the Tunica Museum. This workshop was offered as part of a Lower Mississippi Delta Initiative Grant from the National Park Service. The ...

On July 24, 2013 NCPTT conservators Jason Church (Materials Conservator) and Sarah Jackson (Architectural Conservator) taught a day long workshop at the MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History. This workshop was offered as part of a Lower Mississippi Delta Initiative Grant from the National Park Service.

Download this episode as an mp3 or Subscribe via iTunes Learning From the Texas Wildfires: Bastrop State Park and Beyond (Podcast 45) Kevin: Welcome to the Preservation Technology Podcast – the show that brings you the people and projects that are advancing the future of America’s heritage. I’m Kevin Ammons with the National Park Service’s National Center ...

Register for this two-day hands-on workshop on the uses of polarized light microscopy for the study of stone and ceramic cultural materials. The workshop will be held March 11-12, 2014 at NCPTT in Natchitoches, LA.

Applications for the Advanced Masters in Structural Analysis of Monuments and Historical Constructions, approved by the European Commission within the framework of the Erasmus Mundus Programme, are opened up to August 20, 2013.

The Delta Region faces natural disasters frequently from hurricanes, flooding, and tornadoes to name a few. It is important to ensure that collections managers are prepared for natural disasters that frequent the area.

This lecture was presented at the 3D Digital Documentation Summit held July 10-12, 2012 at the Presidio, San Fransisco, CA. Documentation to the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards: Assessing the Value of Laser Scan Data The Heritage Documentation Programs consider High-Definition Surveying (HDS) to be a significant tool, one of many it employs in the survey of ...

This lecture was presented at the 3D Digital Documentation Summit held July 10-12, 2012 at the Presidio, San Fransisco, CA. Archive of Digital Data for HABS, HAER, and HALS The NPS creates a variety of documents and records, such as inventory and monitoring plans, drawings, photographs, and conservation treatment records, to assist in the planning, management and ...

Disasters can strike at anytime, sometimes with little or no warning. Experience has shown us that while natural disasters can leave a path of destruction there are also man-made disasters that can bring an area to its knees. Being informed and preparing for those that could affect you are key to saving your site, building ...

Conservation Scientist for a Day One day event offered July 30, 2013 to students who have finished the 8th grade or those who participated in the 2013 NCPTT Robot Camp. $10 per person limited to 25 students STUDENTS WILL INVESTIGATE AUTHENIC POTTERY SHARDS AND PARTICIPATE IN HANDS-ON EXPERIMENTS! Instructors: Curtis Desselles, Carol Chin, Jason, Church, Mary Striegel

The broadcast for Preparing for the Next Disaster has concluded. Once transcripts and closed captioning have been completed, we will place the videos online. Thank you for your participation. Should you have any questions, please comment on this post or email Sarah M. Jackson. NCPTT offered a free webinar “Disaster Preparedness for Cultural Resources: Preparing You ...

  Learn: Soldering, Programming, Electronics, Robot  Assembly, Navigation Using Sensors and More!  Robotics Camp Avoidance.ino – Right click and Save as. Please contact Curtice Desselles for infrared sensor use.   Who: Middle and High School Students(finished 6th grade to 12th grade) Location: National Center for PreservationTechnology and Training, 645 University Parkway Natchitoches, LA 71457 318-356-7444 Time: 9:00 AM to 12:00 Noon each day Attire: Casual Attire: Jeans and T-Shirts. Cost: • ...

The aim of the project was to determine an appropriate methodology for evaluation of damage induced during cleaning of masonry materials. Of the techniques used for the evaluation of surface changes, measurement of roughness appeared to be most promising.  

This lecture was presented at the 3D Digital Documentation Summit held July 10-12, 2012 at the Presidio, San Francisco, CA 3D Modeling of a Gravestone Exploiting Low Cost Range and Image Based Techniques Inside the Medieval Museum of the city of Bologna are housed a series of gravestones which originally adorned the tombs of the Doctors belonging ...

This lecture was presented at the 3D Digital Documentation Summit held July 10-12, 2012 at the Presidio, San Francisco, CA A Comparative Study Using LiDAR Digital Scanning and Photogrammetry Through a National Park Service grant, the Center of Preservation Research (CoPR) at the University of Colorado Denver and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) have partnered to develop ...

This lecture was presented at the 3D Digital Documentation Summit held July 10-12, 2012 at the Presidio, San Francisco, CA High Resolution Digital Photogrammetry with Object Surface Texture Digital Photogrammetry when coupled with multi-image capture can provide high resolution imagery with detailed surface texture. Surface texture can be in greater detail than traditional point cloud laser scanning, and the ...

NCPTT helps Girl Scouts earn Save Outdoor Sculpture patch   On Friday April 5th 24 Girl Scouts from Natchitoches’ Brownie Troop 462 and Junior Troop 1512 came to NCPTT to start their Save Outdoor Sculpture patch. The Save Outdoor Sculpture (SOS!) program is a nationwide effort to identify, document, and preserve America’s sculptural heritage. This long running ...

This lecture was presented at the 3D Digital Documentation Summit held July 10-12, 2012 at the Presidio, San Francisco, CA Application of Current 3D and Pseudo-3D Imaging for Conservation Melvin Wachowiak, Senior Conservator E. Keats Webb, Digital Imaging Specialist Smithsonian Museum Conservation Institute, Washington D.C. Conservation professionals have been aware of modern methods of 3D digitization, but a comprehensive guide ...

NCPTT Staff Receives Leica Training   On March 13, 2013 Leica trainer Walker Agnew of McBain Systems, Irving, TX presented to the NCPTT staff. Agnew presented to staff from the Materials Conservation, Architecture and Engineering, and Archeology and Collections divisions of NCPTT. Staff were trained on the use of the Leica DM750P microscope, ICC50 HD digital microscope ...

This lecture was presented at the 3D Digital Documentation Summit held July 10-12, 2012 at the Presidio, San Francisco, CA Restoring the Lion’s Roar: Documenting and Replicating Limestone Structures Through Laser Scanning, 3D Computer Modeling, and CNC Machining In January 2011, Kreilick Conservation, LLC of Oreland, PA was engaged by Beaver Electric Co. Inc. to conserve the Branch ...

Association for Preservation Technology International in conjunction with the APT Hawaii-Pacific Islands Chapter announces a workshop on Nondestructive Evaluation Methods for Historic Structures to be held at Bishop Museum, Atherton Hālau, 1525 Bernice Street, Honolulu, Hawai‘i 96817

  NCPTT, in partnership with the Historical Association of Central Louisiana, will offer a cemetery monument conservation basics workshop April 20, 2013, in Pineville, Louisiana.  The training is targeted to the nonprofessional, such as church sextons, genealogists, cemetery grounds workers, and family members. The workshop registration is $20 per person, this price includes a box lunch. The ...

This report summarizes testing undertaken by NCPTT in partnership with the Cane River Creole National Historical Park (CARI) and Quality Finish.  In December 2003 meetings were held to discuss applying limewash to the brick cabins at Magnolia Plantation in hopes of prolonging the life of the structures. We developed a study to determine the durability of traditional and ...

Forty participants representing a variety of professionals disciplines were invited to Georgia’s Jekyll Island during February 1998, with the common goal of preserving tabby resources. The proceeding from this meeting — individual papers and conclusions and recommendations developed by participants — are represented in this publication. This research was made possible through Grant  MT-2210-7-NC-24 from the National Center ...

The conservation project was conducted between September 1998 and June 2001. Because of the importance of the monument to north Kohala and widespread concern for its care, a community based project model was employed. The primary aim of the project was to conserve the monument, which was threatened by chloride induced corrosion. Driven by a ...

Download this episode as an mp3 or Subscribe via iTunes Ammons:     Welcome to the Preservation Technology Podcast, the show that brings you the people and projects that are advancing the future of America’s heritage. I’m Kevin Ammons with the National Park Service’s National Center for Preservation Technology and Training. Today we join NCPTT’s Jason ...

This lecture was presented at the 3D Digital Documentation Summit held July 10-12, 2012 at the Presidio, San Francisco, CA Applications of Reflectance Transformation Imaging (RTI) in a Fine Arts Museum: Examination, Documentation, and Beyond In 2006, the Worcester Art Museum collaborated with Cultural Heritage Imaging (CHI) to develop reflectance transformation imaging (RTI) as a viable examination ...

The National Preservation Institute, a nonprofit organization founded in 1980, educates those involved in the management, preservation, and stewardship of cultural heritage. The 2013 National Preservation Institute seminar schedule is available online at www.npi.org. The 2013 NPI News Release includes the calendar and seminar descriptions www.npi.org/NewsRelease2013.pdf . Deadline to register: April 1, 2013 Scholarship applications accepted (see ...

In an ongoing commitment to promote heritage education in historic preservation, the Materials Conservation Program at NCPTT recently hosted 50 high school juniors from the Avoyelles Public Charter School. For the third year these students took part in the “Conservation Scientist for a Day” lesson.   The students studied archeological sherds of  Native American pottery and French ...

This lecture was presented at the 3D Digital Documentation Summit held July 10-12, 2012 at the Presidio, San Francisco, CA Automated Classification of Surface Texture for Photographic Paper Surface texture is a vital attribute defining the appearance of a photographic print.  Texture impacts tonal range, rendering of detail, reflectance and conveys subtle qualitative information about the aesthetic ...

NCPTT, in partnership with the Historic Natchez Foundation  will offer a cemetery monument conservation basics workshop May 11, 2013, in Natchez, Mississippi.  The training is targeted to the nonprofessional, such as church sextons, genealogists, cemetery grounds workers, and family members. The workshop registration is $25 per person, this price includes a box lunch. The lecture portion ...

In this episode, we join NCPTT’s Jason Church as he speaks with Marshall Millet, owner of MMars 4-D. Today they are talking about Millet’s work with U.C. Davis and the KeckCAVES visualization facility.

Call for presentations and posters, International Cemetery Preservation Summit NCPTT is soliciting oral and poster presentations that focus on research and innovation in cemetery conservation and preservation for the NCPTT’s International Cemetery Preservation Summit to be held in Niagara Falls, NY, October 8-10, 2013. Topics for presentation may include recent developments in technologies, unique treatments, and creative ...

This lecture was presented at the 3D Digital Documentation Summit held July 10-12, 2012 at the Presidio, San Francisco, CA   Documenting National and World Heritage Sites: the Need to Integrate Digital Documentation and 3D Scanning with Traditional Hand Measuring Techniques For the past fifteen years, digital documentation technology of historic sites and resources has developed into a ...

This lecture was presented at the 3D Digital Documentation Summit held July 10-12, 2012 at the Presidio, San Francisco, CA 3D Scanning of Matisse, the Back I-IV: One Thing After Another Matisse created Back, his largest sculpture in 1908/1909. Matisse resculpted Back three times over the next twenty-one years (1913, 1917, 1930/31), each time beginning with a ...

  If you have sat in the window seat, chances are you noticed that the airplane window was made of plastic.  In fact, most aircraft include plastics in their design and have done so from the early years of human flight, yet the technological history of synthetic polymers in aviation is largely unexplored.  This may be ...

With a 2011 Grant from NCPTT, conservators at Georgia O’Keeffe’s Residences in Abiquiu and Ghost Ranch, New Mexico undertook research comaparing digital photogrammetric methods for preservation documentation of historic homes. They documented their project as they went along at http://okeeffeimagingproject.wordpress.com/. This project studied whether existing, three-dimensional (3D) digital photo imaging technologies could be easily adopted by ...

This poster was presented at the 3D Digital Documentation Summit held July 10-12, 2012 at the Presidio, San Fransisco, CA. See Poster full detail and size COOPERATION CREATES A CUSTOM CRATE: Conservation, Laser Scanning, 3D Milling and Crate Building Work Together Claes Oldenburg’s Red Tights with Fragment 9 (1961) is created from single piece of contoured chicken wire, ...

This poster was presented at the 3D Digital Documentation Summit held July 10-12, 2012 at the Presidio, San Fransisco, CA. See Poster full detail and size Recording Structure and Process: HAER 3D Digital Documentation Methods For many historic engineering works the structure’s historical significance is based on its structural design. This is especially true for bridges. By understanding ...

This lecture was presented at the 3D Digital Documentation Summit held July 10-12, 2012 at the Presidio, San Francisco, CA Advances in Computational Photograph Techniques for Cultural, Historic, and Natural History Materials This talk presents advances in robust new imaging tools from the emerging science known as Computational Photography. The common feature of the computational photography imaging ...

This poster was presented at the 3D Digital Documentation Summit held July 10-12, 2012 at the Presidio, San Fransisco, CA. Poster full size and detail Laser Scanning America’s Cultural Landscapes The Historic American Landscapes Survey (HALS) Documentation to the Secretary of the Interior Standards, Assessing the Value of Laser Scan Data The Historic American Landscapes Survey (HALS) mission is ...

This poster was presented at the 3D Digital Documentation Summit held July 10-12, 2012 at the Presidio, San Fransisco, CA. See Full Detailed Poster   Post-Processing Workflows: Identifying Hidden Costs in Converting Scan Data to Useable Information This poster aims to demonstrate the unique challenges associated with scanning and documenting OV-103 (Space Shuttle Discovery). In demonstrating the workflow ...

This poster was presented at the 3D Digital Documentation Summit held July 10-12, 2012 at the Presidio, San Fransisco, CA. See Poster full detail and size   3D Data Recordation and Immersive Visualization: Considerations for Creative Mitigation Practices The proposed presentation approaches the potential of 3d data collection and analysis in an immersive 3d visualization system, emphasizing digital format ...

This poster was presented at the 3D Digital Documentation Summit held July 10-12, 2012 at the Presidio, San Fransisco, CA. See Poster full detail and size Integrating Aerial and Ground-based LiDAR in Appalachian Heritage Planning and Visualization The Natural Resource Analysis Center (NRAC) at West Virginia University is building a portfolio of integrated LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) ...

This poster was presented at the 3D Digital Documentation Summit held July 10-12, 2012 at the Presidio, San Fransisco, CA. See Poster full detail and size Mind the Gap: the Need to Supplement Laser Scan Data in HABS Documentation Projects The HABS poster will discuss the use of laser scanning in relation to the documentation of historic buildings. ...

Today we join NCPTT’s Mary Striegel as she speaks with Chandra Reedy. Reedy serves as Director of the Laboratory for Analysis of Cultural Materials in the Center for Historic Architecture and Design at the University of Delaware.  Today we are talking to Chandra about the importance of thin section petrography for conservation.

On October 29, 2012 Hurricane Sandy made landfall in the New York and New Jersey coastal area. The news covered the destruction, devastation and loss to homes, business, and families. In the weeks after the storm surge had receded we first started hearing about the loss and damage to cultural materials. The first time I ...

This lecture was presented at the 3D Digital Documentation Summit held July 10-12, 2012 at the Presidio, San Francisco, CA The Patternmaker’s Art: Innovation within a Timeless Tradition With a few exceptions, architectural metal castings are made using hollow cavity sand and clay molds.  The molds are made by compacting the sand around patterns which look like ...

This lecture was presented at the 3D Digital Documentation Summit held July 10-12, 2012 at the Presidio, San Francisco, CA Foamhenge: 3D Modeling and Conservation of a Monumental Sculpture Novel use of technology, 3D digital documentation, model-based engineering, contemporary materials and techniques illustrates the potential that digital documentation and technology has in supporting creative and collaborative problem-solving.  ...

This lecture was presented at the 3D Digital Documentation Summit held July 10-12, 2012 at the Presidio, San Francisco, CA Best Practices for Digital Documentation by Ekaterini Vlahos and Mike Nulty Through the HABS/HAER/HALS programs the Secretary of the Interior has established Standards and Guidelines for Documentation and acceptability for inclusion in the Heritage Documentation Programs collections ...

This lecture was presented at the 3D Digital Documentation Summit held July 10-12, 2012 at the Presidio, San Francisco, CA Capturing, Document, and Mapping the Digital Cultural Object Using Spectral Imaging Advanced digital spectral imaging enables the ability to create accurate digital renderings of cultural heritage materials, generating a new “digital cultural object” with enhanced access to ...

This lecture was presented at the 3D Digital Documentation Summit held July 10-12, 2012 at the Presidio, San Francisco, CA The video is currently unavailable for this talk. 3D Digital Documentation as a Basis for the Finite Element Method in the Restoration of Tullio Lombardo’s Marble Sculpture of Adam On October 6th 2002, one of the most important ...

It’s more than just a job… it’s your future. Get hands-on experience and build your resume while preserving the history of our country. Summer internships at NCPTT provide students and recent graduates an opportunity to undertake laboratory or field research in archeology, architecture, engineering, collections management, historic landscapes, and materials science. What do interns do? Interns work in ...

On December 1, 2012 NCPTT’s materials conservator Jason Church taught a one day cemetery conservation workshop in Natchez, Mississippi. This workshop was the first of a series being developed by the  Historic Natchez Foundation with the  Copiah-Lincoln Community College.  Copiah-Lincoln Community College hopes this series of preservation related workshops will build interest in a developing ...

Safe Hoist Operation for Lifting Stone When a stone needs to be removed or set back in place, lifting is required.  A hoist or crane can be used whenever the stone cannot be moved manually.  So, it is important to keep safety in mind when operating a crane or hoist.  You should be familiar with the ...

Calculating the Weight of Stone This is a guide intended to help anyone get the approximate weight of a stone without having to use a scale.  The only required tools are a calculator, tape measure, pencil, and paper.  Using the above tools allows the user to safely calculate weight prior to lifting stone with a hoist ...

This lecture was presented at the 3D Digital Documentation Summit held July 10-12, 2012 at the Presidio, San Francisco, CA   Designing the LiDAR Mission for Industrial Heritage: Cooperation Across the Fields Heritage managers and digital documentarians may observe the same subject, but observe it through a contrasting set of filters. The focus of this paper is to ...

The National Center for Preservation Technology and Training in partnership with The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art and conservator Martin Burke announces a two day conference on the conservation of fountains. The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, Missouri will host the conference which includes presented papers, poster presentations, and discussion sessions on July 10-11, ...

This document provides guidance on wood preservation options in the context of historic preservation. Preserving wooden building materials is critical to historic preservation practitioners. Biodeterioration can be minimized through design, construction practices, maintenance, and, if neces¬sary, by use of wood preservatives. Moisture is the primary cause of biodeterioration, and if exposure to moisture cannot be ...

The National Center for Preservation Technology and Training (NCPTT) and The Center for Historic Architecture and Design (CHAD) in the University of Delaware’s School of Public Policy and Administration are partnering to host a two-day hands-on workshop on the uses of polarized light microscopy for the study of stone and ceramic cultural materials.  The workshop ...

This lecture was presented at the 3D Digital Documentation Summit held July 10-12, 2012 at the Presidio, San Fransisco, CA. Why DIGITAL? Its only 1’s and 0’s We still seem to be fighting the war over the value of digital information some 30 years after its introduction to the public. Developments in technology have occurred so rapidly that skepticism ...

This lecture was presented at the 3D Digital Documentation Summit held July 10-12, 2012 at the Presidio, San Francisco, CA Close Range Photogrammetry vs. 3D Scanning for Archaeological Documentation The proliferation of terrestrial laser scanners on the market over the past few years has been accompanied by a rapid adoption of the technology by archaeologists.  This increased archaeological use ...

On September 20-21, 2012 NCPTT’s materials conservator Jason Church taught two cemetery monument conservation workshops as part of the Kentucky Heritage Council annual Historic Preservation Conference. Church’s contribution to the well attended and diverse annual conference was entitled “Our History Rests Here: Preservation and Restoration of Historic Cemeteries, Part 1 and Part 2”. The first day ...

NCPTT, in partnership with the Historic Natchez Foundation and Copiah-Lincoln Community College, will offer a cemetery monument conservation basics workshop December 1, 2012, in Natchez, Mississippi.  The training is targeted to the nonprofessional, such as church sextons, genealogists, cemetery grounds workers, and family members. The workshop registration is $25 per person, this price includes a ...

This presentation was presented as the keynote address for the 3D Digital Documentation Summit held July 10-12, 2012, Presidio, San Francisco, CA.   Rocket Science and 3D Analyses in the Preservation of Artistic and Historic Works More than sixty years ago development began on the nuclear-propelled ORION Spaceship destined for a manned mission to the planet Saturn. This ...

Here are notes from three presentations I found interesting.  I hope you’ll find them interesting, too. Interior Stone Cleaning at Saint John the Devine: practical and logistical considerations — Claudia Kavenagh While construction on the church was started in the 19th century, it is still not completed.  During construction in 2001, a fire broke out that damaged ...

NCPTT’s Jason Church and Carol Chin presented research at the International Stone Congress on Wednesday, October 24.  Church presented a comparative cleaning study for fragile marble monuments after pretreatment with hydroxyl conversion treatment.  The purpose of this work was to develop a treatment methodology for the Arsenal and MaComb Monuments found in Congressional Cemetery, Washington, ...

This lecture was presented at the 3D Digital Documentation Summit held July 10-12, 2012 at the Presidio, San Francisco, CA   Monitoring Using Laser Scanning – Case Study of Watts Towers This paper will explore the use of laser scanning as a part of a controlled survey to measure movement of buildings and structures over time. In 2011 a ...

This lecture was presented at the 3D Digital Documentation Summit held July 10-12, 2012 at the Presidio, San Francisco, CA   Evolution in Project Workflow – Is High Definition Survey the Missing Link? There is a major shift occurring in the preservation and building industry today. It was only 30 years ago that architects and engineers where designing ...

Since raising the H.L. Hunley submarine (1863) from the seabed in 2000, the project has incorporated 3D technologies including laser scanning, patterned light scanning, Vulcan point system, and computer modeling. Archaeologists developed the use of 3D technologies primarily for site plan development and artifact documentation. As the project progressed, conservators found other applications for the ...

Two additional grants totaling $50,000 were made to the following recipients. The Tulalip Tribes Hibulb Cultural Center is receiving $25,000 to develop a symposium on the Conservation and Continuation of Native American Monumental Wood Carving. The California Preservation Foundation is receiving $25,000 to advance distance learning through the Preservation Virtual Classroom.

This poster was presented at the 3D Digital Documentation Summit held July 10-12, 2012 at the Presidio, San Fransisco, CA. Color and Spectral Archiving Using Dual-RGB Imaging by Roy S. Berns and Jim Coddington Imaging in museums serves multiple end uses from publication to detailed documentation. Commercial RGB digital cameras have, at best, adequate color accuracy , demonstrating ...

This poster was presented at the 3D Digital Documentation Summit held July 10-12, 2012 at the Presidio, San Fransisco, CA. Saving the Lines: Documenting Ships and Small Craft Using Laser Scanning Recording the shape of ships is especially challenging as they are typically constructed with compound curves and complex surfaces. Traditional hand-measuring techniques are time-consuming and only ...

This poster was presented at the 3D Digital Documentation Summit held July 10-12, 2012 at the Presidio, San Fransisco, CA. 3D Digital Documentation of Cultural Resources in Southern Arizona National Parks The National Park Service Southern Arizona (SOAR) group consists of Casa Grande Ruins National Monument, Chiricahua National Monument, Coronado National Memorial, Fort Bowie National Historic Site, ...

Have you ever wondered what an art conservation scientist does? Have you thought about how science can teach us about an historic object? Come join us this summer and be your own scientific sleuth to learn about the culture of early inhabitants of Natchitoches through the pottery shards they left behind. NCPTT is offering a ...

NCPTT wants to introduce you to the excitement of science and technology through NCPTT’s 2012 Robotics Camp! Get hands-on experience building and programming your own robot. Then have a chance to test your navigational skills against others in the camp. You’ll learn about soldering, programming, electronics, robot assembly, navigation using sensors, and more! NCPTT’s 2012 Robotics ...

This lecture was part of the Divine Disorder Conference on the Conservation of Outsider Folk art that was organized and hosted by NCPTT. The conference was held February 15-16, 2012 on the campus of Northwestern University in Natchitoches, Louisiana. Paradise Gardens; its Past and its Future Transcript Church:     This is Jordan Poole, the very newly elected director ...

NCPTT, in partnership with Monroe County History Center at Indiana University, conducted a workshop focused on the techniques and knowledge needed to preserve ornamental ironwork in an architectural setting. This workshop begin with an opening lecture session at 6:30 p.m. by NCPTT’s Materials Conservator Jason Church on Friday, October 14th at the History Center in Bloomington, Indiana. ...

The Wooldridge Monuments are a group of eighteen life-sized sculptures located in Maplewood Cemetery, Mayfield, Kentucky. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, they commemorate the life and relatives of Henry G. Wooldridge.

This lecture was part of the Divine Disorder Conference on the Conservation of Outsider Folk art that was organized and hosted by NCPTT. The conference was held February 15-16, 2012 on the campus of Northwestern University in Natchitoches, Louisiana. Planning to Stabilize, Document, Conserve and Interpret Howard Finster’s Paradise Garden in Summerville, Georgia Abstract This presentation will illustrate ...

This lecture was part of the Divine Disorder Conference on the Conservation of Outsider Folk art that was organized and hosted by NCPTT. The conference was held February 15-16, 2012 on the campus of Northwestern University in Natchitoches, Louisiana. The Orange Show Center for Visionary Art Transcript Church:     Alright we’re ready to get started back. Our first ...

This lecture was part of the Divine Disorder Conference on the Conservation of Outsider Folk art that was organized and hosted by NCPTT. The conference was held February 15-16, 2012 on the campus of Northwestern University in Natchitoches, Louisiana. Unicultural Ethnography: Preserving Outsider Art Through the Ethnography of Individual Outsider Artists Abstract Certain aspects of the artistic experience ...

This lecture was part of the Divine Disorder Conference on the Conservation of Outsider Folk art that was organized and hosted by NCPTT. The conference was held February 15-16, 2012 on the campus of Northwestern University in Natchitoches, Louisiana. God’s Architects; Documenting the Materials, Methods, and Self-Taught Builders of the South Abstract Scattered about remote back roads and ...

This lecture was part of the Divine Disorder Conference on the Conservation of Outsider Folk art that was organized and hosted by NCPTT. The conference was held February 15-16, 2012 on the campus of Northwestern University in Natchitoches, Louisiana. Taking the Art to the Streets: How the Citizens of Los Angeles Saved Watts Towers Transcript Church:         ...

Under the microscope sat a thin section of the smaller Bamiyan Buddha from Afghanistan which was destroyed in 2001. As polarizing filters were placed in front of and behind the sample creating cross polarization, grains of large quartz, feldspars, chert, and other components sparkled in vivid color on a dark background. This technique is called ...

This lecture was part of the Divine Disorder Conference on the Conservation of Outsider Folk art that was organized and hosted by NCPTT. The conference was held February 15-16, 2012 on the campus of Northwestern University in Natchitoches, Louisiana. Dennis Montagna Creating a Conservation Plan for Vollis Simpson’s Whirligigs Abstract For the past thirty years, 92-year-old Vollis Simpson has ...

This lecture was part of the Divine Disorder Conference on the Conservation of Outsider Folk art that was organized and hosted by NCPTT. The conference was held February 15-16, 2012 on the campus of Northwestern University in Natchitoches, Louisiana. Abstract Re-evaluation of 1984 Preservation Decisions for the African House Murals by Clementine Hunter In 1984 as an Associate ...

This lecture was part of the Divine Disorder Conference on the Conservation of Outsider Folk art that was organized and hosted by NCPTT. The conference was held February 15-16, 2012 on the campus of Northwestern University in Natchitoches, Louisiana. The Greatest Show on Earth:  the history and conservation of Jefferson Davis McKissack’s Orange Show Transcript Cyncar:    Good morning ...

This lecture was part of the Divine Disorder Conference on the Conservation of Outsider Folk art that was organized and hosted by NCPTT. The conference was held February 15-16, 2012 on the campus of Northwestern University in Natchitoches, Louisiana. Simon Rodia’s Towers in Watts (The Watts Towers) Four Decades of Interventions and Still Searching for a ...

This lecture was part of the Divine Disorder Conference on the Conservation of Outsider Folk art that was organized and hosted by NCPTT. The conference was held February 15-16, 2012 on the campus of Northwestern University in Natchitoches, Louisiana. Transcript McBride:     Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen.  My name is Patrick McBride and on behalf of myself ...

This lecture was part of the Divine Disorder Conference on the Conservation of Outsider Folk art that was organized and hosted by NCPTT. The conference was held February 15-16, 2012 on the campus of Northwestern University in Natchitoches, Louisiana. Virtual Conservation of Folk and Outsider Art Environments Abstract The presentation will address the issue of conserving documents pertaining ...

This lecture was part of the Divine Disorder Conference on the Conservation of Outsider Folk art that was organized and hosted by NCPTT. The conference was held February 15-16, 2012 on the campus of Northwestern University in Natchitoches, Louisiana. A Creative Obsession: Materials and Techniques of the Self-Taught Artist James Castle Abstract Identifying the materials of works of ...

This lecture was part of the Divine Disorder Conference on the Conservation of Outsider Folk art that was organized and hosted by NCPTT. The conference was held February 15-16, 2012 on the campus of Northwestern University in Natchitoches, Louisiana. Realms of the Unreal and the Henry Darger Archives Abstract The American Folk Art Museum maintains the single largest ...

This lecture was part of the Divine Disorder Conference on the Conservation of Outsider Folk art that was organized and hosted by NCPTT. The conference was held February 15-16, 2012 on the campus of Northwestern University in Natchitoches, Louisiana. Magical Mosaics: Preserving Isaiah Zagar’s Philadelphia Art Environment Abstract One of the nation’s most amazing, yet least known, art ...

This lecture was part of the Divine Disorder Conference on the Conservation of Outsider Folk art that was organized and hosted by NCPTT. The conference was held February 15-16, 2012 on the campus of Northwestern University in Natchitoches, Louisiana. Discriminating Palettes:   The Painting Materials of Clementine Hunter and Her Imitator Transcript Church:    Next we have Joe Baraby, Senior ...

United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that Robert E. Lucky, Jr, 64, of New Orleans, was sentenced today to 25 months in federal prison and was ordered to pay $326,893 in restitution for mail fraud in connection with selling fake paintings attributed to Louisiana artist Clementine Hunter. Lucky was also sentenced to three years’ ...

Monday’s meeting with Dr. John Pojman, an LSU professor specializing in polymers, was a great exchange of ideas.  Pojman is a prototypical eccentric professor, who defines himself as a chemist, amateur herpetologist, and self-proclaimed owner of the world’s largest pocket protector collection.  His is a gregarious researcher who can quickly go from a light-hearted story ...

The talk presents a biographical sketch of the folk artist, Clementine Hunter, born in southern Natchitoches Parish in late 1887 and died January 1, 1988. Around 2000 a group of paintings appeared on the market supposedly by Hunter but later found to be painted by Beryl and William Toye. The lecture will include details of the ...

Cultural Heritage Imaging (C-H-I) is offering a four-day workshop on the use of reflectance transformation imaging (RTI) to document cultural heritage.  The workshop will be held July 16-19, 2012 at the C-H-I offices in San Francisco, California.  The new technique helps create digital representations of artifacts and sites.  The workshop is a combination of lectures, demonstrations ...

NCPTT, in partnership with the University of Delaware, will conduct a two-day workshop focused on a highly successful PTT grant by Chandra Reedy on Thin-Section Petrography of Stone and Ceramic Cultural Materials. The April 2012 workshop is open to 20 conservation professionals and will be held at the research laboratories of the National Conservation Training ...

July 10-12, 2012 at the Presidio of San Francisco, California NCPTT in conjunction with the Presidio Trust and the Friends of NCPTT will host a three day summit on digital documentation for the preservation of cultural heritage. The program features two days of contributed papers and a poster session, followed by a third day of field ...

Human skeletal remains from archeological sites are often studied to determine historical information such as sex, age, and health, among other facts.  The information from individuals can be used to better understand a population and the culture of a past people.  With the aid of a Preservation Technology and Training Grant, Dr. Shannon Hodge at ...

This webinar will cover the basics needed for Cemetery Documentation. The talk will run one hour of lecture with a following half hour for questions and answers. Topics covered in this talk will include an introduction to documentation surveys and forms followed by an overview of definitions general needed in cemetery documentation. Definitions covered are ...

The major goals of this project involved: laboratory set-up; synthesis of Ca(OH) 2 nano- particles; cordage sample acquisition; development of a research design; preliminary testing of solutions and solvents; mechanical and aging studies; analytical characterization; imaging and data collection; and report preparation. The project has demonstrated that aqueous dispersions of calcium hydroxide nano-particles are not ...

Paul Whitmore, director of Carnegie Mellon University’s Art Conservation Research Center (ACRC), has developed a portable device that can be used to determine how exposure to visible light and ultraviolet (UV) rays affect the colors on a work of art, providing vital information that can be used to better preserve the artwork.

Growth of salt crystals within the pores of stone can cause serious damage. Salt may enter with ground water or be created by reaction of the minerals in the stone with atmospheric pollutants. As water evaporates from the pores of the stone, the salt concentration rises and the crystals grow until they approach the pore ...

While archaeologists have had some success identifying who made ceramics and where they made them, these techniques relied on removing a sample and complex instrumentation. The Virginia Department of Historic Resources (VDHR) used portable x-ray fluorescence (XRF) instrumentation as a tool to determine the geographic origin of Native American ceramics.

With a PTT grant funded by NCPTT, a research team including conservators from the New York State Bureau of Historic Sites, scientists with the Physics Department of Union College, Schenectady, New York, and scientists from the nanotechnology industry began experimenting with nanoparticles to advance conservation treatments in the field of historic preservation. This collaboration ...

Hola, en este video le estaremos enseñando los procedimientos básicos para limpiar lápidas de piedra. Hay dos cosas que se deben de recordar: lo primero es que siempre hay que asegurarse de la seguridad personal y lo segundo es no hacer daño a la lápida como tal.

We are looking for proposals which develop new technologies or adapt existing technologies to preserve cultural resources. Call for Proposals (Details of the grants program) Optional Pre-Proposal (Due October 1, 2011) Submit Grant Proposal (Due October 17, 2011)

Preparing your collection for a disaster could greatly increase what survives. Northeast Document Conservation Center recommends to first prepare an emergency preparedness plan. This will allow your staff to respond quickly before, during and after a disaster with explict instructions that will provide the best practices for preparing and salvaging your collections. ...

This presentation is part of the International Cemetery Preservation Summit, April 8-10, 2014 Niagara Falls, NY. Saving and Preserving Burial Grounds of Enslaved African Americans by Sandra A. Arnold Development of the Burial Database Project of Enslaved African Americans began from independent research conducted by Sandra Arnold (Fordham University) after she discovered the burial site of her ...

This presentation is part of the International Cemetery Preservation Summit, October 8-10, 2014 Niagara Falls, NY. Returning the Forest to Forest Lawn: Tree Planting Strategies for Historic Landscapes by Matthew Quirey Matthew Quirey:  Good afternoon. Thanks for having me. Today, it’s my pleasure to talk about the Forest Lawn landscape renewal plan and returning the forest to ...

NCPTT, in partnership with Monroe County History Center at Indiana University, will conduct a workshop focused on the techniques and knowledge needed to preserve ornamental ironwork in an architectural setting, October 7-8, 2011 in Bloomington, Ind..  The class will be split between classroom lectures and in the field hands-on activities. For more information contact Jason ...

Since the summer of 2010, NCPTT has been actively researching the removal of crude oil from objects and sites of cultural significance, such as Fort Livingston. This 19th century coastal fort on Grand Terre Island, Louisiana, was badly contaminated by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Our scientists visited the site twice last year to ...

In the wake of recent oil spills, many in the public sector recognized a need for concise, reliable information to protect cultural heritage from the long-term effects of crude oil. In particular, government officials, archeologists, and preservation professionals wanted to know the risks associated with crude oil contamination on buried and submerged archeological objects and ...

In 2004, the Department of Veteran Affairs National Cemetery Administration turned to NCPTT when it wanted advice on chemical cleaners for their marble headstones. This began and partnership and extensive research on the subject of commercially available cleaners for removing biological growth and general soiling from marble headstones. This week, NCPTT’s Mary Striegel reported the results ...

Tuesday, August 2, 2011 at 2:00 pm EDT Theresa Anne Voellinger, Paper/Photograph Conservator, Harpers Ferry Center, National Park Service will join us to discuss the Connecting to Collections Online Community’s Featured Resource for August – the online video series Cold Storage:  A Long-Term Preservation Strategy for Film-Based Photographic Materials. To join these events, go to http://www.connectingtocollections.org/ and visit the meeting ...

Wednesday, July 20, 2011 at 3:00 pm EDT Led by Barbara Cumberland, Conservator, Museum Conservation Services at the Harpers Ferry Center, National Park Service, and Carol DiSalvo, Integrated Pest Management Coordinator at the National Park Service. The following resources are recommended for this webinar: Identifying Museum Insect Pest Damage (PDF) 11 Step Process for Implementing an Integrated Pest ...

Have you ever been to Gettysburg or other battlefield sites and noticed the condition of the outdoor sculptures? Or, closer to home, are there any commemorative markers or metal plaques on your way to work today that are in poor condition? Most National Parks and almost every town square have at least one outdoor ...

This talk is part of the Fountain Fundamentals Conference, July 10-11, 2013, Kansas City, MO. Alexander Calder’s “Hello Girls”; a Wind and Water Driven Non-Interactive Feature by John Hirx Abstract Alexander Calder was commissioned to create “Hello Girls”, a wind and water activated sculpture, for the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) when the museum was established ...

This talk is part of the Fountain Fundamentals Conference, July 10-11, 2013, Kansas City, MO. Kansas City Water Quality by  David Greene This presentation will provide an overview of federal drinking water regulations, typical municipal water supply chemical/biological characteristics, and premise plumbing (e.g. fountains) issues related to water quality. Speaker Bio David Greene is the Laboratory Manager at the ...

This talk is part of the Fountain Fundamentals Conference. Gilded Water Fountains Fabrication/Conservation/ Maintenance by William Adair A presentation on the specific issues encountered with the restoration of a contemporary outdoor gilded water fountain, “The Spirit of American Youth”. The gilded replica was based on the original artwork done  in 1953 by Donald Harcourt De Lue (1897-1988), The ...

This talk is part of the Fountain Fundamentals Conference, July 10-11, 2013, Kansas City, MO. Toward Better Treatment of Cast-Iron Fountains with Zinc Statues by Carol Grissom Abstract: The first statue to decorate a publicly financed fountain in the United States was William Rush’s wooden Water Nymph and Bittern, made for Philadelphia’s new water works in 1809.  Fountains ...

This talk is part of the Fountain Fundamentals Conference, July 10-11, 2013, Kansas City, MO. South Florida Fountain Conservation: Case Studies of the treatment of several fountains in a tropical environment by Justine Posluszny Bello Abstract: Fountain conservation requires treating historic elements within an active and public environment whose operational needs may directly conflict with those of the ...

Welcome to the Preservation Technology podcast; the show that brings you the people and projects that are advancing the future of America’s heritage. I’m Kevin Ammons with the National Park Service’s National Center for Preservation Technology and Training. Today we join Jason Church as he speaks with Karen Pavelka, a lecturer in the School of ...

What will students learn from the “Conservation Scientist for a Day” program? Students will learn about: The role of the conservation scientist, The Scientific Method, Conservation, Cultural heritage, X-ray fluorescence (XRF) theory, The Metric System, Chemical analysis testing, and Safety in the laboratory setting.

May 18-19, 2011 Savannah, GA The purpose of this event is to educate people about the differences in cast and wrought iron and preservation/restoration methods for each type of material. This workshop will be useful to anyone who cares for historic buildings (that contain railings, balconies, or other decorative elements), parks, or cemeteries. $399 Registration $299 Student Registration – ...

The National Science Foundation has awarded a $360,000 three-year grant for preservation research to the University of Southern Mississippi, Hybrid Plastics, and the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training (NCPTT). The research team is developing new stone strengtheners, also called consolidants, based on the latest advances in polymer science. “This National Science Foundation grant creates ...

Can chemistry lead to better understanding of archeological objects?  Ask Dr. Evan Peacock from the Cobb Institute of Archaeology at Mississippi State University.  With funding from NCPTT, Peacock is using an analytical technique called Laser Ablation-inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) analyzing spoons made of freshwater mussel shell.  Spoons like these were used to smooth pottery ...

NCPTT made a second visit to Fort Livingston, Grand Terre Island, in September, 2010. Eight surface washing agents were tested for their effectiveness in removing weathered crude oil from the brick masonry at the fort. A few of the products tested were somewhat effective, removing approximately 50% to 70% of the surface soiling from the ...

Location: Sand Hill, TX Date: April 2011 Partner: Stephen F. Austin State University Description: This cemetery basics workshop is targeted to the parks seasonal interpretation staff, regular yearly staff, and family members of the cemeteries located at the park. This one to two day workshop will focus on cemetery documentation, condition assessment, master plans, simple resetting techniques, and ...

Location: Saint Augustine, FL Date: April 1-2, 2011 Partner: University of Florida This multiday cemetery workshop will focus on a variety of cemetery materials and conservation treatments. This includes proper cleaning and consolidation techniques for stone grave markers, lime washing of build features, and simple repair techniques for stone. A small class of 15-20 will be comprised ...

This Cemetery Monument Conservation Basics workshop is a partnership between Great Smokey Mountains National Park and NCPTT. It is targeted to the parks seasonal interpretation staff, regular yearly staff, and family members of the cemeteries located at the park. This one to two day workshop will focus on cemetery documentation, condition assessment, master plans, simple ...

NCPTT has partnered with the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency and Springdale Cemetery Association to offer Cemetery Monument Conservation Basics in Peoria, IL. This cemetery basics workshop is targeted to the nonprofessional, such as church sextons, genealogists, cemetery grounds workers, and family members. This one day workshop will focus on cemetery documentation, condition assessment, master ...

NCPTT staff visited Fort Livingston, Grand Terre Island, on June 16, 2010 to evaluate the condition of the structure and the amount of oil contamination; to conduct field tests on cleaning methods; and to collect oil, water, and oil-contaminated sand samples for further testing in the laboratory. The amount of oil and area of contamination ...

The University of Wisconsin at Madison recently wrapped-up a research project begun in 1910 to examine the long-term performance of concrete samples stored under different conditions. When Owen Withey, a professor of mechanics at the university, began his study at the turn of the last century there had been little scientific research of concrete and ...

In this edition of the Preservation Technology Podcast, we join NCPTT’s Jason Church as he speaks with Derek Patton, Assistant Professor in the School of Polymers and High Performance Materials at The University of Southern Mississippi. NCPTT is partnering with USM and Hybrid Plastics on a National Science Foundation grant to advance the science of ...

The NCPTT 2010 Annual Report outlines research, training, and grant activities undertaken by the Center during FY2010. NCPTT advances the application of science and technology to historic preservation. Working in the fields of archeology, architecture, landscape architecture and materials conservation, the Center accomplishes its mission through training, education, research, technology transfer and partnerships.

This database of micrographs of textile fibers acquired through the use of multiple microscopic techniques contains 145 collections with 1404 individual files, and requires 23GB of storage space. Each file contains a high resolution image with text fields that delineate image location and size, image collection information, microscopy technique and details of the features presented ...

Researchers at NCPTT are discovering new treatments for historic stone conservation with the help of Hybrid Plastics, the University of Southern Mississippi, and a grant from the National Science Foundation.  The team is developing new stone strengtheners, also called consolidants, based on the latest advances in polymer science.  The National Science Foundation is awarding the ...

In this video we will discuss a traditional Louisiana construction method called Bousillage. Bousillage is a Louisiana French term for walls made of mud. The origins of the word comes from Bous which means mud. Louisiana’s bousillage techniques appear s to be a blending of French and Native American traditions. Both cultures employed similar mud walled ...

Some of the world’s most famous art will never appear in a gallery. Indeed, outdoor bronze sculpture may spend decades or centuries outdoors, exposed to pollution and extreme weather conditions. Researchers at North Dakota State University (NDSU) used a grant from NCPTT to study ways to test and develop a coating system to resist corrosion ...

This document is written as general guidance for property owners, as well as state and federal officials, for the care of historic structures facing the impact of oil contamination from releases of crude oil in marine and terrestrial environments, whether from oil tankers, drilling rigs, wells, offshore platforms, or pipeline breaks and failures.

The effects of oil contamination on cultural resources will continue to be a challenge to the Gulf Coast region for years to come. NCPTT is meeting this challenge with technical research support for state and federal land managers, and for the public.

In this edition of the podcast, we join NCPTT’s Jason Church as he speaks with Tony Rajer. He is an Art Conservator with the Nek Chand Foundation and a conservation professor at the University of Wisconsin. Today they will discuss Rajer’s interest in folk art and his work with the Rock Garden in Chandigarh, India.

For conservators working with iron, rust is always a consideration.  In museum collections or in our homes, we easily encounter rusty fences, grates, car parts, artwork and collectibles.  Iron oxide (commonly called rust) results from the natural oxidation of iron by oxygen.  Some metals, like bronze, can form a protective layer of corrosion products called ...

In this episode of the Preservation Technology Podcast, we join NCPTT’s Jason Church as he speaks with Vern Mesler, adjunct professor at Lansing Community College. They will discuss the “Preservation of Iron and Steel and Bridges and Other Metal Structures Workshop,” which was funded by a grant from the National Center.

Salt damage is one of the leading causes of deterioration of monuments and historical buildings. While this problem is widespread, proper prevention methods are not understood, leading to remedies that sometimes cause additional harm. Princeton University is tackling the problem by using strategies to better understand the salt/water/pore interface. University researchers are using a PTT ...

In an ongoing commitment to promote heritage education in historic preservation, the Materials Research Program at NCPTT recently hosted two school groups. On Friday, March 12, thirty-four Avoyelles Public Charter School high school juniors took part in the “Conservation Scientist for a Day” lesson. For this the students studied French colonial and Native American pottery using ...

Many fallen or sunken grave markers are too large or weigh too much to be reset by hand. For these markers a mechanical hoisting or lifting system must be used. There are many types of lifting systems in use from very complex cranes and truck mounted hydraulic booms to less complex gantries and tripod hoists. ...

Have you ever wondered what kind of metal that object was made of?  Or perhaps you needed to read the inscription of a coin that was corroded.  Maybe you have a laboratory with a limited research budget and need to study a collection of firearms.  NCPTT is researching new applications for an old technology: Eddy ...

NCPTT has internships available in the fields of historic architecture, materials conservation, and historic landscapes. Positions include 10-week historic architecture and materials conservation summer internships and a 6-month historic landscapes internship.

The Konica Minolta Vivid 9i 3-D LASER scanner has been used to create better computer graphics in movies such as Bolt and The Golden Compass. It was also used to make online museums, such as the Virtual Hampson Museum, with 3-D images of every artifact. Now NCPTT will expand its use into the preservation field.

This project involved developing a new method for using the chemical content of freshwater mussel shell as a means of sourcing prehistoric, shell-tempered pottery and shell artifacts to their places of origin. By extension, this means that prehistoric trade and exchange networks can be mapped out. Because each waterway is chemically different to some extent, ...

A variety of materials and methods have been used to preserve ceramic vessels. Many have proven successful, while others are damaging. Monitoring and evaluation of past treatments is a documented research priority in the conservation field. The Arizona State Museum (ASM) has examined, recorded and analyzed the performance of past treatments on ...

The best preservation decisions are based on first-hand knowledge.  NCPTT is creating new technology-based information for people active in hands-on preservation and conservation. NCPTT contributed its first-hand knowledge to the Department of Defense in 2009.  Recently, the DOD wished to establish a series of standard rehabilitation treatments for better management of its built heritage.  Initial drafts ...

Ohio State University is looking to provide ethnobotanists, archeologists and analysts with a new way to identify fibers found in prehistoric artifacts. Through a grant from NCPTT, the university is creating an online database containing digital images, explanatory text and terminology that is designed to give researchers important information about artifacts.

A live webcast of the Nationwide Cemetery Preservation Summit was streamed on October 19. 2009. View the webcast.

Chemistry and Materials Research at the Interface between Science and Art: Thoughts from an NSF Workshop co-sponsored by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and Northwestern University In July, I was invited to participate in a National Science Foundation workshop entitled “Chemistry and Materials Research at the Interface between Science and Art.”  I had the good fortune ...

In this episode, Jason Church speaks with Curtis Deselles, an intern with the Materials Research program at NCPTT, discusses the use of eddy currents and eddy current technology in conservation science. Mr. Deselles has built several eddy current analyzers, custom software, and presented on this topic at a non-destructive conference in St. Louis. NCPTT has been ...

The Cultural Landscape Foundation (TCLF) is creating a new, interactive way of preserving historic landscapes. Slated for launch in October, the PTTGrant-funded “What’s Out There” project will raise awareness about the wide range and diversity of historic landscape design through a collaborative Wikipedia-style website. The site will enable users to directly contribute information, resulting in ...

NCPTT has completed the rewriting and editing of 12 Standard Treatments for the DOD. Sixteen additional treatments are under review, and DOD comments will be incorporated as they are received. This effort is directed at improving the technical content of the draft DOD treatment standards and the stewardship of DOD cultural resources.

NCPTT’s Mary Striegel participated in a National Science Foundation/Andrew Mellon Foundation workshop held to examine and improve the state of science used to study, preserve and protect cultural patrimony. Forty participants met to identify areas where new research in basic science can provide a foundation for significant improvements in understanding the way art and artifacts were ...

Today we are joining NCPTT’s Jason Church as he speaks with Claire Dean of Dean Associates of Conservation Services about using lasers to remove graffiti from rock art. Rock art or rock imagery is the common term for paintings and carvings on rock and in North America that is mostly associated with native communities. Download Episode ...

When the use of the internet for communication is exploding exponentially, the economics of California and Stanford University has brought an end to the Conservation Online DistList and Archives (CoOL).

Schedule and abstracts for the Nationwide Cemetery Preservation Summit from October 19-21, 2009 in Nashville, Tennessee. Register before September 11, 2009 for $299 ($399 thereafter). Key sessions are expected to include Archeology, Mapping and Documentation, Landscapes, Engineering Challenges, Issues in National Cemeteries, and Materials Conservation.

We do not advocate the use of shaving cream for investigating inscriptions on stone. The shaving cream has natural emollients for softening the skin. These emollients have oils and moisture holding agents that can have detrimental effects on the stone.

NCPTT and Hybrid Plastics are partnering to make and use POSS modified polymers in preservation applications. Researchers and preservationists discussed the potential of developing new nanotechnologies for application to preservation problems.

NCPTT is soliciting oral and poster presentations that focus on research and innovation in cemetery conservation and preservation for the NCPTT’s Nationwide Cemetery Preservation Summit to be held in Nashville, Tenn., October 19-21, 2009.

This course emphasizes sound maintenance techniques for cemetery and commemorative monuments that are sustainable, cyclic, non-invasive, and do no harm. The course will address documentation, maintenance plans, stone deterioration, cleaning, and resetting headstones.

This course emphasizes sound maintenance technqiues for historic iron fences. These resources could be located around cemetery markers, commemorative monuments, or architectural features.

Mary Striegel will be the keynote speaker at the annual meeting of the American Society for Non-destructive Testing, to be held March 17 in St. Louis, Mo.

This lecture is part of the 2009 Nationwide Cemetery Preservation Summit Conservation of Cemetery Monuments, Memorials, and Statuary Made of Zinc By Carol A. Grissom Zinc is a, for those of you who are unaware, is a dull grey metal. It was not successfully smelted in the west until the end of the 18th century, and it ...

This lecture is part of the 2009 Nationwide Cemetery Preservation Summit Geospatial Mapping and Thematic Documentation of Historic Cemeteries by Allison Duncan and Andrew Kohr Abstract: The goal of this presentation is to demonstrate how current technology including GIS mapping, spatial analysis, and thematic documentation provide new dimensions to the analysis of historic cemeteries. Expanding upon traditional methods ...

This lecture is part of the 2009 Nationwide Cemetery Preservation Summit A Survey of Stone Consolidation Methods: The case study of a sculptural monument at Forest Lawn Cemetery by Lauren Paige Isaacs All right, so I’m real excited to be sitting here and kicking off materials section. As a conservator, that’s how I think on a regular ...

Recent research reveals bacteria may be the biggest ally in the fight to preserve ancient artifacts from erosion and deterioration.

This lecture is part of the 2009 Nationwide Cemetery Preservation Summit ‘Make it Better than it Was’: Poor Design and New Problems in Cemetery Restoration by Robert Russel So, I’m the only thing standing between you and a drink. You’ll be happy to see that the paper is written. Before I start, though, I have to thank ...

This lecture is part of the 2009 Nationwide Cemetery Preservation Summit Reverend Nathaniel Chauncey, Jr. Crypt, Old Burying Ground, Durham, Connecticut by Francis Miller Hello everyone. Durham Connecticut is a pretty rural community in Connecticut, it’s almost mid-state and not too far way from Middletown and by that approximately pretty close to Portland, Connecticut where so ...

This lecture is part of the 2009 Nationwide Cemetery Preservation Summit (Re) removal and (Re) relocation of gravestones: First (Scots) Presbyterian Church, Charleston, South Carolina by Frances H. Ford Hi. Let’s see if I make this work. A little overview of what I’m going to speak about this afternoon. First I’ll give you a short history ...

The topic is the use of eddy currents for identification of metals (ferrous and non-ferrous), measuring the thickness of corrosion, and the recovery of serial numbers and/or images beneath corrosion.

NCPTT is organizing a session on non-destructive testing in historic preservation as part of the American Society for Non-destructive Testing’s meeting on March 17, 2009 in St. Louis.

The conservation of the King Kamehameha I sculpture in North Kohola, Hawai`I demonstrates a dynamic of public involvement in conservation.

Limewash is enjoying renewed interest as a protectant for historic structures, thanks in part to research undertaken by NCPTT and its partners.

This lecture is part of the 2009 Nationwide Cemetery Preservation Summit The Evolution of Government Headstones and Markers by Jennifer M. Perunko Any narrower version of the headstones. They were inconsistent. They were very fragile. The names, depending on the length, were either inscribed flat or they were curved. This continued. Again, more reality not what the ...

This lecture is part of the 2009 Nationwide Cemetery Preservation Summit Comparative Study of Commercially Available Cleaners for Use on Federally-issued Headstones by Jason Church As Mary Stein here just walked by, we compared a study that NCPTT has began, several years ago now. It’s been a ongoing study for many reasons, we’ll talk about that. What ...

This lecture is part of the 2009 Nationwide Cemetery Preservation Summit Piece by Piece: The Restoration of Battleground National Cemetery by Catherine Dewey and Simone Monteleone Moffett Good afternoon. Battleground National Cemetery, an administrative unit of Rock Creek Park is located in the Northwest corner of Washington D.C. Originally located within the battlefield associated with the Battle ...

This lecture is part of the 2009 Nationwide Cemetery Preservation Summit What is historic? Issues at Poplar Grove National Cemetery by Elizabeth Dinger I thank you so much for the chance to talk a place that means a great deal to me, and a special thank you to Dr. Streagle and Jason Sharpe for their kind invitation. ...

This lecture is part of the 2009 Nationwide Cemetery Preservation Summit National Cemeteries: Post-Civil War Landscapes in Transition by Sara Amy Leach Before we go on to the cover slide, which is the Nashville National Cemetery Sketch, circa 1869. The formative era, for national cemeteries, in the United States, was induced by the Civil War. Began in ...

This lecture is part of the 2009 Nationwide Cemetery Preservation Summit GIS Tools for the Cultural Resource Management of Cemeteries by James Stein Thank you. I’m going to talk about using GIS for cemetery management and, specifically, cultural resource management within cemeteries. Basically, as you all know, a lot of times, information about cemeteries just is not ...

This lecture is part of the 2009 Nationwide Cemetery Preservation Summit African American Material Culture in Cemetery Trees by Rolonda Teal Hello. Can y’all hear me? Okay, great. All right, I’m going to be talking to you today about African American material culture that is starting to appear in landscape. Today I’m going to be talking about ...

This lecture is part of the 2009 Nationwide Cemetery Preservation Summit Mount Auburn by Kelly Streeter, Kent Diebolt, William Barry, and Natalie Wampler Kelly Streeter: Hi I’m Kelly Streeter and I wanted to start by explaining a little bit about how someone from a company called Vertical Access ends up at a cemetery preservation summit. I ...

This lecture is part of the 2009 Nationwide Cemetery Preservation Summit Case study of the restoration of the Monument at Massacre Bay, A’asu, Tutuila, American Samoa by Martin Johnson and Irving Slavid Irving Slavid: Thank you and good morning. This presentation is going to be in two parts. I’m going to give the presentation about the condition ...

This lecture is part of the 2009 Nationwide Cemetery Preservation Summit Balancing Cultural Considerations and Preservation Priorities at a Historic African American Cemetery by Dr. D. L. Henderson Presenter: Good Morning, everyone. Good morning, everyone! Audience: Good Morning Presenter: Thank you. You have just participated in a cultural performance that’s referred to as a call and response. The speaker ...

This lecture is part of the 2009 Nationwide Cemetery Preservation Summit Preservation Issues of Wooden Grave Markers and Other Wooden Artifacts by Ronald W. Anthony and Kimberly D. Dugan Good afternoon. Thank you for sticking with me for the final presentation of the afternoon. Now for something completely different. Wood is not stone as I have found out from ...

This lecture is part of the 2009 Nationwide Cemetery Preservation Summit New Approaches to Detect and Remediate Microbial Deterioration by Nick Konkol, Chris McNamara, Joseph Sembrat, Mark Rabinowitz, and Ralph Mitchell Nick Konkol: Hi. I think I should take a second here to tell you a little bit about Professor Mitchell’s laboratory, the laboratory that I work in. ...

This lecture is part of the 2009 Nationwide Cemetery Preservation Summit Performance-based Evaluation of Materials & Methods for Monument Conservation by Norman R. Weiss and Irving Salvid Norman: You’ve heard the title of the lecture, let me give you an idea of what it’s going to be about using this opening slide. This is a place that ...

This lecture is part of the 2009 Nationwide Cemetery Preservation Summit Historic Plants for Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century American Cemeteries by Cothran Abstract: While considerable efforts within recent years have been devoted to cultural, religious, and physical aspects of eighteenth and nineteenth century American cemeteries, little attention has been devoted to the identification and documentation of historic plants ...

This lecture is part of the 2009 Nationwide Cemetery Preservation Summit Maintenance: The Forgotten Variable by Debi Hacker and Michael Trinkley Abstract: In industry the concept of preventive or preventative maintenance is accepted, if not always acted on. The limiting factor is always funding and, over the past decade, as budgets shrank, so too did the attention directed ...

This lecture is part of the 2009 Nationwide Cemetery Preservation Summit Planning for Municipally?Owned Cemetery Preservation by Patricia M. O’Donnell and Sarah K. Cody Abstract: Many cities and towns have cemetery landscapes that once shone as pockets of green space, serving as much needed burial grounds and welcome respites from bustling city streets. Over time, as City resources have ...

This lecture is part of the 2009 Nationwide Cemetery Preservation Summit Wright-Whitesell-Gentry Cemetery Excavation and Relocation by Nancy Ross Stallings and Stephen Nawrocki Abstract: The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) recently authorized, funded, and coordinated the excavation and relocation, in its entirety, of the Wright-Whitesell-Gentry Cemetery (12Ma944). This rural mid-late nineteenth century extended family cemetery had been located ...

Carol Chin has joined NCPTT as a joint faculty researcher in the National Center’s Materials Research Program. The position is held in partnership with Northwestern State University of Louisiana

This lecture is part of the 2009 Nationwide Cemetery Preservation Summit Geophysical Investigations of Historic Cemeteries: Results and Implications by Duane Simpson and Ryan Peterson Abstract: Geophysical investigations conducted within marked and unmarked cemeteries throughout the Midwest, southeast, and beyond have provided a wealth of information. Geophysical investigations have aided in delineating poorly defined cemetery boundaries, provided insights ...

This lecture is part of the 2009 Nationwide Cemetery Preservation Summit Thinking Outside the Fence: A Comprehensive Model for Historic Cemetery Management by Natalie Wampler Abstract: What Happened to the historic cemetery? Why are so many in a state of decline, disrepair, or abandonment? This presentation examines the root causes of historic cemetery’s struggles ranging from the lack of ...

This lecture is part of the 2009 Nationwide Cemetery Preservation Summit Algal Populations on Military Gravestones and Possible Control by Biological Methods Abstract: Green algae are common colonizers of stone throughout the world and reports of the growth of this group of organisms on buildings and monuments come from across Europe, south-east Asia, Central, North and South America. ...

NCPTT researchers, in partnership with masonry experts from NPS Historic Preservation Training Center, recently completed a study to develop treatments for use on marble monuments in Historic Congressional Cemetery.

The grant allowed for documentation of traditional language, foods, music and the cultural landscapes associated with the Timbisha Shoshone people in their aboriginal territories.

2006 NCPTT Grant to Harvard University, “Development of a Rapid Indicator of Biodeterioration of Historic Stone.” Biodeterioration plays an important role in the degradation of stone in historic buildings, monuments, and archeological sites.

This six minute video explains how to prepare and apply limewash.

NCPTT was awarded the Oliver Torrey Fuller Award at the Association of Preservation Technology International (APTI) conference in October.

NCPTT’s held its sixth annual Cemetery Monument Conservation workshop October 7-9, 2008, in New London, Connecticut. Twenty-six registrants participated in a variety of hands-on sessions.

NCPTT has received the PTT grant product “Wooden Artifacts in Cemeteries: A Reference Manual,” submitted by the Historic Preservation Commission; the City of Aspen, Colorado, and Anthony & Associates.

NCPTT and the NPS Historic Preservation Training Center (HPTC) are partnering with the Veterans Administration’s National Cemetery Administration to complete cleaning treatment studies on the U.S. Arsenal Monument in Historic Congressional Cemetery. Based on research and training by NCPTT’s Jason Church, HPTC staff will undertake intermittent misting cleaning of the Arsenal Monument during November. This ...

This report provides information and progress on the comparative study of commercially available cleaners for federally issued headstones.

Traditional thin-section analysis techniques such as tedious manual point counting are time consuming and require numerous measures. The use of visual estimation charts produce results of questionable accuracy.

In this study, Inspired Partnerships, a non-profit organization in Chicago, investigated the virtues and liabilities of various protective glazing installations over stained glass.

This manual teaches communities and neighborhoods how to complete their own historic resource surveys and share that information quickly.

This video covers a workshop on the conservation and restoration of stained glass.

A critical and long-standing challenge in the preservation field has been finding unmarked graves.

NCPTT’s materials research program hosted representatives from Hybrid Plastics. The company specializes in new resin and plastics based on a new chemical technology called POSS.

NCPTT’s Curtis Deselles, a graduate student in the Masters of Heritage Resources program at Northwestern State University of Louisiana, is developing a handheld metal tester using eddy current technology.

NCPTT and the City of New London will deliver the sixth annual New England Cemetery Monument Conservation workshop on October 7-9, 2008, in New London, Conn.

NCPTT is developing better strategies for the removal of graffiti from brick masonry buildings.

Molly McGath, NCPTT summer intern, is studying interactions between air pollution and limestone treated with commonly used chemical stone strengtheners.

More than $165,000 will fund research to protect America’s historic legacy as part of the National Center for Preservation Technology & Training’s PTT Grants program.

The National Center for Preservation Technology and Training (NCPTT) and Northwestern State University seek a Ph.D. analytical, organic, or physical chemist to fill a joint-faculty position for two years, with an option for annual renewal pending availability of funds.

Anna Johnson, a high-school junior at the Louisiana School for Math, Science and the Arts, took NCPTT research to the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, Atlanta, Ga. on May 11-16.

Stace Miller, a longtime undergraduate intern at NCPTT, received a B.S. in chemistry and an B.S. in Math from Northwestern State University of Louisiana on May 9.

NCPTT and the Department of Veteran Affairs, National Cemetery Administration has released the interim report entitled, Comparative Study of Commercially Available Cleaners for use on Federally-issued Headstones.

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art recently provided a portable laser system to NCPTT as part of the National Center’s laser research facility.

This report is an executive summary of testing undertaken by NCPTT in partnership with the Cane River Creole National Historical Park (CARI) and Quality Finish.

NCPTT will host four interns in its materials research program this summer: Molly McGath, Catherine Arseneaux, Candida D’Avanzo, and Paige Isaacs.

The study tested a variety of limewash recipes for possible use on historic structures located in the Cane River Creole National Historical Park, located in central Louisiana.

Jason Church and Stace Miller presented results of NCPTT research at the annual meeting of the American Institute for Conservation in Denver Colorado, April 21-24.

$695 per participant. Topics Will Include: Condition Assessments, Conservation Ethics, Protection, Cleaning, Stone Loss Repairs, Bases and Resetting, Adhesion & Reinforced Repair, Consolidation.

Mary Striegel of NCPTT presented at the 2008 Louisiana Library Association Annual Meeting, held March 4-6 in Shreveport.

NCPTT interns Stace Miller and Bilal Khurshid were acknowledged for their research and professional presentations at NSU’s Annual College of Science and Technology banquet.

Six NCPTT staff members presented at Northwestern State University of Louisiana’s (NSU) annual research day on March 20.

NCPTT has been granted a cultural diversity intern for summer 2008 through the NPS Cultural Resources Diversity Internship Program.

A new Perkin Elmer Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FTIR) spectrometric microscope was recently installed in the NCPTT research labs.

NCPTT recently provided technical assistance to the Louisiana State Exhibit Museum in Shreveport regarding concerns about the condition of several archeological copper objects associated with the Gahagan burials that were excavated in the 1930s.

Materials Research Chief Mary Striegel and Materials Conservator Jason Church conduct a TEL NPS course “Essentials in Cemetery Monument Care.”

NCPTT hosted the American Chemical Society Regional Chapter Meeting on Nov. 27 in Lee H. Nelson Hall. The meeting included a banquet dinner and guest lecture by Dr. Mary Robert Garrett on synthesis of enantioenriched beta-ketoesters.

Development of a Rapid Indicator of Biodeterioration of Historic Stone. Ralph Mitchell, principal investigator, and Christopher J. McNamara, of Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences worked to identify microbial species for possible use as a microbiological indicator for identification of stone deterioration.

NCPTT held the Southeast Cemetery Monument Conservation Workshop at St. Michaels Cemetery, Pensacola, Florida on October 23-25, 2007.

In the interest of saving as much historic fabric as possible and not altering or scarring historic materials as a result of investigative probes, architectural conservators look to nondestructive testing methods for the evaluation and identification of materials, conditions and alterations made to structures over time.

Recovery specialists need to have a clear sense of the pros and cons of existing treatment options before they can respond effectively.

Swelling clays in stone can generate damaging stresses during a wetting or a drying cycle, which leads to deterioration of building stones such as Portland Brownstone.

Materials Conservator Jason Church demonstrates how to properly repair an iron fence.

This project is about saving historic wooden artifacts in cemeteries. Cemeteries are important repositories of local and national history, valued not only for the stories they tell, but also for their emotional and civic connections.

This study evaluates the physical effects of drying waterlogged archaeological wood using supercritical carbon dioxide as compared to air drying and the polyethlene gylcol (PEG)/freeze drying method.

NCPTT’s Sarah Jackson along with colleagues Mary Striegel and Tye Botting were awarded the Oliver Torrey Fuller Award for their article, “Durability of Traditional and Modified Limewash.”

This thorough website was built and designed as a clearinghouse of information on videotape preservation.

Caleb Johnson recently joined NCPTT’s materials research program as a graduate assistant.

NCPTT’s Jason Church presented the results of recent research on the scaling and deterioration of granite monuments.

NCPTT worked with consultant Margaret Abraham to complete the NSU/NCPTT joint laser research facility and undertake safety and operational training.

The Department of Veteran Affairs agreed to fund NCPTT’s two-year continuation of the comparative study of commercially available cleaners for use on federally issued headstones.

Debra Elaine Dandridge, Lichens: The Challenge for Rock Art Conservation, a Ph.D. dissertation submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies, Texas A&M University.

Dr. Catherine Situma joined the NCPTT materials research program in the NCPTT/NSU joint faculty position.

$695 per person. October 23-25, 2007.

Mary Striegel and Jason Church of NCPTT conducted a comprehensive condition assessment and documentation of the Macomb and the U.S. Arsenal Monuments in Washington, DC’s, historic Congressional Cemetery.

PTT Grant MT-2210-03-NC-05, Thin-Section Petrography of Cultural Materials: Comprehensive Resource and Training, Publication, Dr. Chandra Reedy, University of Delaware, Museum Studies Program.

San Antonio, TX · June 16, 2007. 9:00AM to 12:00 PM.

This work has leveraged additional funds through the purchase of an Infrared Camera by the University.

Eric Shindelholz, formerly The Mariners’ Museum, successfully concluded his grant research and submitted his final deliverables regarding his project to investigate the use of emerging technologies for drying waterlogged archeological wood artifacts.

NCPTT’s Mary Striegel and Jason Church completed a progress report, “Comparative Study of Commercially Available Cleaners for Use on Federally-Issued Headstones” for the Department of Veteran Affairs National Cemetery Administration.

Materials Conservator Jason Church demonstrates how to properly clean a stone grave marker.

Educators may find the following resources useful in teaching heritage education in the classroom.

Mary Striegel and Jason Church conducted visits to the Antietam National Battlefield and the Harper’s Ferry Conservation Center immediately after the TELNPS course.

On Feb. 1, NCPTT offered technical advice to the Historic Preservation Training Center about the cleaning and repair of 165 cenotaphs located in Congressional Cemetery in Washington, D.C.

A report on NCPTT’s research, entitled “Durability of Traditional and Modified Limewashes,” by Sarah M. Jackson and Mary F. Striegel, has been accepted by the APT Bulletin for publication in its Summer 2007 issue.

The work, which is funded by the National Cemetery Administration, began in Oct. 2006 and is expected to continue into FY 2008.

The cemetery, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was officially opened 1847 and its fence and walls were added in 1905.

Materials Research Chief Mary Striegel and Materials Conservator Jason Church conduct a TEL NPS course “Essentials in Cemetery Monument Care” broadcast on January 30, 2007.

Some natural science specimens and ethnographic artifacts in museums were historically treated with arsenic and mercury salts. This has created an environmental concern for museum workers and the public who may be exposed to these toxins. In addition, museums are frequently being asked to return sacred objects under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation ...

Mary Striegel represented NCPTT at the American Institute for Conservation (AIC) board meeting, held Nov. 2-4, 2006.

NCPTT materials research staff Dr. Tye Botting and Sarah Jackson presented research at the annual APTI conference on Sept. 15, 2006, in Atlanta.

National Parks at a Turning Point focuses on air pollution effects in the National Parks and highlights what the National Park Service is doing about it.

NCPTT is partnering with NSU to set up a lab to research lasers as a method for safely cleaning historic materials.

NCPTT was awarded the Harriette Merrifield Forbes Award for its Cemetery Preservation Initiative.

NCPTT materials conservator Jason Church was selected from applicants across the United States to participate in the 2006 Metals Conservation Summer Institute.

NCPTT graduate intern Caitlin O’Grady has begun a study to examine scale that has been widely found on granite headstones.

Results are available on the durability of traditional and modified limewashes tested by NCPTT.

NCPTT is moving forward with the second phase of a two-year study to evaluate the effectiveness of commercial chemical cleaners for the removal of biological growth and dirt from federally issued headstones.

May 13, 2006 at the Holiday Inn by the Bay, Portland, Maine

NCPTT worked in conjunction with the American Institute for Conservation to produce the workshop series, “After the Storm: Recovery of Wet Collections,” which was held in March.

NCPTT is expanding its training in Cemetery Monument Conservation to three levels in 2006: Basic, Introductory, and Advanced.

The focus of this project was to investigate test methods for determining water vapor transmission (WVT) rates in mortar and to assign appropriate WVT rates for specific hydraulic and non-hydraulic restoration mortars.

This publication studies three monitoring systems and efforts to eliminate termites at San Cristobal and El Morro of the San Juan National Historical Site in Puerto Rico.

In 2003, NCPTT supported research that studied biodeterioration on metallic monuments. Ralph Mitchell, Professor at Harvard University’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, employed electrochemical impedence spectroscopy to analyze the susceptibility of monument coatings to degradation by indigenous microflora activity.

In 2003, the Infrared and Raman Users Group received NCPTT support to develop and implement an online collaborative database and bibliography of high quality infrared reference spectra. Currently, the database contains over 1250 spectra of oils, waxes, natural and synthetic resins, dyes, pigments, proteins, gums, and minerals.

Baits containing an insect growth regulator, hexaflumuron, were used in the historic Presbytere and the Creole House of the Cabildo, in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana, to control infestations of the Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes Formosanus Shiraki.

In 2002, researchers from North Dakota State University received funding from the NCPTT to study protective coatings for outdoor bronze sculpture and ornamentation. Previous research had shown that the most protective coatings tend to be impervious to conventional solvent removal techniques and that standard mechanical removal methods damage bronzes and their patinas. This ...

The purpose of this project was to develop improved consolidants for restoration of stone damaged by weathering. Conventional consolidants are organic polymers or silica gels, which are simple materials that do not permit matching of a range of properties of the stone. Later improvement of the suspension procedure resulted in consolidants that are much more stable ...

Termites are a significant structural pest in the United States, costing the public nearly $1.5 billion in damage each year.

This report presents a review of the literature followed by recommendations based on best practices for the analysis of historic cement-based materials. The report is geared towards the practicing analyst.

Because of the scale of contamination, gaseous fumigation with chlorine dioxide was proposed as the method of decontamination for the Senate building.

Phase 1 of this project used electrochemical characterization methods to evaluate coatings’ corrosion protective performance under conditions that directly emulated exposure to polluted atmospheres.

In 2001, North Dakota State University presented conclusions from the second year of a three year NCPTT funded project on outdoor bronze protective coatings. Coatings investigated include: a fluorocopolymer blended with various acrylics, conductive polymers, BTA pre-treatments, and a very fine titanium dioxide.

The objectives of this grant were to determine the responses of the microflora to contamination of historic limestone materials with atmospheric pollutants. We also studied the effects of these interactions on the deterioration of the materials.

Eddy current testing methods were used to characterize model gilding layers on bronzes and to make measurements on gilded bronze objects in the Freer Gallery of Art.

Knowledge of material properties, reactivity and history can be crucial to conservation treatment success and safety.

The role of air pollutants in the soiling of a limestone building was investigated by measuring pollutant airborne concentrations and deposition at different heights at the Cathedral of Learning in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

The ultimate goal of this three-phase research project was to develop new coating strategies through an increase in understanding of how coatings for outdoor bronze sculpture and ornamentation work and fail. The immediate objective of Phases II and III of the project was to determine the weathering performance of five medium to high performance coating ...

Infestation by the eastern subterranean termite, Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar), was found throughout the two ground floors of the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty National Monument.

Preservation 101 is an online course that will help you learn about the basics of preservation in the context of small and moderately-sized library or archival collections. This course was produced as one component of a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services awarded to the Northeast Document Conservation Center (NEDCC). The grant supported ...

This research addresses the continuing need for new coating strategies to protect outdoor bronzes from the effects of polluted environments.

The objective of this study was to develop a test method to measure the hardness of masonry mortars with a pendulum hammer.

There are only a handful of laboratories specialized in, and dedicated to, the study and analysis of cultural property.

NAPAP researchers exposed limestone and marble briquettes to weathering for months to years at several different sites. They sampled the briquettes and analyzed multiple layers for anion content.

In the summer of 1998, the Gerald R. Ford Conservation Center in Omaha, Nebraska hosted a seminar focusing on the restoration and conservation of three-dimensional and stained glass objects. Participants included conservators, professionals, and preservationists from all across the Midwest. During the five-day seminar, the Center provided lectures, educational materials and instruction, and hands-on learning ...

It is extremely difficult to determine how much of the deterioration observed on stones is due to “acid rain” since its action is not limited to one mechanism. Rather, it results from the interaction of various mechanisms, many of which also occur in natural weathering.

In 1998, NCPTT partially funded a research project that involved an investigation of rock paintings in the Lower Pecos River area of Texas.  Rock Art Research, the journal of the Australian Rock Art Research Association (AURA) and the International Federation of Rock Art Organizations (IFRAO), communicated results which were published by Elmo J. Mawk and ...

Sensitive building materials such as calcareous stone are subject to accelerated deterioration by several agents. These may be physical processes such as freeze-thaw cycles, chemical processes such as reaction with sulfur dioxide gas, or biological processes such as attack by microorganisms.

The analyses reported here indicate that the IUAM paintings have not been damaged by reaction with DEAE.

The CCI work is being carried out in two phases, with Phase 1 to establish appropriate analytical procedures for determining the presence and effects of DEAE on paintings, and Phase 2 to analyze the effects of DEAE and conservation treatments on DEAE contaminated paintings.

We developed a plasma-chemical technique to remove carbon from rock paintings. This extraction is followed by accelerator mass spectrometric analysis of the 14C to yield direct estimates of the ages of rock paintings. We have demonstrated use of the technique on charcoal as well as iron and manganese pigmented paintings. Unfortunately, there are no rock paintings made ...

The conservation community has expressed general dissatisfaction and frustration in numerous forums over current protective coatings used in the preservation of outdoor bronzes.

Considerable interest, as well as concern, exists within the profession of art and artifacts Conservation regarding the potential improvements which may be brought about by the introduction of laser-based methods of cleaning.

Simple book repair was defined as those repairs meeting the following criteria: the repair could be completed in a relatively short period of time, required a relatively low level of conservation skill and experience, and could be accomplished with available tools and supplies.

Visual inspection of the Chapel indicated that lateral movements, meteoric and ground water, and soluble salts are the main causes of deterioration of the Chapel’s facade and walls.

The AIC polled its membership in May 1996 via a mail-survey to provide an updated and refined list of the most critical needs for research and training in the field of materials conservation.

During rehabilitation of historic buildings, the question of how to treat the windows is inevitably raised. Within the decision-making process for deciding to replace or renovate an existing window, energy consideration should not be the primary criteria, but should not be ignored.

Numerous studies have shown that air pollutants can cause deterioration of sensitive materials. This problem is particularly important for buildings and monuments, where materials are chosen for structural support as well as for their aesthetic value.

The National Acid Precipitation Assessment Program (NAPAP) started in the early 1980s and has continued more or less to the present. At least parts of the program and resulting data have been inherited by the Materials Research Program of the recently established National Center for Preservation Technology and Training (NCPTT) of the National Park Service.

The web version of the Simple Book Repair Manual was created by members of Preservation Services, Dartmouth College Library.

Air pollution has been responsible for increasing the rate of deterioration of many historically and culturally valuable monuments.

2016-08_CyArk With support through a grant from the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training (NCPTT), CyArk developed a low-cost heritage documentation kit for use by heritage professionals around the world. The kit includes a digital camera, laser distance meter, tablet computer, GPS receiver and a compact tripod. Accompanying the kit are video tutorials on how ...

This is a pre-recorded webinar featuring moderator Steve Pine with presenters Dan Riley, Jason Church, and Melody Gayeski. All materials used by our presenters will be available for download. Steve Pine is Senior Conservator of Decorative Arts at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston. He has assisted in recovery assessments and cleanup of public and private ...

Proceedings of Preserving U.S. Military Heritage: World War II to the Cold War Fredericksburg, Texas, June 4-6, 2019 Edited by Deborah Dietrich-Smith, NCPTT Fran Gale, Architectural Conservator Sara Amy Leach, Department of Veterans Affairs, National Cemetery Administration Mary F. Striegel, NCPTT ISBN: Soft Bound 978-0-9970440-7-2 The National Center for Preservation and Training (NCPTT) and the National Museum of the Pacific War held a ...

Flood waters damage the contents of a home, including special garments and essential items made of fabric. While everyday clothes can be laundered or dry cleaned, heirloom textiles require special handling. Heirloom tex- tiles, such as wedding dresses, quilts, special garments, rugs, or draperies, may contain different types of fibers. Dry-cleaning can be used to ...

Download this episode as an mp3 or Subscribe via iTunes Kevin Ammons: Welcome to the Preservation Technology Podcast, the show that brings you the people and projects that are bringing innovation to preservation. I’m Kevin Ammons with the National Park Service’s National Center for Preservation Technology and Training. Today we join North Dakota State University’s Alison ...

El COVID-19 es un coronavirus. Los coronavirus son virus que, bajo un microscopio, parecen estar cubiertos de estructuras puntiagudas que los rodean como una corona. No hay una gran cantidad de datos sobre este virus en particular, pero hay información sobre otros coronavirus similares. Todos los virus son fragmentos de código genético incluidos dentro de ...

Good afternoon. My name is Mary Striegel, and I’m a Conservation Scientist with the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training. This is the third Facebook live broadcast that I’ve hosted from my home in Natchitoches, Louisiana. Today we’re going to focus on issues associated with re-entering our cultural sites and the precautions that we ...

Transcrição O tema de hoje é o vírus Covid-19, conceitos básicos. E falaremos sobre desinfectar o patrimônio cultural. Eu sou Mary Striegel, cientista da conservação com mais de 25 anos no Centro Nacional de Tecnologia e Treinamento para Preservação (NCPTT). Hoje falarei sobre como isolar, limpar ou desinfectar materiais históricos. A apresentação que faremos hoje baseia-se no ...

COVID-19 is a coronavirus. Coronaviruses are viruses that, under a microscope, look like they are covered with pointed structures that surround them like a corona, or crown. There is not a lot of data on this particular virus, but there is information on similar coronaviruses. All viruses are bits of genetic code bundled inside a collection ...

Transcripción El tema de hoy es el virus Covid-19, conceptos básicos. Y hablaremos de desinfectar el patrimonio cultural. Soy Mary Striegel, conservadora científica con más de 25 años en el Centro Nacional de Tecnología y Capacitación para la Preservación. Hoy les hablaré sobre como aislar, limpiar o desinfectar materiales históricos. La presentación que vamos a hacer hoy se basa ...

Transcript I want to introduce myself in case you didn’t see the first broadcast by the National Center. I am Mary Striegel. I am a Conservation Scientist with the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training, and I’ll be talking to you today about personal protective equipment, or PPE, which it is commonly referred to. We’re ...

Transcript This presentation is part of the Facebook live video, March 23, 2020. Dr. Mary Striegel:  Today’s topic is COVID – 19 virus basics and we are going to talk about disinfecting cultural resources. I’m Mary Striegel, I am a conservation scientist with about 25 years with the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training.  I’ll be talking to ...

SnowVision represents an innovative, collaborative effort to make accessible archaeological artifacts from the prehistoric Native American “Swift Creek” culture of the American Southeast. Swift Creek pottery was made from the 1st to the 8th century CE using a characteristic wooden paddle stamping technique. Original wooden paddles have been lost to time, but the carved ...

This presentation is part of the Preserving U.S. Military Heritage: World War II to the Cold War, June 4-6, 2019, Fredericksburg, TX. Doug Porter:  Thanks Mary. I want to start by saying how much I enjoyed that last presentation. I was fortunate to be associated with a research group that worked for about five years on the ...

This presentation is part of the Preserving U.S. Military Heritage: World War II to the Cold War, June 4-6, 2019, Fredericksburg, TX. Paul Mardikian:  I’m really happy to speak on this project and I want to introduce my co-author Claudia Chemello, who’s here. We’ve had a great opportunity to work with Search. We were hired by Search ...

This presentation is part of the Preserving U.S. Military Heritage: World War II to the Cold War, June 4-6, 2019, Fredericksburg, TX. Daniel Phoenix:   Good morning ladies and gentlemen. Ray , thanks very much for that. I can safely say that just about everything he said is very much the same for us. I can sense deep ...

This presentation is part of the Preserving U.S. Military Heritage: World War II to the Cold War, June 4-6, 2019, Fredericksburg, TX. Claudia Chemello:  Thank you so much Debbie and thank you to everyone from NCPTT, Mary, everyone for doing this amazing conference. It’s such a great topic. Paul and I work a lot with military heritage ...

This presentation is part of the Preserving U.S. Military Heritage: World War II to the Cold War, June 4-6, 2019, Fredericksburg, TX.   Dr. Odile Madden:  Good morning everyone. How do I move forward? Here we go. The Wright brothers made their first powered flight at Kitty Hawk in 1903 in an open frame aircraft with the pilot lane ...

Transcript of “Old Wood Windows, History’s Eyewitness” By Johnna Rizzo and Matthew Twombly From the first buildings built in America to the 1930s, wood windows framed people’s view of the world. Philadelphia, 1776. Westward Expansion, 1800s. San Francisco Chinatown, Early 1900s From Brooklyn to Bourbon Street, wood, ubiquitous and readily available, was the standard for window frames no matter the architectural ...

After emancipation, the South’s slave based agricultural system had to adapt or perish. Enter the new system of Tenant Farming. In the system of tenant farming the laborer lives on the property, borrows money from the land owner to advance seed, fertilizer, mule use, food, and house hold supplies. At the end of harvest season ...

Download this episode as an mp3 or Subscribe via iTunes Kevin Ammons: Welcome to the Preservation Technology Podcast, the show that brings you the people and projects that are bringing innovation to preservation. I’m Kevin Ammons with the National Parks Service’s National Center for Preservation Technology and Training. Today we join NCPTT’s Jason Church as he ...

2018-03 Cultural Heritage Imaging This NCPTT funded project provides practical tools to cultural heritage and natural science practitioners applying close-range 3D photogrammetry. The grant paid to extend earlier versions CHI’s Digital Lab Notebook (DLN) tools for Reflectance Transformation Imaging (RTI) to photogrammetric technology. These DLN tools provide their users the means to build scientific, quantitatively measurable, ...

2018-05 North Dakota State National Association of Corrosion Engineers (NACE) International estimated the global cost of corrosion to be US$2.5 trillion in 2016, equivalent to roughly 3.4% percent of the global GDP. They also found that 15-35% of the cost of damage could be saved by implementing corrosion prevention technologies. Coating is one of the most ...

This presentation is part of the Are We There Yet: Preservation of Roadside Architecture and Attractions, April 10-12, 2018, Tulsa, Oklahoma Frank Matero: What I am going to talk to you about today is a really remarkable project. It actually is a perfect follow-up from Dylan’s talk, because in my wildest imagination, I had no idea what ...

Download this episode as an mp3 or Subscribe via iTunes Kevin Ammons: Welcome to the Preservation Technology Podcast, the show that brings you the people and projects that are bringing innovation to preservation. I’m Kevin Ammons, with the National Park Service’s National Center for Preservation Technology and Training. Today we join Catherine Cooper and Ingrid Neuman ...

This interview was recorded at the Are We There Yet: Preservation of Roadside Architecture and Attractions Symposium, April 10-12, 2018, Tulsa, Oklahoma What drew you to this symposium? I think what drew me to this symposium is when I heard about what you were doing, and you contacted me, and I looked into it a little bit. I ...

This presentation is part of the Are We There Yet: Preservation of Roadside Architecture and Attractions, April 10-12, 2018, Tulsa, Oklahoma Jennifer Carpenter: Good afternoon. Last presentation. I think it’s the great foresight of our symposium planners that we started with the New York World’s Fair, and that’s where we will end this afternoon a little ...

This presentation is part of the Are We There Yet: Preservation of Roadside Architecture and Attractions, April 10-12, 2018, Tulsa, Oklahoma Kelly Caldwell:  Thank you to the NCPTT for inviting a Northern neighbor, even though I am from the US. But, talking about a Canadian context in terms of roadside architecture and attractions. So, for my presentation … ...

Tidelines, residual damage on paper at a former wet/dry boundary, are produced by environmental wetting and some cleaning treatments.  They interfere with the appreciation of historical artifacts and weaken paper, predisposing it to further damage. In this project, scientists at Dartmouth College, the Library of Congress, and The Metropolitan Museum of Art drew on a ...

Download this episode as an mp3 or Subscribe via iTunes Kevin Ammons: Welcome to the Preservation Technology Podcast, the show that brings you the people and projects that are bringing innovation to preservation. I’m Kevin Ammons, with the National Park Service’s National Center for Preservation Technology and Training. Today we join Catherine Cooper as she speaks ...

Transcript of “When the Rust Settles, Convert It” by Johnna Rizzo and Matthew Twombly USS Texas. 1918, German held waters. 1944, D-Day, Normandy. 1945, Okinawa. 1945, Iwo Jima. Today, rust is the only USS Texas’s only foe. But rust doesn’t threaten just iconic structures. Cast iron, wrought iron, and steel are the base materials in everything from bridges to farm equipment. Exposed iron ...

Introduction The National Center for Preservation Technology and Training (NCPTT) recently completed a study of the durability of traditional and modified limewash formulations. The study tested a variety of limewash recipes for possible use on historic structures located in the Cane River Creole National Historical Park, located in central Louisiana. Limewashes have long been used as surface ...

Study on the Durability of Traditional and Modified Limewash Recipes Results Handmade and Modern Brick Introduction This report is an executive summary of testing undertaken by NCPTT in partnership with the Cane River Creole National Historical Park (CARI) and Quality Finish. In December 2003 meetings were held to discuss applying limewash to the brick cabins at Magnolia Plantation in hopes ...

Transcript of “Mortar, Unsung Hero of History” by Johnna Rizzo and Matthew Twombly -FORT SUMTER SURVIVED THE OPENING SALVOS OF THE CIVIL WAR IN 1861. -TODAY, LIKE FOR OTHER HISTORIC STRUCTURES, WATER IS ITS GREATEST THREAT. -IT’S ALSO A CONSTANT ONE -RAIN DRENCHES THEM. -SNOW CLINGS TO THEM. -SPRINKLERS SOAK THEIR SURFACES. -WATER EVEN SEEPS IN FROM THE GROUND, ROOF LEAKS, AND AIR ...

This research report assesses the structural decay of nine silicified fossil stumps on the Petrified Forest Loop at Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument in central Colorado, and evaluates the use of mechanical pinning as a remedial conservation treatment. Condition assessment was established through an integrated review of archival documents related to the site’s excavation and display ...

This presentation is part of the Are We There Yet: Preservation of Roadside Architecture and Attractions, April 10-12, 2018, Tulsa, Oklahoma Joel Baker: Great, thanks so much for having me. Like she said, my name is Joel. I’m from American Giants, and this just basically started in 2011, as me discovering these giants in Florida, and what ...

Transcript of “Gravestones Bite the Dust” by Johnna Rizzo and Matthew Twombly -IN THE 1800S, TEXAS SAW… MORMON PIONEERS SETTLING THE WEST -CHINESE IMMGRANTS BUILDING THE RAILROAD -AND NOTORIOUS OUTLAWS LIKE JOHN WESLEY HARDIN. -THESE FIGURES REST IN CONCORDIA CEMETERY IN EL PASO, TEXAS. THEIR HISTORY REMAINS WRITTEN ON WELL-PRESERVED HEADSTONES IN THIS DRY, DUSTY PLACE. -MEANWHILE… IN OTHER PARTS OF ...

Get the Lead Out: Towards Identifying Ammunition on Eighteenth- and Early Nineteenth-Century Battlefields and Settlements This report details the results of the 2017 Get the Lead Out! Workshop that was conducted by the LAMAR Institute and National Park Service in June, 2017, funded through a grant from National Center for Preservation Technology and Training. It also ...

Field Kit and Methodology for Detecting, Measuring, and Remediating Salt Attack (Salt Weathering) in Adobe and Earthen Structures Salt attack (salt weathering) is an insidious natural process that threatens historic and cultural resources around the world. Driven by capillary action coupled with evaporation of salt-laden moisture, salt attack is accelerating the loss of historic adobe and ...

The use of low energy plasmas to generate radiocarbon samples was pioneered in 1990 by Dr. Marvin Rowe and colleagues (Russ et al. 1990, 1991) at Texas A&M University (TAMU). Subsequent research and experimentation with TAMU graduate students, supported in part by an NCPTT grant, eventually resulted in two laboratories being founded, one under the ...

Download this episode as an mp3 or Subscribe via iTunes Kevin Ammons: Welcome to the Preservation Technology Podcast, the show that brings you the people and projects that are bringing innovation to preservation. I’m Kevin Ammons with the National Parks Service’s National Center for Preservation Technology and Training. Today we join NCPTT’s Mary Striegel as she ...

Resetting Ground Supported Headstones : Resetting Volume 3 Jason Church: Hello and welcome to historic Chalmette National Cemetery. My name is Jason Church. I’m a materials conservator with the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training. In this video, we’re going to cover the tips and techniques needed to raise and realign ground supported grave markers ...

Executive Summary Background In 2004, The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), National Cemetery Administration (NCA) was facing rising costs associated with maintenance of national cemeteries. NCA staff was looking for more effective ways to maintain headstones to meet VA National Shrine Standards. Historic and older stones were showing signs of accelerated weathering. Headstones were being replaced because ...

An interdisciplinary team of students from Michigan Technological University completed a series of tests using Supercritical Carbon Dioxide (SC-CO2) to extract water and volatile compounds from samples of corroded archaeological iron artifacts. Test samples were then cracked and examined using back scatter SEM. Qualitative visual inspection showed that pores and microfissures were clear and opened ...

Corrosion Testing is routinely applied in conservation and preservation laboratories, because many materials used in storage and exhibitions emit volatile components that can corrode metal artifacts, especially lead, copper, and silver. This corrosion not only damages artifacts, but can also lead to loss of historical information (such as nuances of surface details, designs, deliberate patinas, ...

This project was to examine and discuss the challenges of preserving and exhibiting monumental wood carvings from both a Native and Non-Native point of view. The symposium was a collaborative effort that attempted to unite those who care for and/or create Native American carvings which my include conservators, Native American cervers and Native and non-Native ...

Alkaline solutions soaking are the most accepted treatment for the desalination of archaeological iron in an attempt to arrest further detrimental corrosion. The process displaces chloride ions (desalination) and diffuses them out of the artifact. The method relies on high concentrations of hydroxide and low concentrations of chloride in the solution. As the treatment progresses, ...

This study identifies the presence of diverse bacterial communities inhabiting the surface of collections throughout the museum setting regardless of storage, history, subject and preservation treatment. Equally present on collection items from educational to zoological to anthropological, identified bacteria represent commonly-occurring species, many of which are human associated as would be expected given the handling ...

Ancient Ice Age American artifacts shed light on how people may have lived 10,000 years ago. University of Memphis professors Ryan Parish, David Dye and Ying Sing Li used funding from the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training (NCPTT), a program of the National Park Service, to analyze stone spear points from central Tennessee. ...

Soiling on the walls of limestone buildings can be washed off when the surface erodes due to rain impingement. In this study, the delivery of rain to the 42-story Cathedral of Learning   in Pittsburgh. Pennsylvania, represented by a 30m x 30m x 160m rectangular block. was modeled using the RNG K-,; model for turbulence and ...

The Journal of the American Institute for Conservation (JAIC) is the primary vehicle for the publication of peer-reviewed papers relating to the field of conservation of historic and cultural works. Since its first issue in February, 1997, and Volume 39: 3 (Fall, Winter 2000) there have been 56 issues containing approximately 5000 pages of text ...

Download this episode as an mp3 or Subscribe via iTunes Laser Cleaning and Laser Scanning with Martin Cooper (Podcast 60) Kevin Ammons: Welcome to the Preservation Technology Podcast, the show that brings you the people and projects that are advancing the future of America’s heritage. I’m Kevin Ammons with the National Park Services National Center for Preservation ...

This presentation is part of the International Cemetery Preservation Summit, April 8-10, 2014 Niagara Falls, NY. The Challenges of Treating Delaminating Slate Headstones: New Treatments with New Materials by Irving Slavid Irving Slavid:  I see they’ve brought the break out, the danishes, so I won’t be long. I do hands-on restoration among other things and I’m going ...

This presentation is part of the International Cemetery Preservation Summit, October 8-10, 2014 Niagara Falls, NY. Confederates in the Cemetery: Federal Benefits & Stewardship by Elizabeth Heavrin and Sara Amy Leach Elizabeth Heavrin: The war department established the first national cemetery during and immediately after the Civil War to provide final honorable resting places for soldiers ...

This presentation is part of the International Cemetery Preservation Summit, April 8-10, 2014 Niagara Falls, NY. Nationwide Monument Conservation at National Cemeteries: Planning, Management, and Treatment Implementation by Sara Johnson Sara Johnson: Going to talk a little bit about a contract that my company has with the National Cemetery Administration for the preservation of a number of ...

This presentation is part of the International Cemetery Preservation Summit, April 8-10, 2014 Niagara Falls, NY. Conserving the Nation’s Gravesite: Treatment of the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery by Debora Rodrigues and Amy Hollis Amy Hollis: I’m going to talk a little bit about a job that I lived for a couple years, which ...

This presentation is part of the International Cemetery Preservation Summit, April 8-10, 2014 Niagara Falls, NY. Reimagining August Bloedner’s 32nd Indiana Infantry Monument (1862) by Sara Amy Leach Sara Amy Leach:  The most fun I have at work is collecting postcards, cemeteries off of eBay and garage sales.  Good afternoon, this presentation is essentially phase tow of ...

This presentation is part of the International Cemetery Preservation Summit, April 8-10, 2014 Niagara Falls, NY. Photogrammetric Documentation of Weathered and Damaged Headstones at the Cataraqui Cemetery,Kingston Ontario by George Bevan and Alexander Gabov George Bevan:  Today for my collaborators in this project. Ian Longo, one of my undergraduate students, who’s worked extensively in the Cataraqui Cemetery ...

This presentation is part of the International Cemetery Preservation Summit, April 8-10, 2014 Niagara Falls, NY. Fragile Grounds: Mapping South Louisiana’s Cemeteries by Jessica H. Schexnayder and Mary H. Manhein  Jessica: Let me give you a little bit of background about this before we start this presentation.  This actually started out as a student project.  I was ...

This presentation is part of the International Cemetery Preservation Summit, April 8-10, 2014 Niagara Falls, NY. Handcrafted Gravemarkers of Julius “Jesse” Thomas  by Anne Shelton   Anne:  Thanks to Stephanie and Gordon I am so pleased to follow their presentation and it was terrific. It was really terrific and I was so pleased to see some really similar ...

This presentation is part of the International Cemetery Preservation Summit, April 8-10, 2014 Niagara Falls, NY. Made from My Own Hand: An Introduction to Concrete Grave Markers by  Gordon Bond and Stephanie M. Hoagland Stephanie Hoagland: Good morning. Yesterday Jonathan Appell showed us some concrete that you never want to see in a cemetery, but today we’re ...

This presentation is part of the International Cemetery Preservation Summit, April 8-10, 2014 Niagara Falls, NY. In Small Things Remembered: The William Peters Reeves Grave Memorial at Kenyon College by Dennis Montagna Dennis: Thanks. Thanks, Jason. David, I think that with all that gnawing, we’ve done some studies and determined that that’s why squirrels don’t get into ...

The Laboratory for Cultural materials in the Department of Materials Science and engineering, led by Professor Pamela B. Vandiver, has established a facility for non-destructive for imaging of the internal structure of objects and materials using xeroradiography. This electrostatic technique provides edge-enhancement of flaws, macrostructural and textural features to a resolution of 50 microns. Supported ...

This presentation is part of the International Cemetery Preservation Summit, April 8-10, 2014 Niagara Falls, NY. Maintaining Leadworks for Cemetery Monuments and Mausolea by Angus “Gus” Fraser and David Gallagher Gus: Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Mount Auburn is a National Historic Landmark. It was the first of a rural or garden cemetery in the United ...

This presentation is part of the International Cemetery Preservation Summit, April 8-10, 2014 Niagara Falls, NY. Red Jacket: Sculpture Conservation Treatment in Forest Lawn Cemetery by Francis Miller Francis Miller: Thanks for having me here today, everyone, and thanks for everyone attending. It’s great getting a group like this together, not only to discuss issues with repairs and ...

This presentation is part of the International Cemetery Preservation Summit, April 8-10, 2014 Niagara Falls, NY. Portland Cement  Vs Historic Gravestones Jonathan Appell:  Apparently, The Pyramid of the Sun in Mexico looked like this before 1910. News story out now … I’ll just go through these images quickly, is this Mr. Menchaca just did a study based ...

This presentation is part of the International Cemetery Preservation Summit, April 8-10, 2014 Niagara Falls, NY. Returning From Oblivion: The Reemergence of a World War II Memorial Sundial by Minxie and James Fannin   James Fannin: I’m going to have to use this for … I’m almost there. Good afternoon. I was going to say late, but we’re ...

This presentation is part of the International Cemetery Preservation Summit, April 8-10, 2014 Niagara Falls, NY. Modern Problems in Historic Cemeteries by Frances Ford Ford: Hello. My presentation today I have titled Modern Problems in Historic Cemeteries, and you’ll find out why in just a second. My presentation outline will sort of set the scene of this ...

This presentation is part of the International Cemetery Preservation Summit, April 8-10, 2014 Niagara Falls, NY. Finding Avondale: Remote Sensing for an Unmarked Cemetery in Difficult Subsurface Conditions by Hugh B. Matternes and Valerie Davis Hugh: Good morning, I’m hoping you’ll learn not only from the results we have here but some of the mistakes we made ...

This presentation is part of the International Cemetery Preservation Summit, April 8-10, 2014 Niagara Falls, NY. Down to Earth: Conservation Decision-Making for Historic Cemeteries by Katharine Untch Katharine: Thank you very much. It’s a pleasure to be here, and I want to especially thank the conference organizers, Jason Church and Mary Striegel, NCPTT, not only for this ...

This presentation is part of the International Cemetery Preservation Summit, April 8-10, 2014 Niagara Falls, NY. The Cycle of Use, Neglect, and Renewal in Historic Family Cemeteries of Niagara, Ontario by Catherine Paterson Paterson: Thank you. I’m very excited to be here and to be speaking with you this morning. The focus of my talk is on ...

This presentation is part of the International Cemetery Preservation Summit, April 8-10, 2014 Niagara Falls, NY. Not Seeing the Cemetery for the Monuments: Understanding the Importance of Preservation Assessments by Michael Trinkley and Debi Hacker Michael:  My talk today deals with how, as conservators, we see the cemeteries in which we work. First, a little bit about ...

This presentation is part of the International Cemetery Preservation Summit, April 8-10, 2014 Niagara Falls, NY. They Died in Rome: Preservation of an Active, Historic Cemetery for Foreigners by Nicholas Stanley-Price Jason: I’d really like to thank also, both the people who welcomed us. Francis Miller for helping me pull together the hands-on. The hotel, because we ...

This talk is part of the Fountain Fundamentals Conference, July 10-11, 2013, Kansas City, MO. Restoration of Rockefeller’s Italian Fountain by Ricardo Viera and Michele Boyd Viera: So in 2005 the BCA was commissioned by the Wildlife Conservation Society to assess the conditions, prepare the documents and monitor the repairs and rehabilitation of the Italian Rockefeller Fountain. ...

This talk is part of the Fountain Fundamentals Conference July 10-11, 2013, Kansas City, MO.

This talk is part of the Fountain Fundamentals Conference, July 10-11, 2013, Kansas City, MO. Water Chemistry Guidelines for Art Fountains by Martin Burke Martin: I am going to try and speak loud enough to get away from the microphone. The one element that has linked all of our presentations over the last two days is water. ...

This talk is part of the Fountain Fundamentals Conference, July 10-11, 2013, Kansas City, MO. Maintenance Programs for Historic Fountains by Fran Gale Striegel: Fran Gale is a lecturer with preservation experience throughout the United States. She’s also the senior lecturer at the University of Texas, School of Architecture, where she teaches Materials Conservation and is the ...

This talk is part of the Fountain Fundamentals Conference, held July 10-11, 2013, Kansas City, MO. Bringing the Fountain Back to Life – Marble and Bronze Conservation and Sculptural Figure Replication  by Ricardo Viera and Michele Boyd Striegel: Our next speakers will be talking about Bringing the Fountain Back to Life; Marble and Bronze Conservation and Sculptural ...

This talk is part of the Fountain Fundamentals Conference, July 10-11, 2013, Kansas City, MO. ENGINEERING 281: Renovation of Fountains – Hydraulic Considerations by David Peterson David Peterson: Let’s see, can you guys hear me without the microphone? Alright ‘cause I like to stand up here a little closer to you and not hide behind the podium. ...

Download this episode as an mp3 or Subscribe via iTunes Historic Preservation Program at Mississippi College (Podcast 51) Ammons: Welcome to the preservation technology podcast, the show that brings you the people and projects that are advancing the future of America’s heritage. I’m Kevin Ammons with the National Park Services’ National Center for Preservation Technology and Training. ...

This talk is part of the Fountain Fundamentals Conference, July 10-11, 2013, Kansas City, MO. Art and Infrastructure: Restoring the Futuristic Fountain and Reflecting Pool by Margot Brunn and Henry Zuehlke Church: Our next speaker is Margot Broom who is a conservator for the Royal Alberta Museum, a provincial museum covering Alberta’s cultural and human history, biological ...

This talk is part of the Fountain Fundamentals Conference, July 10-11, 2013, Kansas City, MO. A Brief Appreciation of Fountains Through History – Changing Functions, Appearances and Meaning – John Scott John Scott: And so, I also hope that after such a really good series of highly technical and practically experienced presentations that we won’t mind a ...

Download this episode as an mp3 or Subscribe via iTunes  FBI and Art Crime (Podcast 50) Ammons: Welcome to the Preservation Technology Podcast – the show that brings you the people and projects that are advancing the future of America’s heritage. I’m Kevin Ammons with the National Park Service’s National Center for Preservation Technology & Training. Today ...

This talk is part of the Fountain Fundamentals Conference, July 10-11, 2013, Kansas City, MO. Challenges of Maintaining the Fountains of “The City of Fountains” – Kansas City by Jocelyn Ball-Edson Jocelyn Ball-Edson: For today’s talk, I tried to categorize this into four super categories. My basic four categories … and this all overlaps. They’re all interchangeable ...

The first Divine Disorder Conference was held February 15-16, 2012 on the campus of Northwestern University in Natchitoches, Louisiana.  This conference  focused on highlighting the under-appreciated decorative works of non-traditional artists. The conservation of these works is vital to preserving the life story of those artists outside the main stream art community. Artists come from ...

This talk is part of the Fountain Fundamentals Conference, July 10-11, 2013, Kansas City, MO. Aquatic Plants for Water Quality Maintenance in Water features and Fountains Mary Willeford-Bair : The National Park Service is responsible for the management of a variety of constructed water features across the nation. The National Park Service is held to a high ...

This talk is part of the Fountain Fundamentals Conference, July 10-11, 2013, Kansas City, MO. A Manageable Approach for the Maintenance of Fountain Water Striegel: Our next speaker today is Robert Krueger. He’ll be talking about a manageable approach for the maintenance of fountain water. Robert Krueger is an Objects Conservator and proprietor of Cascadia Art Conservation ...

The Masonry Production is an indexed bibliography of over 6500 trade and academic references, created through a project, which was conducted by Dr. Debra F. Laefer of the University College Dublin in Dublin Ireland on behalf of TMS for the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training.

The use of noninvasive advanced imaging techniques addresses a critical need to support preservation at all levels – national, state and local. The grant supported the advancement of non-destructive analyses through the integration of aligned spectral techniques to develop a multi-functional system with enhanced capabilities for heritage science. The techniques better informed materials characterization to ...

Building stewards and project managers are often in a quandary when it comes to application of a coating on historic exterior woodwork that has weathered or that has obvious coating performance issues. In 2011, the Association for Preservation Technology International received a grant from the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training to produce a ...

Use of Hydroxyapatite for enhancing durability in marble. This video highlights the recent project by George Scherer’s laboratory at Princeton University on developing state-of-the-art techniques to protect marble monuments and sculptures. This project was funded in part by PTT Grant (MT-2210-12-NC-08). Marble is an elegant material that is used for our most precious sculptures and monuments, ...

This talk is part of the Fountain Fundamentals Conference, held July 10-11, 2013, Kansas City, MO. Fountain Conservation-California Style by Andrea Morse Video Transcription Hello, my name is Andrea Morse, I’m principal conservator of the Sculpture for Conservation Studio in Los Angeles.  Today my presentation will introduce you to the styles, some history and fountain problems that one ...

Marble is used in many of our most precious monuments and sculptures, but it deteriorates when exposed to water, owing to its relatively high solubility. Consequently, researchers have sought methods to enhance the durability of marble through the use of environmentally friendly chemical treatments. A particularly promising route, introduced by our research group, is to ...

This lecture was presented at the 3D Digital Documentation Summit held July 10-12, 2012 at the Presidio, San Francisco, CA Conservation and H?RTI at The Metropolitan Museum of Art In the winter of 2010, the Sherman Fairchild Center for Objects Conservation at The Metropolitan Museum of Art hosted a four?day intensive workshop on Highlight?based Reflectance Transformation Imaging ...

This lecture was presented at the 3D Digital Documentation Summit held July 10-12, 2012 at the Presidio, San Francisco, CA Four Light Total Appearance Imaging of Paintings by Roy S. Berns, Tongbo Chen, and Jim Coddington Imaging artwork for documentation and reproduction has a long and rich history. The vast majority of such imaging reduces an illuminated three-dimensional ...

This lecture was presented at the 3D Digital Documentation Summit held July 10-12, 2012 at the Presidio, San Francisco, CA The Patternmakers Art: Innovation within a Timeless Tradition With a few exceptions, architectural metal castings are made using hollow cavity sand and clay molds.  The molds are made by compacting the sand around patterns which look like ...

Three hundred twelve (312) colored pencils were provided from each of six manufacturers representing the most widely used brands marketed as fin art materials. The pencils were blinded (stripped of identifying commercial information, coded, and sent to the Principal Investigator (PI) by Joy Turner Luke and Rhonda Farfan, who assigned codes to the test pencils: ...

Thank you for joining us today.  This is the second day of our webinars on disaster preparedness.  Thank you for those who are returning from yesterday and welcome to those that are coming for the first time.  Luckily, most of you know who NCPTT is, having gone to our web site and found out about ...

Hi, I’m Carol Chin.  I’m a Conservation Scientist at theNational Center for Preservation Technology and Training, and I’ve been doing some work with my colleagues here on the Gulf Oil Spill and conservation of some cultural resources down along the coast.  So today I’m going to be talking about Oil and Cultural Resources – Lessons ...

Download this episode as an mp3 or Subscribe via iTunes Learning From the Texas Wildfires: Bastrop State Park and Beyond (Podcast 45) Kevin: Welcome to the Preservation Technology Podcast – the show that brings you the people and projects that are advancing the future of America’s heritage. I’m Kevin Ammons with the National Park Service’s National Center ...

This lecture was presented at the 3D Digital Documentation Summit held July 10-12, 2012 at the Presidio, San Fransisco, CA. Documentation to the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards: Assessing the Value of Laser Scan Data The Heritage Documentation Programs consider High-Definition Surveying (HDS) to be a significant tool, one of many it employs in the survey of ...

This lecture was presented at the 3D Digital Documentation Summit held July 10-12, 2012 at the Presidio, San Fransisco, CA. Archive of Digital Data for HABS, HAER, and HALS The NPS creates a variety of documents and records, such as inventory and monitoring plans, drawings, photographs, and conservation treatment records, to assist in the planning, management and ...

The aim of the project was to determine an appropriate methodology for evaluation of damage induced during cleaning of masonry materials. Of the techniques used for the evaluation of surface changes, measurement of roughness appeared to be most promising.  

This lecture was presented at the 3D Digital Documentation Summit held July 10-12, 2012 at the Presidio, San Francisco, CA 3D Modeling of a Gravestone Exploiting Low Cost Range and Image Based Techniques Inside the Medieval Museum of the city of Bologna are housed a series of gravestones which originally adorned the tombs of the Doctors belonging ...

This lecture was presented at the 3D Digital Documentation Summit held July 10-12, 2012 at the Presidio, San Francisco, CA A Comparative Study Using LiDAR Digital Scanning and Photogrammetry Through a National Park Service grant, the Center of Preservation Research (CoPR) at the University of Colorado Denver and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) have partnered to develop ...

This lecture was presented at the 3D Digital Documentation Summit held July 10-12, 2012 at the Presidio, San Francisco, CA High Resolution Digital Photogrammetry with Object Surface Texture Digital Photogrammetry when coupled with multi-image capture can provide high resolution imagery with detailed surface texture. Surface texture can be in greater detail than traditional point cloud laser scanning, and the ...

This lecture was presented at the 3D Digital Documentation Summit held July 10-12, 2012 at the Presidio, San Francisco, CA Application of Current 3D and Pseudo-3D Imaging for Conservation Melvin Wachowiak, Senior Conservator E. Keats Webb, Digital Imaging Specialist Smithsonian Museum Conservation Institute, Washington D.C. Conservation professionals have been aware of modern methods of 3D digitization, but a comprehensive guide ...

This lecture was presented at the 3D Digital Documentation Summit held July 10-12, 2012 at the Presidio, San Francisco, CA Restoring the Lion’s Roar: Documenting and Replicating Limestone Structures Through Laser Scanning, 3D Computer Modeling, and CNC Machining In January 2011, Kreilick Conservation, LLC of Oreland, PA was engaged by Beaver Electric Co. Inc. to conserve the Branch ...

This report summarizes testing undertaken by NCPTT in partnership with the Cane River Creole National Historical Park (CARI) and Quality Finish.  In December 2003 meetings were held to discuss applying limewash to the brick cabins at Magnolia Plantation in hopes of prolonging the life of the structures. We developed a study to determine the durability of traditional and ...

Forty participants representing a variety of professionals disciplines were invited to Georgia’s Jekyll Island during February 1998, with the common goal of preserving tabby resources. The proceeding from this meeting — individual papers and conclusions and recommendations developed by participants — are represented in this publication. This research was made possible through Grant  MT-2210-7-NC-24 from the National Center ...

The conservation project was conducted between September 1998 and June 2001. Because of the importance of the monument to north Kohala and widespread concern for its care, a community based project model was employed. The primary aim of the project was to conserve the monument, which was threatened by chloride induced corrosion. Driven by a ...

Download this episode as an mp3 or Subscribe via iTunes Ammons:     Welcome to the Preservation Technology Podcast, the show that brings you the people and projects that are advancing the future of America’s heritage. I’m Kevin Ammons with the National Park Service’s National Center for Preservation Technology and Training. Today we join NCPTT’s Jason ...

This lecture was presented at the 3D Digital Documentation Summit held July 10-12, 2012 at the Presidio, San Francisco, CA Applications of Reflectance Transformation Imaging (RTI) in a Fine Arts Museum: Examination, Documentation, and Beyond In 2006, the Worcester Art Museum collaborated with Cultural Heritage Imaging (CHI) to develop reflectance transformation imaging (RTI) as a viable examination ...

This lecture was presented at the 3D Digital Documentation Summit held July 10-12, 2012 at the Presidio, San Francisco, CA Automated Classification of Surface Texture for Photographic Paper Surface texture is a vital attribute defining the appearance of a photographic print.  Texture impacts tonal range, rendering of detail, reflectance and conveys subtle qualitative information about the aesthetic ...

In this episode, we join NCPTT’s Jason Church as he speaks with Marshall Millet, owner of MMars 4-D. Today they are talking about Millet’s work with U.C. Davis and the KeckCAVES visualization facility.

This lecture was presented at the 3D Digital Documentation Summit held July 10-12, 2012 at the Presidio, San Francisco, CA   Documenting National and World Heritage Sites: the Need to Integrate Digital Documentation and 3D Scanning with Traditional Hand Measuring Techniques For the past fifteen years, digital documentation technology of historic sites and resources has developed into a ...

This lecture was presented at the 3D Digital Documentation Summit held July 10-12, 2012 at the Presidio, San Francisco, CA 3D Scanning of Matisse, the Back I-IV: One Thing After Another Matisse created Back, his largest sculpture in 1908/1909. Matisse resculpted Back three times over the next twenty-one years (1913, 1917, 1930/31), each time beginning with a ...

  If you have sat in the window seat, chances are you noticed that the airplane window was made of plastic.  In fact, most aircraft include plastics in their design and have done so from the early years of human flight, yet the technological history of synthetic polymers in aviation is largely unexplored.  This may be ...

With a 2011 Grant from NCPTT, conservators at Georgia O’Keeffe’s Residences in Abiquiu and Ghost Ranch, New Mexico undertook research comaparing digital photogrammetric methods for preservation documentation of historic homes. They documented their project as they went along at http://okeeffeimagingproject.wordpress.com/. This project studied whether existing, three-dimensional (3D) digital photo imaging technologies could be easily adopted by ...

This poster was presented at the 3D Digital Documentation Summit held July 10-12, 2012 at the Presidio, San Fransisco, CA. See Poster full detail and size COOPERATION CREATES A CUSTOM CRATE: Conservation, Laser Scanning, 3D Milling and Crate Building Work Together Claes Oldenburg’s Red Tights with Fragment 9 (1961) is created from single piece of contoured chicken wire, ...

This poster was presented at the 3D Digital Documentation Summit held July 10-12, 2012 at the Presidio, San Fransisco, CA. See Poster full detail and size Recording Structure and Process: HAER 3D Digital Documentation Methods For many historic engineering works the structure’s historical significance is based on its structural design. This is especially true for bridges. By understanding ...

This lecture was presented at the 3D Digital Documentation Summit held July 10-12, 2012 at the Presidio, San Francisco, CA Advances in Computational Photograph Techniques for Cultural, Historic, and Natural History Materials This talk presents advances in robust new imaging tools from the emerging science known as Computational Photography. The common feature of the computational photography imaging ...

This poster was presented at the 3D Digital Documentation Summit held July 10-12, 2012 at the Presidio, San Fransisco, CA. Poster full size and detail Laser Scanning America’s Cultural Landscapes The Historic American Landscapes Survey (HALS) Documentation to the Secretary of the Interior Standards, Assessing the Value of Laser Scan Data The Historic American Landscapes Survey (HALS) mission is ...

This poster was presented at the 3D Digital Documentation Summit held July 10-12, 2012 at the Presidio, San Fransisco, CA. See Full Detailed Poster   Post-Processing Workflows: Identifying Hidden Costs in Converting Scan Data to Useable Information This poster aims to demonstrate the unique challenges associated with scanning and documenting OV-103 (Space Shuttle Discovery). In demonstrating the workflow ...

This poster was presented at the 3D Digital Documentation Summit held July 10-12, 2012 at the Presidio, San Fransisco, CA. See Poster full detail and size   3D Data Recordation and Immersive Visualization: Considerations for Creative Mitigation Practices The proposed presentation approaches the potential of 3d data collection and analysis in an immersive 3d visualization system, emphasizing digital format ...

This poster was presented at the 3D Digital Documentation Summit held July 10-12, 2012 at the Presidio, San Fransisco, CA. See Poster full detail and size Integrating Aerial and Ground-based LiDAR in Appalachian Heritage Planning and Visualization The Natural Resource Analysis Center (NRAC) at West Virginia University is building a portfolio of integrated LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) ...

This poster was presented at the 3D Digital Documentation Summit held July 10-12, 2012 at the Presidio, San Fransisco, CA. See Poster full detail and size Mind the Gap: the Need to Supplement Laser Scan Data in HABS Documentation Projects The HABS poster will discuss the use of laser scanning in relation to the documentation of historic buildings. ...

Today we join NCPTT’s Mary Striegel as she speaks with Chandra Reedy. Reedy serves as Director of the Laboratory for Analysis of Cultural Materials in the Center for Historic Architecture and Design at the University of Delaware.  Today we are talking to Chandra about the importance of thin section petrography for conservation.

This lecture was presented at the 3D Digital Documentation Summit held July 10-12, 2012 at the Presidio, San Francisco, CA The Patternmaker’s Art: Innovation within a Timeless Tradition With a few exceptions, architectural metal castings are made using hollow cavity sand and clay molds.  The molds are made by compacting the sand around patterns which look like ...

This lecture was presented at the 3D Digital Documentation Summit held July 10-12, 2012 at the Presidio, San Francisco, CA Foamhenge: 3D Modeling and Conservation of a Monumental Sculpture Novel use of technology, 3D digital documentation, model-based engineering, contemporary materials and techniques illustrates the potential that digital documentation and technology has in supporting creative and collaborative problem-solving.  ...

This lecture was presented at the 3D Digital Documentation Summit held July 10-12, 2012 at the Presidio, San Francisco, CA Best Practices for Digital Documentation by Ekaterini Vlahos and Mike Nulty Through the HABS/HAER/HALS programs the Secretary of the Interior has established Standards and Guidelines for Documentation and acceptability for inclusion in the Heritage Documentation Programs collections ...

This lecture was presented at the 3D Digital Documentation Summit held July 10-12, 2012 at the Presidio, San Francisco, CA Capturing, Document, and Mapping the Digital Cultural Object Using Spectral Imaging Advanced digital spectral imaging enables the ability to create accurate digital renderings of cultural heritage materials, generating a new “digital cultural object” with enhanced access to ...

This lecture was presented at the 3D Digital Documentation Summit held July 10-12, 2012 at the Presidio, San Francisco, CA The video is currently unavailable for this talk. 3D Digital Documentation as a Basis for the Finite Element Method in the Restoration of Tullio Lombardo’s Marble Sculpture of Adam On October 6th 2002, one of the most important ...

This lecture was presented at the 3D Digital Documentation Summit held July 10-12, 2012 at the Presidio, San Francisco, CA   Designing the LiDAR Mission for Industrial Heritage: Cooperation Across the Fields Heritage managers and digital documentarians may observe the same subject, but observe it through a contrasting set of filters. The focus of this paper is to ...

This document provides guidance on wood preservation options in the context of historic preservation. Preserving wooden building materials is critical to historic preservation practitioners. Biodeterioration can be minimized through design, construction practices, maintenance, and, if neces¬sary, by use of wood preservatives. Moisture is the primary cause of biodeterioration, and if exposure to moisture cannot be ...

This lecture was presented at the 3D Digital Documentation Summit held July 10-12, 2012 at the Presidio, San Fransisco, CA. Why DIGITAL? Its only 1’s and 0’s We still seem to be fighting the war over the value of digital information some 30 years after its introduction to the public. Developments in technology have occurred so rapidly that skepticism ...

This lecture was presented at the 3D Digital Documentation Summit held July 10-12, 2012 at the Presidio, San Francisco, CA Close Range Photogrammetry vs. 3D Scanning for Archaeological Documentation The proliferation of terrestrial laser scanners on the market over the past few years has been accompanied by a rapid adoption of the technology by archaeologists.  This increased archaeological use ...

This presentation was presented as the keynote address for the 3D Digital Documentation Summit held July 10-12, 2012, Presidio, San Francisco, CA.   Rocket Science and 3D Analyses in the Preservation of Artistic and Historic Works More than sixty years ago development began on the nuclear-propelled ORION Spaceship destined for a manned mission to the planet Saturn. This ...

This lecture was presented at the 3D Digital Documentation Summit held July 10-12, 2012 at the Presidio, San Francisco, CA   Monitoring Using Laser Scanning – Case Study of Watts Towers This paper will explore the use of laser scanning as a part of a controlled survey to measure movement of buildings and structures over time. In 2011 a ...

This lecture was presented at the 3D Digital Documentation Summit held July 10-12, 2012 at the Presidio, San Francisco, CA   Evolution in Project Workflow – Is High Definition Survey the Missing Link? There is a major shift occurring in the preservation and building industry today. It was only 30 years ago that architects and engineers where designing ...

Since raising the H.L. Hunley submarine (1863) from the seabed in 2000, the project has incorporated 3D technologies including laser scanning, patterned light scanning, Vulcan point system, and computer modeling. Archaeologists developed the use of 3D technologies primarily for site plan development and artifact documentation. As the project progressed, conservators found other applications for the ...

This poster was presented at the 3D Digital Documentation Summit held July 10-12, 2012 at the Presidio, San Fransisco, CA. Color and Spectral Archiving Using Dual-RGB Imaging by Roy S. Berns and Jim Coddington Imaging in museums serves multiple end uses from publication to detailed documentation. Commercial RGB digital cameras have, at best, adequate color accuracy , demonstrating ...

This poster was presented at the 3D Digital Documentation Summit held July 10-12, 2012 at the Presidio, San Fransisco, CA. Saving the Lines: Documenting Ships and Small Craft Using Laser Scanning Recording the shape of ships is especially challenging as they are typically constructed with compound curves and complex surfaces. Traditional hand-measuring techniques are time-consuming and only ...

This poster was presented at the 3D Digital Documentation Summit held July 10-12, 2012 at the Presidio, San Fransisco, CA. 3D Digital Documentation of Cultural Resources in Southern Arizona National Parks The National Park Service Southern Arizona (SOAR) group consists of Casa Grande Ruins National Monument, Chiricahua National Monument, Coronado National Memorial, Fort Bowie National Historic Site, ...

This lecture was part of the Divine Disorder Conference on the Conservation of Outsider Folk art that was organized and hosted by NCPTT. The conference was held February 15-16, 2012 on the campus of Northwestern University in Natchitoches, Louisiana. Paradise Gardens; its Past and its Future Transcript Church:     This is Jordan Poole, the very newly elected director ...

NCPTT, in partnership with Monroe County History Center at Indiana University, conducted a workshop focused on the techniques and knowledge needed to preserve ornamental ironwork in an architectural setting. This workshop begin with an opening lecture session at 6:30 p.m. by NCPTT’s Materials Conservator Jason Church on Friday, October 14th at the History Center in Bloomington, Indiana. ...

The Wooldridge Monuments are a group of eighteen life-sized sculptures located in Maplewood Cemetery, Mayfield, Kentucky. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, they commemorate the life and relatives of Henry G. Wooldridge.

This lecture was part of the Divine Disorder Conference on the Conservation of Outsider Folk art that was organized and hosted by NCPTT. The conference was held February 15-16, 2012 on the campus of Northwestern University in Natchitoches, Louisiana. Planning to Stabilize, Document, Conserve and Interpret Howard Finster’s Paradise Garden in Summerville, Georgia Abstract This presentation will illustrate ...

This lecture was part of the Divine Disorder Conference on the Conservation of Outsider Folk art that was organized and hosted by NCPTT. The conference was held February 15-16, 2012 on the campus of Northwestern University in Natchitoches, Louisiana. The Orange Show Center for Visionary Art Transcript Church:     Alright we’re ready to get started back. Our first ...

This lecture was part of the Divine Disorder Conference on the Conservation of Outsider Folk art that was organized and hosted by NCPTT. The conference was held February 15-16, 2012 on the campus of Northwestern University in Natchitoches, Louisiana. Unicultural Ethnography: Preserving Outsider Art Through the Ethnography of Individual Outsider Artists Abstract Certain aspects of the artistic experience ...

This lecture was part of the Divine Disorder Conference on the Conservation of Outsider Folk art that was organized and hosted by NCPTT. The conference was held February 15-16, 2012 on the campus of Northwestern University in Natchitoches, Louisiana. God’s Architects; Documenting the Materials, Methods, and Self-Taught Builders of the South Abstract Scattered about remote back roads and ...

This lecture was part of the Divine Disorder Conference on the Conservation of Outsider Folk art that was organized and hosted by NCPTT. The conference was held February 15-16, 2012 on the campus of Northwestern University in Natchitoches, Louisiana. Taking the Art to the Streets: How the Citizens of Los Angeles Saved Watts Towers Transcript Church:         ...

This lecture was part of the Divine Disorder Conference on the Conservation of Outsider Folk art that was organized and hosted by NCPTT. The conference was held February 15-16, 2012 on the campus of Northwestern University in Natchitoches, Louisiana. Dennis Montagna Creating a Conservation Plan for Vollis Simpson’s Whirligigs Abstract For the past thirty years, 92-year-old Vollis Simpson has ...

This lecture was part of the Divine Disorder Conference on the Conservation of Outsider Folk art that was organized and hosted by NCPTT. The conference was held February 15-16, 2012 on the campus of Northwestern University in Natchitoches, Louisiana. Abstract Re-evaluation of 1984 Preservation Decisions for the African House Murals by Clementine Hunter In 1984 as an Associate ...

This lecture was part of the Divine Disorder Conference on the Conservation of Outsider Folk art that was organized and hosted by NCPTT. The conference was held February 15-16, 2012 on the campus of Northwestern University in Natchitoches, Louisiana. Simon Rodia’s Towers in Watts (The Watts Towers) Four Decades of Interventions and Still Searching for a ...

This lecture was part of the Divine Disorder Conference on the Conservation of Outsider Folk art that was organized and hosted by NCPTT. The conference was held February 15-16, 2012 on the campus of Northwestern University in Natchitoches, Louisiana. Transcript McBride:     Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen.  My name is Patrick McBride and on behalf of myself ...

This lecture was part of the Divine Disorder Conference on the Conservation of Outsider Folk art that was organized and hosted by NCPTT. The conference was held February 15-16, 2012 on the campus of Northwestern University in Natchitoches, Louisiana. Virtual Conservation of Folk and Outsider Art Environments Abstract The presentation will address the issue of conserving documents pertaining ...

This lecture was part of the Divine Disorder Conference on the Conservation of Outsider Folk art that was organized and hosted by NCPTT. The conference was held February 15-16, 2012 on the campus of Northwestern University in Natchitoches, Louisiana. A Creative Obsession: Materials and Techniques of the Self-Taught Artist James Castle Abstract Identifying the materials of works of ...

This lecture was part of the Divine Disorder Conference on the Conservation of Outsider Folk art that was organized and hosted by NCPTT. The conference was held February 15-16, 2012 on the campus of Northwestern University in Natchitoches, Louisiana. Realms of the Unreal and the Henry Darger Archives Abstract The American Folk Art Museum maintains the single largest ...

This lecture was part of the Divine Disorder Conference on the Conservation of Outsider Folk art that was organized and hosted by NCPTT. The conference was held February 15-16, 2012 on the campus of Northwestern University in Natchitoches, Louisiana. Magical Mosaics: Preserving Isaiah Zagar’s Philadelphia Art Environment Abstract One of the nation’s most amazing, yet least known, art ...

This lecture was part of the Divine Disorder Conference on the Conservation of Outsider Folk art that was organized and hosted by NCPTT. The conference was held February 15-16, 2012 on the campus of Northwestern University in Natchitoches, Louisiana. Discriminating Palettes:   The Painting Materials of Clementine Hunter and Her Imitator Transcript Church:    Next we have Joe Baraby, Senior ...

United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that Robert E. Lucky, Jr, 64, of New Orleans, was sentenced today to 25 months in federal prison and was ordered to pay $326,893 in restitution for mail fraud in connection with selling fake paintings attributed to Louisiana artist Clementine Hunter. Lucky was also sentenced to three years’ ...

The talk presents a biographical sketch of the folk artist, Clementine Hunter, born in southern Natchitoches Parish in late 1887 and died January 1, 1988. Around 2000 a group of paintings appeared on the market supposedly by Hunter but later found to be painted by Beryl and William Toye. The lecture will include details of the ...

Human skeletal remains from archeological sites are often studied to determine historical information such as sex, age, and health, among other facts.  The information from individuals can be used to better understand a population and the culture of a past people.  With the aid of a Preservation Technology and Training Grant, Dr. Shannon Hodge at ...

This webinar will cover the basics needed for Cemetery Documentation. The talk will run one hour of lecture with a following half hour for questions and answers. Topics covered in this talk will include an introduction to documentation surveys and forms followed by an overview of definitions general needed in cemetery documentation. Definitions covered are ...

The major goals of this project involved: laboratory set-up; synthesis of Ca(OH) 2 nano- particles; cordage sample acquisition; development of a research design; preliminary testing of solutions and solvents; mechanical and aging studies; analytical characterization; imaging and data collection; and report preparation. The project has demonstrated that aqueous dispersions of calcium hydroxide nano-particles are not ...

Paul Whitmore, director of Carnegie Mellon University’s Art Conservation Research Center (ACRC), has developed a portable device that can be used to determine how exposure to visible light and ultraviolet (UV) rays affect the colors on a work of art, providing vital information that can be used to better preserve the artwork.

Growth of salt crystals within the pores of stone can cause serious damage. Salt may enter with ground water or be created by reaction of the minerals in the stone with atmospheric pollutants. As water evaporates from the pores of the stone, the salt concentration rises and the crystals grow until they approach the pore ...

While archaeologists have had some success identifying who made ceramics and where they made them, these techniques relied on removing a sample and complex instrumentation. The Virginia Department of Historic Resources (VDHR) used portable x-ray fluorescence (XRF) instrumentation as a tool to determine the geographic origin of Native American ceramics.

With a PTT grant funded by NCPTT, a research team including conservators from the New York State Bureau of Historic Sites, scientists with the Physics Department of Union College, Schenectady, New York, and scientists from the nanotechnology industry began experimenting with nanoparticles to advance conservation treatments in the field of historic preservation. This collaboration ...

Hola, en este video le estaremos enseñando los procedimientos básicos para limpiar lápidas de piedra. Hay dos cosas que se deben de recordar: lo primero es que siempre hay que asegurarse de la seguridad personal y lo segundo es no hacer daño a la lápida como tal.

This presentation is part of the International Cemetery Preservation Summit, October 8-10, 2014 Niagara Falls, NY. Returning the Forest to Forest Lawn: Tree Planting Strategies for Historic Landscapes by Matthew Quirey Matthew Quirey:  Good afternoon. Thanks for having me. Today, it’s my pleasure to talk about the Forest Lawn landscape renewal plan and returning the forest to ...

In 2004, the Department of Veteran Affairs National Cemetery Administration turned to NCPTT when it wanted advice on chemical cleaners for their marble headstones. This began and partnership and extensive research on the subject of commercially available cleaners for removing biological growth and general soiling from marble headstones. This week, NCPTT’s Mary Striegel reported the results ...

This talk is part of the Fountain Fundamentals Conference, July 10-11, 2013, Kansas City, MO. Alexander Calder’s “Hello Girls”; a Wind and Water Driven Non-Interactive Feature by John Hirx Abstract Alexander Calder was commissioned to create “Hello Girls”, a wind and water activated sculpture, for the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) when the museum was established ...

This talk is part of the Fountain Fundamentals Conference, July 10-11, 2013, Kansas City, MO. Kansas City Water Quality by  David Greene This presentation will provide an overview of federal drinking water regulations, typical municipal water supply chemical/biological characteristics, and premise plumbing (e.g. fountains) issues related to water quality. Speaker Bio David Greene is the Laboratory Manager at the ...

This talk is part of the Fountain Fundamentals Conference. Gilded Water Fountains Fabrication/Conservation/ Maintenance by William Adair A presentation on the specific issues encountered with the restoration of a contemporary outdoor gilded water fountain, “The Spirit of American Youth”. The gilded replica was based on the original artwork done  in 1953 by Donald Harcourt De Lue (1897-1988), The ...

This talk is part of the Fountain Fundamentals Conference, July 10-11, 2013, Kansas City, MO. Toward Better Treatment of Cast-Iron Fountains with Zinc Statues by Carol Grissom Abstract: The first statue to decorate a publicly financed fountain in the United States was William Rush’s wooden Water Nymph and Bittern, made for Philadelphia’s new water works in 1809.  Fountains ...

This talk is part of the Fountain Fundamentals Conference, July 10-11, 2013, Kansas City, MO. South Florida Fountain Conservation: Case Studies of the treatment of several fountains in a tropical environment by Justine Posluszny Bello Abstract: Fountain conservation requires treating historic elements within an active and public environment whose operational needs may directly conflict with those of the ...

Welcome to the Preservation Technology podcast; the show that brings you the people and projects that are advancing the future of America’s heritage. I’m Kevin Ammons with the National Park Service’s National Center for Preservation Technology and Training. Today we join Jason Church as he speaks with Karen Pavelka, a lecturer in the School of ...

NCPTT staff visited Fort Livingston, Grand Terre Island, on June 16, 2010 to evaluate the condition of the structure and the amount of oil contamination; to conduct field tests on cleaning methods; and to collect oil, water, and oil-contaminated sand samples for further testing in the laboratory. The amount of oil and area of contamination ...

In this edition of the Preservation Technology Podcast, we join NCPTT’s Jason Church as he speaks with Derek Patton, Assistant Professor in the School of Polymers and High Performance Materials at The University of Southern Mississippi. NCPTT is partnering with USM and Hybrid Plastics on a National Science Foundation grant to advance the science of ...

This database of micrographs of textile fibers acquired through the use of multiple microscopic techniques contains 145 collections with 1404 individual files, and requires 23GB of storage space. Each file contains a high resolution image with text fields that delineate image location and size, image collection information, microscopy technique and details of the features presented ...

In this video we will discuss a traditional Louisiana construction method called Bousillage. Bousillage is a Louisiana French term for walls made of mud. The origins of the word comes from Bous which means mud. Louisiana’s bousillage techniques appear s to be a blending of French and Native American traditions. Both cultures employed similar mud walled ...

In this edition of the podcast, we join NCPTT’s Jason Church as he speaks with Tony Rajer. He is an Art Conservator with the Nek Chand Foundation and a conservation professor at the University of Wisconsin. Today they will discuss Rajer’s interest in folk art and his work with the Rock Garden in Chandigarh, India.

In this episode of the Preservation Technology Podcast, we join NCPTT’s Jason Church as he speaks with Vern Mesler, adjunct professor at Lansing Community College. They will discuss the “Preservation of Iron and Steel and Bridges and Other Metal Structures Workshop,” which was funded by a grant from the National Center.

Many fallen or sunken grave markers are too large or weigh too much to be reset by hand. For these markers a mechanical hoisting or lifting system must be used. There are many types of lifting systems in use from very complex cranes and truck mounted hydraulic booms to less complex gantries and tripod hoists. ...

This project involved developing a new method for using the chemical content of freshwater mussel shell as a means of sourcing prehistoric, shell-tempered pottery and shell artifacts to their places of origin. By extension, this means that prehistoric trade and exchange networks can be mapped out. Because each waterway is chemically different to some extent, ...

A variety of materials and methods have been used to preserve ceramic vessels. Many have proven successful, while others are damaging. Monitoring and evaluation of past treatments is a documented research priority in the conservation field. The Arizona State Museum (ASM) has examined, recorded and analyzed the performance of past treatments on ...

In this episode, Jason Church speaks with Curtis Deselles, an intern with the Materials Research program at NCPTT, discusses the use of eddy currents and eddy current technology in conservation science. Mr. Deselles has built several eddy current analyzers, custom software, and presented on this topic at a non-destructive conference in St. Louis. NCPTT has been ...

Today we are joining NCPTT’s Jason Church as he speaks with Claire Dean of Dean Associates of Conservation Services about using lasers to remove graffiti from rock art. Rock art or rock imagery is the common term for paintings and carvings on rock and in North America that is mostly associated with native communities. Download Episode ...

2006 NCPTT Grant to Harvard University, “Development of a Rapid Indicator of Biodeterioration of Historic Stone.” Biodeterioration plays an important role in the degradation of stone in historic buildings, monuments, and archeological sites.

This six minute video explains how to prepare and apply limewash.

Traditional thin-section analysis techniques such as tedious manual point counting are time consuming and require numerous measures. The use of visual estimation charts produce results of questionable accuracy.

In this study, Inspired Partnerships, a non-profit organization in Chicago, investigated the virtues and liabilities of various protective glazing installations over stained glass.

This manual teaches communities and neighborhoods how to complete their own historic resource surveys and share that information quickly.

This video covers a workshop on the conservation and restoration of stained glass.

Materials Research Chief Mary Striegel and Materials Conservator Jason Church conduct a TEL NPS course “Essentials in Cemetery Monument Care.”

In the interest of saving as much historic fabric as possible and not altering or scarring historic materials as a result of investigative probes, architectural conservators look to nondestructive testing methods for the evaluation and identification of materials, conditions and alterations made to structures over time.

Recovery specialists need to have a clear sense of the pros and cons of existing treatment options before they can respond effectively.

Swelling clays in stone can generate damaging stresses during a wetting or a drying cycle, which leads to deterioration of building stones such as Portland Brownstone.

Materials Conservator Jason Church demonstrates how to properly repair an iron fence.

This project is about saving historic wooden artifacts in cemeteries. Cemeteries are important repositories of local and national history, valued not only for the stories they tell, but also for their emotional and civic connections.

This study evaluates the physical effects of drying waterlogged archaeological wood using supercritical carbon dioxide as compared to air drying and the polyethlene gylcol (PEG)/freeze drying method.

This thorough website was built and designed as a clearinghouse of information on videotape preservation.

Materials Conservator Jason Church demonstrates how to properly clean a stone grave marker.

Materials Research Chief Mary Striegel and Materials Conservator Jason Church conduct a TEL NPS course “Essentials in Cemetery Monument Care” broadcast on January 30, 2007.

Some natural science specimens and ethnographic artifacts in museums were historically treated with arsenic and mercury salts. This has created an environmental concern for museum workers and the public who may be exposed to these toxins. In addition, museums are frequently being asked to return sacred objects under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation ...

May 13, 2006 at the Holiday Inn by the Bay, Portland, Maine

The focus of this project was to investigate test methods for determining water vapor transmission (WVT) rates in mortar and to assign appropriate WVT rates for specific hydraulic and non-hydraulic restoration mortars.

This publication studies three monitoring systems and efforts to eliminate termites at San Cristobal and El Morro of the San Juan National Historical Site in Puerto Rico.

In 2003, NCPTT supported research that studied biodeterioration on metallic monuments. Ralph Mitchell, Professor at Harvard University’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, employed electrochemical impedence spectroscopy to analyze the susceptibility of monument coatings to degradation by indigenous microflora activity.

In 2003, the Infrared and Raman Users Group received NCPTT support to develop and implement an online collaborative database and bibliography of high quality infrared reference spectra. Currently, the database contains over 1250 spectra of oils, waxes, natural and synthetic resins, dyes, pigments, proteins, gums, and minerals.

Baits containing an insect growth regulator, hexaflumur