MCI Project Summaries 2008 - Smithsonian Institution

MCI 6174.6 Anchorage Project: Lightfastness of Boot Fabrics and Leather
MCI Staff: Marion F. Mecklenburg, Julio del Hoyo
A series of lightfastness tests were conducted on a group of ethnographic objects that will
be on long-term loan at the Anchorage Museum in Alaska starting in 2010. The objects belong to
the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History and the Smithsonian’s National Museum
of American Indian. The project was designed as a feasibility study on the use of the microfading
tester to examine materials present in ethnographic collections. A broad range of objects
containing a wide variety of materials were selected for the study in order to assess their
lightfastness properties. This survey helped the conservation staff in establishing exhibition
recommendations taking into consideration the light levels in the building and the estimated light
exposure based on the duration of the exhibit. The diversity of objects and the complexity of
their materials made this a very challenging testing program. There is a need for studying the
light fading stability of ethnographic artifacts since the amount of scientific information on this
subject is limited. The results of this investigation demonstrate that the micro-fading tester is a
useful tool for determining the permanency of these materials without causing any harm to the
objects.
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