How do the most conservation-relevant materials behave in ultraviolet light?

Pigments... Adhesives...

Each material can react in different ways!

But... don't despair!

Today we want to share this material produced by Museums Victoria:

➡️"Summary of Conservation-Relevant Ultraviolet Fluorescent Materials".

This summary has been produced to assist Museum Victoria Conservation staff in interpreting ultraviolet (UV) light examination results. And of course.. you can help all of us now!

UV light is a form of electromagnetic radiation, along with visible light, infrared, x-rays etc. UV light radiates at shorter wavelengths than visible light and cannot be seen by the human eye. However, when UV light is absorbed by certain materials, it is reflected back towards the eye as longer wavelength visible radiation, or visible light. This phenomenon is referred to as UV-induced visible fluorescence.

At this link you will find a rich list of materials with published results of ultraviolet light examinations in conservation journals and other sources, including personal observations.

This relationship can be very beneficial to other conservators who use UV Light as an examination technique.

@Australian Institute for the Conservation of Cultural Material