Art Conservation

Conservators and other museum professionals face a large number of issues involving the mechanical behavior of materials, including questions on craquelure, restoring physically damaged objects, art in transport, or the selection of adhesives. However, science in conservation and museum studies curricula focusses mostly on chemistry. This book fills this important gap in conservation training. It is the first such book written specifically for the conservation community and professionals with little or no background in (mechanical) engineering. It introduces the basics of mechanical properties and behavior of materials and objects with examples and exercises based on conservation practice. More complex issues of mechanical loading and advanced solutions are also introduced.

W. (Bill) Wei is a senior conservation scientist in the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands, Amsterdam. He has a BSE in mechanical engineering (Princeton University, 1977) and a PhD in materials science (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1983). Before working in cultural heritage, he spent almost 20 years in industrial materials research and development in the areas of fracture mechanics, fatigue, and corrosion. Dr. Wei has since been conducting research and consulting on the effects of vibrations and mechanical stresses on the condition of fragile works of art for more than 20 years. He also conducts research on perception related to conservation treatments and object appearance, risks for objects due to mechanical loads, and conservation ethics.

1. Introduction 2. Static Mechanical Properties 3. Dynamic Mechanical Properties 4. Mechanical Testing 5. Advanced Concepts