Work

Quality Matters for Historical Plastics: The Past-Making of Cellulose Nitrates for Future Preservation

Year: 2017

Type: article

Abstract: The material degradation of an historical artifact through chemical breakdown may place the object at the end of its useful heritage “life” in terms of aesthetic value and appearance. But all is not lost in the ephemeral world of historical synthetic plastics. The chemical analyses of degraded cellulose nitrate artifacts have unlocked material clues that not only help explain stability variations to guide collection care and preservation, but also bring insight into past manufacturing materials, methods and quality control during production. Translating the industrial materials of a degrading artifact by understanding its past to inform its future can revive it with a new cultural significance, and engages heritage scientists, historians and conservators in an innovative community of “complementary science” as defined by Hasok Chang (2004).

Source: Cahiers François Viète

DOI: 10.4000/cahierscfv.799

Author: Anita Quye

Institution: University of Glasgow

Language: English

Topic: Cultural Heritage Materials Analysis

Subfield: Archeology

Field: Arts and Humanities

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Responsible consumption and production

Open Access status: diamond

Funder: Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council