Colour, Colour Measurement and Colour Change (Science for Conservators)

Colour, Colour Measurement and Colour Change, the first new book in the expanded Science for Conservators series, explains the science of colour, colour measurement and colour change for conservators in a clear and comprehensible way, elucidating the topic for those with no scientific background.

The book explains how and why we see colours and how colour and colour change can be measured, as well as clarifying why these would be done in a conservation context. It then examines the ways in which colour can change – such as darkening, yellowing, fading, blanching and patination – illustrating these in different types of cultural heritage materials, including metals, varnishes, plastics, textiles and paints. The final chapter explores how colour change can be reduced in different types of storage and display settings, and, in particular, what can be done to protect against damage by light, damp and pollutants.

This book is an invaluable introduction to all aspects of the science of colour in conservation. It is suitable for students in undergraduate and postgraduate conservation programmes, as well as being a useful reference guide for practising conservators.

David Saundersm, FSA FIIC, is Honorary Research Fellow and formerly Keeper of Conservation and Scientific Research at the British Museum. After postdoctoral research in chemistry, he began his conservation career in the Scientific Department at the National Gallery in London. He has twice been a guest scholar at the Getty Conservation Institute in Los Angeles and was also its inaugural Getty Rothschild Fellow. He has been a visiting professor at UCL and NYU. His research focuses on non-invasive analysis, the effect of the environment (particularly light) on museum objects and sustainable preventive conservation.