from The Guardian
Time to turn back tourist tide in Valley of the Kings
go to article
from BBC News
African rock art under threat
go to article
Another 2 reasons why "Humans" should be classed as a top factor of deterioration of cultural heritage - if not the top factor of deterioration.
from Wired Magazine
Atomic Detective
go to article
An interesting hand-held device which uses X-Ray Fluoroscopy (XRF) to detect and differentiate the presence of metal elements. This will come in handy for the identification of metal sculptures and may even be possible to gauge the type and ratio of alloy metals present. There is more on how the technique of XRF works on the manufacturer's web-site.
Atomic Detective
go to article
An interesting hand-held device which uses X-Ray Fluoroscopy (XRF) to detect and differentiate the presence of metal elements. This will come in handy for the identification of metal sculptures and may even be possible to gauge the type and ratio of alloy metals present. There is more on how the technique of XRF works on the manufacturer's web-site.
from The New York Times
The End of 1960's Architecture
go to article
from Pixel Points
What's (No Longer) New
go to weblog post
A couple of (unintended) rejoinder to the earlier announcement by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (Singapore) that more recent architectural structures will now be under consideration for conservation.
In the New York Times article, the difficult and often thankless task of deciding which building to preserved is clearly laid out. Two points that are worth reiterating. One, is that the approach to preserving buildings differ significantly from that of preserving portable artefacts. This is due to the obvious fact that buildings cannot be stored and must always remain functional even when earmarked for preservation. This leads to the second point, which is that buildings that are well-maintained and in good condition would stand a better chance of being considered for preservation, even over-riding considerations for the architectural significance of the building itself.
Another significant factor in the selection of buildings to be preserved is mentioned in the weblog post:
Mention is made of 2 organisations closely affiliated with architectural preservation - Documentation and Conservation of the Modern Movement (DoCoMoMo), which has a more international outlook with country and regional chapters; The Recent Past Preservation Network with a primary focus on the American context.
Browsing the DoCoMoMo web-site, there is an article on Singapore and the trend of building styles, very much dictated by public building works then (go to article - PDF format).
The End of 1960's Architecture
go to article
from Pixel Points
What's (No Longer) New
go to weblog post
A couple of (unintended) rejoinder to the earlier announcement by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (Singapore) that more recent architectural structures will now be under consideration for conservation.
In the New York Times article, the difficult and often thankless task of deciding which building to preserved is clearly laid out. Two points that are worth reiterating. One, is that the approach to preserving buildings differ significantly from that of preserving portable artefacts. This is due to the obvious fact that buildings cannot be stored and must always remain functional even when earmarked for preservation. This leads to the second point, which is that buildings that are well-maintained and in good condition would stand a better chance of being considered for preservation, even over-riding considerations for the architectural significance of the building itself.
Another significant factor in the selection of buildings to be preserved is mentioned in the weblog post:
"The successful preservation of an aging building usually depends upon the building attracting some sort of constituency, some sizable cohort of citizens who'd miss the place if it were gone and who are willing to lobby for its survival."Instead of some high ideals of architectural principle as a selection criteria.
Mention is made of 2 organisations closely affiliated with architectural preservation - Documentation and Conservation of the Modern Movement (DoCoMoMo), which has a more international outlook with country and regional chapters; The Recent Past Preservation Network with a primary focus on the American context.
Browsing the DoCoMoMo web-site, there is an article on Singapore and the trend of building styles, very much dictated by public building works then (go to article - PDF format).
from PC World
Could Your CD Contain Corn?
go to article
from Yahoo! News
Eco-friendly disc to store data on corn
go to article
First there was the paper DVD, now there is the corn disc - coming in the CD version, as well as the more advance Blu-Ray DVD version. What might pass off as novelty news items, should also point to an urgent need for digital preservation efforts to keep up with the larger technological strides made in the research and manufacture of digital storage devices and media.
Could Your CD Contain Corn?
go to article
from Yahoo! News
Eco-friendly disc to store data on corn
go to article
First there was the paper DVD, now there is the corn disc - coming in the CD version, as well as the more advance Blu-Ray DVD version. What might pass off as novelty news items, should also point to an urgent need for digital preservation efforts to keep up with the larger technological strides made in the research and manufacture of digital storage devices and media.
from BBC Radio 4 Material World
Art Fraud
go to programme outline
listen to programme (needs RealPlayer)
The first 15 minutes of the latest BBC Radio 4 science programme Material World highlights the investigative work done to detect art forgeries. The use of Raman Spectrometry was mentioned as a precise method to detect specific chemical composition (or "fingerprint") of different pigments. Combining that information with historical information on the use and manufacture of pigments, fakes could be determined with greater confidence then in the days of just relying on art connoisseurship.
Art Fraud
go to programme outline
listen to programme (needs RealPlayer)
The first 15 minutes of the latest BBC Radio 4 science programme Material World highlights the investigative work done to detect art forgeries. The use of Raman Spectrometry was mentioned as a precise method to detect specific chemical composition (or "fingerprint") of different pigments. Combining that information with historical information on the use and manufacture of pigments, fakes could be determined with greater confidence then in the days of just relying on art connoisseurship.
from The Australian
British library starts email archive
go to article
from Thirteen/WNET New York
New Public Television Partnership Receives Major Program Preservation Award from the Library of Congress
go to news release
It is always encouraging to learn of the launch of digital preservation projects, this time on either side of the Atlantic, pointing to an increasing awareness of such a need in our present-day technology-driven culture. Much of the effort in this area is presently led by government organisations, which is indicative of the resource-intensive nature of archiving the tremendous amount of digital content out there. However, the undoing of such digital preservation efforts might well be the other increasing trend of litigation based on a fallacious interpretation of the notion of "copyright". A good starting point in understanding this debate (from an American persepctive) would be Peter Hirtle's "Digital Preservation and Copyright".
British library starts email archive
go to article
from Thirteen/WNET New York
New Public Television Partnership Receives Major Program Preservation Award from the Library of Congress
go to news release
It is always encouraging to learn of the launch of digital preservation projects, this time on either side of the Atlantic, pointing to an increasing awareness of such a need in our present-day technology-driven culture. Much of the effort in this area is presently led by government organisations, which is indicative of the resource-intensive nature of archiving the tremendous amount of digital content out there. However, the undoing of such digital preservation efforts might well be the other increasing trend of litigation based on a fallacious interpretation of the notion of "copyright". A good starting point in understanding this debate (from an American persepctive) would be Peter Hirtle's "Digital Preservation and Copyright".
from Wired News
Preserving Art by Zapping Bugs
go to article
Using advances in DNA analysis and biotechnology, biochemists in Venezuela have managed to customise target toxins to get rid of specific pest species without harming the original heritage material. And pests are a constant problem in the tropical climate of Venezuela, much like Singapore.
Preserving Art by Zapping Bugs
go to article
Using advances in DNA analysis and biotechnology, biochemists in Venezuela have managed to customise target toxins to get rid of specific pest species without harming the original heritage material. And pests are a constant problem in the tropical climate of Venezuela, much like Singapore.
Something about blue...
Just want to share a wee juicy bit of information from Victoria Finlay's book "Colour" about the Ultramarine blue pigment which is derived from the semi-precious stone Lapis Lazuli.
"Lapis Lazuli is a complex clump of minerals, including hauyne, sodalite, nosean and lazurite. In the best grades there is more sulphur, the yellow element curiously making the stone more violet, and in the worst grades there is more calcium carbonate, turning it grey.
Ultramarine blue used to be a very expensive blue pigment in Europe. During the Italian Renaissance, it was touted as the only blue good enough to paint the Virgin Mary's robe. This pigment originate from Chile, Zambia, Siberia and Afghanistan. The synthetic version of it was found in France by a chemist in 1828, henceforth the name "French ultramarine".
Finlay in her book found out from her Afghanistan guide that there are three main colours for grade one lapis lazuli.
"The most common is rang-i-ob which simply means 'colour of water' and is a general word for blue. This stone is the darkest, the shade that sea goes when there is nothing but deep sea beneath it...The second is rang-i-sabz or green...they looked as if shreds of bright lettuce had got caught in the teeth of the blue...But the greatest of the three is the extraordinarily named surpar or 'red feather'. It was puzzling and beautiful that the best blue should be described as red. It was an ex-miner who gave the most poetic explanation. 'It is the colour of the deepest moment of the fire..the very heart of the flame.'
The history of colours is a beautiful story that excites the mind and fires up the imagination. I wonder whether I'll approach my paintbox the same way again after reading these 'stories'...
Just want to share a wee juicy bit of information from Victoria Finlay's book "Colour" about the Ultramarine blue pigment which is derived from the semi-precious stone Lapis Lazuli.
"Lapis Lazuli is a complex clump of minerals, including hauyne, sodalite, nosean and lazurite. In the best grades there is more sulphur, the yellow element curiously making the stone more violet, and in the worst grades there is more calcium carbonate, turning it grey.
Ultramarine blue used to be a very expensive blue pigment in Europe. During the Italian Renaissance, it was touted as the only blue good enough to paint the Virgin Mary's robe. This pigment originate from Chile, Zambia, Siberia and Afghanistan. The synthetic version of it was found in France by a chemist in 1828, henceforth the name "French ultramarine".
Finlay in her book found out from her Afghanistan guide that there are three main colours for grade one lapis lazuli.
"The most common is rang-i-ob which simply means 'colour of water' and is a general word for blue. This stone is the darkest, the shade that sea goes when there is nothing but deep sea beneath it...The second is rang-i-sabz or green...they looked as if shreds of bright lettuce had got caught in the teeth of the blue...But the greatest of the three is the extraordinarily named surpar or 'red feather'. It was puzzling and beautiful that the best blue should be described as red. It was an ex-miner who gave the most poetic explanation. 'It is the colour of the deepest moment of the fire..the very heart of the flame.'
The history of colours is a beautiful story that excites the mind and fires up the imagination. I wonder whether I'll approach my paintbox the same way again after reading these 'stories'...
from The Straits Times
Parts of Changi Prison 'exported'
go to article (PDF format)
Introducing a "new concept" in the preservation of monuments - the distributed site, with original components disbursed across the oceans and seas. To say that it is indeed a strange concept would be understating the case, obviously. It makes one wonder what exactly had been promised and agreed away from public eyes. Or perhaps the historical significance of Changi Prison is not considered "Singaporean" enough to remain intact here?
Parts of Changi Prison 'exported'
go to article (PDF format)
Introducing a "new concept" in the preservation of monuments - the distributed site, with original components disbursed across the oceans and seas. To say that it is indeed a strange concept would be understating the case, obviously. It makes one wonder what exactly had been promised and agreed away from public eyes. Or perhaps the historical significance of Changi Prison is not considered "Singaporean" enough to remain intact here?
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