from Time -
Copied Paintings Plague Vietnam's Museum
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"During the Vietnam War, the museum's own restoration department was a virtual copy factory — a fact that museum officials past and present freely admit. ... Ironically, Vietnam's practice of reproducing noteworthy works was originally carried out to rescue the country's artistic heritage during wartime."

This is blatant mismanagement, through and through!
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from Agence France-Press -
Famed Nefertiti bust 'a fake': expert
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from A+E Interactive -
Is famed Nefertiti bust a fake?
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from Art Info -
No, No, Nefertiti
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Not exactly a scientific proof of a fake - but rather, using various scientific tools to support the hypothesis of a fake. This needs further verification and tests to proof otherwise, to see if the hypothesis of a fake holds.
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from The Independent -
Is Unesco damaging the world's treasures?
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When too much of a good (but irrelevant) "thing" becomes a danger ...

"The World Heritage seal is a guarantee of preservation. At least that's the perception. But now many within the conservation community are convinced Unesco is failing. They say the moribund organisation is teetering on its once sound foundations as its principles and priorities crumble under the weight of bureaucracy and outside influence. The World Heritage emblem has come to represent a grandiose marketing tool – fodder for "things to see before you die" coffee-table books."

from The Sydney Morning Herald -
Picture this: a holiday at home, where entertainment is free
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Perhaps, the tide is turning for museums in that there is a greater appreciation of museums - not just as an alternative "lifestyle" but an integrated way of living and knowing the world. Or, perhaps, it is just circumstances that are driving up "awareness" and "visitorship numbers" which will evaporate when good times roll back round?
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from The Independent -
Please look after our Turners, Mr Wen
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This could well end up as a classic case-study of how in the rush to please/fawn (a trait, or character flaw, that politicians primarily exhibit) coupled with a total disregard of sensible concerns and pragmatic measures points to a cultural disaster in the making.
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from CeROArt -
Taking the wrong path: learning from oversights, misconceptions, failures and mistakes in conservation
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Using examples from wall painting conservation in Denmark, Isabella Brajer takes a courageous dive into a topic that seldom gets its deserved discussion in conservation work - mistakes and failures.

"Undoubtedly, mistakes have been made in the conservation profession, as in many others. Controversies, such as those involving the cleaning of Michelangelo’s frescoes in the Sistine Chapel, or his marble sculpture David, show that a wide range of positions exists, critical of both the technical and theoretical aspects of conservation. It would be a shame if such controversies would discourage conservators from sharing their difficulties and erroneous decisions with colleagues."

It must surely take a strong woman or man to admit as much.

from Technology Review -
Ultrasound to Go
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A promising miniaturised technology used for medical diagnosis that could also be applied to the documentation and condition assessment of the building fabric of historic sites.
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from Archaeology -
The Past in High-Def
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A nice overview of surface imaging technique, with an eye towards documentation of sites, monuments and ancient structures for preservation purposes.
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from Scientific American 60-Second Science Blog -
Have scientists discovered Spider-Man's secret to superstrong silk?
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go to scientific paper abstract
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Reinforcing an already naturally strong material could have multiple uses, including "invisible" repair in some conservation treatments - if the threads last.
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from Slate -
Robert Altman Made a Movie About a Lunar Landing?
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Continuing the earlier thread of documenting unrealised works as an important (but overlooked) aspect of preservation. Being able to order a single copy of previously released movie, without having to play hostage to larger marketing issues and distribution, is now a reality - a boon for both scholars and archivists. All thanks to technology.

Go to the Warner Archive Collection.
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