A platform for research: civil engineering, architecture and urbanism
A platform for research: civil engineering, architecture and urbanism
Laser Cleaning Lincoln Cathedral's Romanesque Frieze
The Q-switched Nd:YAG laser has been used for cleaning stone sculptures for over 20 years, and has passed from an experimental to an accepted technique. In the United Kingdom, however, it is mainly used in a handful of major museums and research laboratories rather than to clean architectural stonework from a scaffold.
This paper concentrates on the practical aspects of a joint research project carried out between Lincoln Cathedral and Loughborough University. This involved cleaning one of the polychromed Romanesque frieze carvings in situ on the Cathedral façade. A major concern over laser cleaning is the known discolouration of certain pigments. This was pragmatically overcome by combining laser and micro air-abrasive techniques, and the relative qualities of both methods were compared and assessed. Health and safety requirements are outlined, both for the conservators and the general public.
While research continues in the laboratory to refine the laser, the success of the project so far has led to it becoming a realistic choice for cleaning the rest of the Romanesque frieze.
Laser Cleaning Lincoln Cathedral's Romanesque Frieze
The Q-switched Nd:YAG laser has been used for cleaning stone sculptures for over 20 years, and has passed from an experimental to an accepted technique. In the United Kingdom, however, it is mainly used in a handful of major museums and research laboratories rather than to clean architectural stonework from a scaffold.
This paper concentrates on the practical aspects of a joint research project carried out between Lincoln Cathedral and Loughborough University. This involved cleaning one of the polychromed Romanesque frieze carvings in situ on the Cathedral façade. A major concern over laser cleaning is the known discolouration of certain pigments. This was pragmatically overcome by combining laser and micro air-abrasive techniques, and the relative qualities of both methods were compared and assessed. Health and safety requirements are outlined, both for the conservators and the general public.
While research continues in the laboratory to refine the laser, the success of the project so far has led to it becoming a realistic choice for cleaning the rest of the Romanesque frieze.
Laser Cleaning Lincoln Cathedral's Romanesque Frieze
Beadman, Kay (author) / Scarrow, Jane (author)
Journal of Architectural Conservation ; 4 ; 39-53
1998-01-01
15 pages
Article (Journal)
Electronic Resource
English
The Cleaning of the Parthenon West Frieze: An Innovative Laser Technology
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