Technical photography is a powerful tool for examining iron gall ink, commonly used in historical manuscripts and documents. This process involves using various types of light to reveal details about the ink’s composition, condition, and effects on the underlying paper or parchment. Here’s how technical photography is applied to iron gall ink:
1. Visible Light Photography
Purpose: Captures the document as seen by the naked eye, providing a baseline for comparison with other imaging methods.
2. Ultraviolet (UV) Fluorescence Photography
Purpose: UV light causes certain materials, including some ink components and paper, to fluoresce. This can reveal the presence of degradation products from the iron gall ink which may not be visible in normal light.
3. Infrared (IR) Photography
Purpose: Infrared light can differentiate between different types of inks, as some inks absorb infrared light differently.
This video lesson showcases a series of examples created using our Technical Photography Kit. To dive deeper and learn more, explore our FREE course on Technical Photography.
To reinforce the concepts discussed here, we also provide a video lesson that visually walks through the key points of this topic. Watching the video alongside the text can help you better understand and apply these ideas in practice.
Scientific Art Examination – Resources:
Getty Conservation Institute (GCI) – USA
The British Museum – Scientific Research Department – UK
Scientific Research Department – The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA
C2RMF (Centre de Recherche et de Restauration des Musées de France) – France
Rijksmuseum – Science Department – Netherlands
