X-ray radiography is an imaging technique widely applied in the field of heritage since the discovery of X-rays by the German physicist W. C. Röntgen in 1895. In fact, even before the establishment of radiology as a medical specialty, radiological examinations were performed for studying mummies and other archaeological finds. In March 1896, Walter Koenig, a lecturer at the Physical Society in Frankfurt, published a monograph reporting on the radiographs of the knees of an Egyptian childmummy and the upper part of a cat mummy. A paper published by Culin two years later describes the work carried out in 1897 by Charles Leonard to produce radiographs of a Mochica mummy and other artifacts from the University of Pennsylvania Museum. Prior to this, in order to gain knowledge or simply to satisfy curiosity, many mummies had been unwrapped, suffering damage and in some cases even total destruction in the process. Koenig also made the first so-called “shadowgraphs” of paintings. X-rays were occasionally used to reveal forgeries or hidden signatures, but generally speaking, before World War I there was no systematic application of X-ray radiography to the study of paintings. A turning point occurred in 1925, when Alan Burroughs embarked on an extensive research project at the Fogg Art Museum in Harvard, with the aim of creating an archive of X-ray shadowgraphs. After purchasing X-ray equipment, Burroughs visited numerous museums in the US and Europe, collecting radiographs of famous paintings of mainly Italian, Dutch, and Flemish Masters. The “expeditions” of Burroughs renewed interest in the use of radiography, leading to the setup of X-ray labs in several American and European museums. Today, radiography is increasingly being used in the study of archaeological finds and works of art. It is a non-destructive technique, capable of providing insight into the internal structure of objects, by revealing features and details that would otherwise be invisible. Radiography can help scientists to answer many questions about the constituent materials, manufacturing techniques, and functions of an object; it is a useful and sometimes essential resource for restorers and conservators also, as it can reveal cracks, corrosion, and previous restoration work.
X-ray radiography
Morigi Maria Pia
2018
Abstract
X-ray radiography is an imaging technique widely applied in the field of heritage since the discovery of X-rays by the German physicist W. C. Röntgen in 1895. In fact, even before the establishment of radiology as a medical specialty, radiological examinations were performed for studying mummies and other archaeological finds. In March 1896, Walter Koenig, a lecturer at the Physical Society in Frankfurt, published a monograph reporting on the radiographs of the knees of an Egyptian childmummy and the upper part of a cat mummy. A paper published by Culin two years later describes the work carried out in 1897 by Charles Leonard to produce radiographs of a Mochica mummy and other artifacts from the University of Pennsylvania Museum. Prior to this, in order to gain knowledge or simply to satisfy curiosity, many mummies had been unwrapped, suffering damage and in some cases even total destruction in the process. Koenig also made the first so-called “shadowgraphs” of paintings. X-rays were occasionally used to reveal forgeries or hidden signatures, but generally speaking, before World War I there was no systematic application of X-ray radiography to the study of paintings. A turning point occurred in 1925, when Alan Burroughs embarked on an extensive research project at the Fogg Art Museum in Harvard, with the aim of creating an archive of X-ray shadowgraphs. After purchasing X-ray equipment, Burroughs visited numerous museums in the US and Europe, collecting radiographs of famous paintings of mainly Italian, Dutch, and Flemish Masters. The “expeditions” of Burroughs renewed interest in the use of radiography, leading to the setup of X-ray labs in several American and European museums. Today, radiography is increasingly being used in the study of archaeological finds and works of art. It is a non-destructive technique, capable of providing insight into the internal structure of objects, by revealing features and details that would otherwise be invisible. Radiography can help scientists to answer many questions about the constituent materials, manufacturing techniques, and functions of an object; it is a useful and sometimes essential resource for restorers and conservators also, as it can reveal cracks, corrosion, and previous restoration work.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
