from Institute of Conservation (UK) -
Conservation Awards 2007
go to short-lists

Once again, the annual awards given out for outstanding conservation and digital preservation projects in the UK. Results will be announced on 27th September at the British Museum.
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from Conservation DistList -
British Library Centre for Conservation Microsite
go to web-site

An additional web resource for heritage conservation. You can also watch videosof conservators at work ! (Thanks to Conservation DistList for the prior alert).
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from Radio Singapore International -
Heritage Conservation Centre
go to programme notes
go to MP3 (2.29 Mb)

A nice (audio) overview of the work that goes on behind the scene.
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from News@Nature.com -
Plastics for posterity
go to article

A brief round-up of the 3-day conference, "Plastics: Looking at the Future & Learning from the Past", held at the Victoria & Albert Museum.

See also an earlier related article ("Plastics Preservation at the V&A" by Brenda Keneghan) in the V&A Conservation Journal.
.

from BBC News -
'History itself has been lost'
go to article
also
Blaze ravages historic Cutty Sark
go to article
also
In Pictures: Cutty Sark
go to photos

A sad update. See earlier post on the conservation and significance of this tea clipper docked at Greenwich.
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from Royal Microscopical Society -
InFocus
go to web-page

There are a few articles, available on-line, related to the examination and technical analysis of paint / pigment samples from the newsletter of the RMS.

Issue 1, March 2006

"Forensics and Microscopy in Authenticating Works of Art"
Peter Paul Biro
go to PDF article, 930kB

"Microscopical techniques applied to traditional paintings"
Joyce H Townsend and Katrien Keune
go to PDF article, 1.6MB

"Scientific dating of paintings"
Nicholas Eastaugh
go to PDF article, 1.1MB


Issue 2, June 2006

"'Not a day without a line drawn': Pigments and painting techniques of Roman Artists"
Ruth Siddall
go to PDF article, 1.2MB

"Historical pigment research: the work of the Pigmentum Project"
Valentine Walsh & Nicholas Eastaugh
go to PDF article, 1.4MB


Issue 3, September 2006

"Microscopy and archival research: interpreting results within the context of historical records and traditional practice"
Jane Davies
go to PDF article, 340kB
go to supplement, 35kB

"Advanced microscopic techniques for the characterisation of pigments"
Robin Clark & Tracey Chaplin
go to PDF article, 423kB


Issue 4, December 2006

"18th Century church altarpieces in the Algarve, Portugal: A comparison of the historical documents to the results of the microscopical analysis"
Isabel Pombo Cardoso
go to PDF article, 1.9MB

from Museum, NUS Centre for the Arts -
Seminar Series on Exhibitionary Practices in Singapore:
Contexts, Processes & Trends
go to web-page

I have just uploaded the audio recording of a talk that I gave as part of the NUS Museum Seminar Series back in March 2007. (MP3 file, 13.3 MB; PDF of slides, 882 kB)

"The Relevance of Conservation in Museums"
go to web-page and links

There are also links to various resources that may be of interest.
Do leave your comments or feedback. Cheers!
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from Materials Today -
Managing Change: Preserving History
go to article (PDF format, 7.8MB)

Another article to add to the overview of conservation science as a discipline (also see earlier post). What is interesting is that this is published in an on-line newsletter dedicated to materials science - perhaps indicative of the gradual understanding and acceptance of the work of the conservation scientist.
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from The New York Times -
A More Precise Version of Your Chariot Awaits
go to article

An interesting project, which was recently concluded at the Metropolitan Museum in New York, which reconstructs and improves upon earlier attempts in putting together an archaeological artefact. This is a classic manifestation of the primary underlying principle of heritage conservation which is that later generations will have a better method and solution to our present-day problems. Hence, it is to be expected that conservation or restoration treatments be improved upon over time - not that previous restorers or conservators were incompetent, but that we all make do in the best possible way with what we have today.
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from New York Times -
Arsenic and Old Photos
go to article

An interesting article on the work of Dusan Stulik at the Getty Conservation Institute on the identification and compilation of materials used in the making of photographs. Dusan's work is in part driven by the ubiquitous popularity of digital photography resulting in "an impending disaster in photographic conservation and scholarship: the abandonment and loss of many decades’ worth of information about traditional photos as the switch was made to digital." The endpoint is a reference publication:

"[...] sometime in the next few years, a door-stopping Atlas of Analytical Signatures of Photographic Processes, a chemical characterization of every known (and, until now, some previously unknown) means of making pictures."

See also information from GCI's website on the Research Project on the Conservation of Photographs.
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from The New York Sun -
The Art of Saving Art
go to article

An interesting article which gives a glimpse into the processes and considerations of conservation work. Jim Coddington from MOMA and Margaret Holben Ellis from The Morgan Library & Museum talks about the challenges of conservation.
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from New York Times -
What Surrounds a Legend? A 3,000-Pound Gilt Frame
go to article

An interesting look at the restoration of a frame which is regarded not only historically but also as a "legendary" artefact - surely a "crowd-puller" in the making. Also notable is the length that the Metropolitan Museum is going through in order to accommodate the restoration of the over-sized frame.
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from The Sydney Morning Herald, Australia
Picking up the pieces of broken art
go to article

An article revealing a ordinary day of a artifact conservator.

If there is a ranking of the most underrated occupations, the conservators would easily fall into any of the placings. Doing the unusual finding-fault work, it is unknown to many others that conservation is not just another routine day job. It requires good eyesight for microscopic details and indefinite length of patience and a pair of healthy lungs for inhaling the chemicals. Not easy work after all, one proper finished (and satisfied!) conservation work could take from a few hours to forever. Yet every attempt to doctor a broken artwork is done with in respect of and preservation of the artisit's original intention.

Many before me tried it, so i cant really complain that I'm doing the most frustration work in the world.

from ICON, The Institute of Conservation, UK
UK's cultural heritage under threat - Peers warn
go to article

Our present understanding of a whole range of conservation and heritage problems has been helped tremendously by a more rigorous scientific approach that was pioneered by a few far-sighted individuals and institutions - both in Europe, UK and USA - around the mid of the 20th-century.

And now with the recent publication of an in-depth report (published by the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee) on the state of conservation and heritage science research in the UK, it won't be long before we see a surge of concerted effort in this area of fundamental and essential work, despite the ominous tone of the published report. Or perhaps, because of it.

For the full report, there is an online version, as well as a PDF version (warning: PDF, 3.6MB).

[ Thanks to the Conservation DistList for the prior alert. ]

from The New York Times
A Layered Look Reveals Ancient Greek Texts
go to article

An update on the earlier post on the examination and conservation of the historic Archimedes palimpsest. Also see the offical web-site.

from The Art Newspaper
Bill Gates’ Leonardo notebook withdrawn from exhibition
go to article

An unusal turn of events in which a world-renow museum is seen to be less cautious about protecting artefacts from light damage than a concerned collector, and none other than Bill Gates himself.

From Guardian Unlimited
Software that reveals which paintings are authentic
go to article

A software that helps to authenticate paintings through matching the characteristics of the painting under question to its library of characteristics for that particular artist, such as brushstrokes, colours and type of canvas used etc. The developer of the software said the technique was not designed to replace the opinions of art historians but is meant as a tool to help them reach a decision.

Guess the success of the software as a tool would hinge on building up a representative repertoire of works of individual artists. This task is tremendous when you think of how certain masters have different styles in different phases of their art practice!

from ePreservation Science
go to web-page

A new issue of the online journal for Conservation Science with 4 articles:

A Baranski et.al.
"Mixed control mechanisms in paper degradation studies"
(PDF article)

Y Keheyan & L Giulianiell
"Identification of historical ink ingredients"
(PDF article)

U Knuutinen & P Kyllonen
"Studies of polyester composite art objects"
(PDF article)

L Rampazzi & R Bugini
"Characterization of mortars of St. Lorenzo, Milan"
(PDF article)

from Smithsonian Institution Libraries
Textile Fiber Atlas
go to web-page
download PDF (6.4 Mb)

The classic 1942 work, Textile Fiber Atlas: A Collection of Photomicrographs of Common Textile Fibers, by Werner Von Bergen and Walter Krauss is now available in scanned PDF format from the Smithsonian Institution Libraries. Thanks to the efforts of Mary Ballard, Senior Textile Conservator at the Museum Conservation Institute (formerly CAL and SCMRE).

[ also see initial announcement on the Conservation DistList mailing list here. ]

from Getty Conservation Institute
Conservation Newsletter 21.1 (Spring 2006)
go to online contents page
download PDF (6.7 MB)

The latest copy of the GCI newsletter, focusing on mosiac conservation.

from New York Times
At the Cloisters, a Major Stained-Glass Restoration Project
go to article

A feature article on the conservation efforts at the branch museum of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. There is also an accompanying online multi-media feature.

from Deseret Morning News
Dry ice blasting is cool way to clean
go to article

A new technology which could (and should) replace existing sandblasting methods of cleaning surfaces, in particular outdoor sculptures and cultural heritage structures. It is also interesting to note that the method has been effective in removing soot from books salvaged from a fire.

from Channel News Asia
Thailand to restore religious sites for king's 60th anniversary
go to article

A short report which underlines the stark reality that heritage conservation is predicated upon enlightened patronage - however unsustainable in the long-term that might be.

from The Conservation Awards
Conservation Awards winners are announced!
go to news article

The winners of the UK Conservation Awards have been announced. View the full press release and photographs. Also press releases for the Award for Care of Collections, Student Conservator of the Year Award, and Digital Preservation Award.

from The Art Newspaper
Cimabue'’s Assisi fresco reconstructed
go to article

Almost 9 years of work will near its completion in the pain-staking restoration of a fresco destroyed by an earlier earthquake. If not for the help of digital technology, the reconstruction of the original from the thousands of plaster fragments would have been impossible (see older articles here and here). In this instance, the role of digital technology in the preservation of cultural heritage interestingly resulted in a tangible end, instead of a virtual one.

from The Conservation Awards
Conservation Awards 2005

Looking ahead to the announcement of the winners of the UK Conservation Awards on 22 November, brief information of the various projects and candidates shortlisted can be viewed on the Awards web-page. There are various categories of the Awards, including the Award for Conservation, Award for Care of Collections, Student Conservator of the Year, Anna Plowden Award for Research and Innovation, and the Digital Preservation Award.

from ICOM-CC 14th Triennial
Congress Newspaper
go to PDF

Summarising the recently concluded ICOM-CC conservation conference in the Hague in September 2005, a newspaper-format newsletter was produced at the close of the conference and distributed to the delegates, which is also online.

from the New York Times
Synchronizing the Present and Past in a Timeless Place
go to article

Another glimpse into the French world of heritage preservation at the Versailles Palace, previously posted here. The deliberate yet meticulous attention to technical details may seem out of place in an efficiency-driven world that is widely expected. However, it is also true that when something is worth doing, sometimes it is worth doing it slowly.

from GCI Newsletter
Conservation Science
go to online newsletter
go to PDF version

The latest newsletter from the Getty Conservation Institute features the development and role of conservation science in the larger professional framework of cultural heritage conservation and preservation.

from Art Museum Network News
Smithsonian Receives $10 Million for the Lunder Conservation Center
go to article

An update on the development of a visible conservation centre (see previous post) at the Smithsonian. The new centre, named Lunder Conservation Centre, will be housed in the American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery in Washington D.C. It is projected that the renovation work currently underway at the museums and centre will be completed by July 2006.

from V&A
Conservation Journal
go to on-line journal

The long-awaited on-line version of the V&A Conservation Journal is finally available. I have added the Journal home page to the list of links on this web-log.

from The New York Times
Museums Use New Tools to Fix Old Works
go to article

The article talks about the various techniques conservation scientists and conservators use to analyse and treat works in museum collections. One particular highlight interest me. Through Raman spectroscopy, the investigation of the "eruption" of tiny, almost microscopic bumps on "Madam X" painted by John Singer Sargent yields an interesting question about materials and technique... is it caused by the ratio of lead to linseed oil in the paint or the thickness of the paint?

from ABC news
Microbes Show Exquisite Taste in Art
go to article

The observed growth of microbes and fungi on Degas' wax models has been attributed in part to the stable environment found in the museum display and storage areas. Perhaps, having a fluctuating environment could be beneficial in terms of management of pest levels as they are disallowed to have an uninterrupted period of growth.

Conservation Physics
go to web-site

Tim Padfield, previously retired from the National Museum of Denmark, had put together a revamped web-site / online book looking at physics as applied in the field of conservation of cultural heritage. Topics covered include:

- basic concepts in climate;
- light and photochemistry;
- properties of material;
- air-conditioning and building physics;
- microclimate; and
- sensors and measurement.

from The New York Times
Sending the F.B.I. to Art School
go to article (PDF format)

It might be that conservation students could well be looking forward to a career as a special agent investigating stolen art:

"When the agency set up the art crime team, it decided to train agents in art styles and conservation." (emphasis added)

from SCMRE
Efficient New Methods for Embedding Paint and Varnish Samples for Microscopy
go to article (PDF format)

A recent article written by Melvin Wachowiak, Senior Furniture Conservator at SCMRE, for the Journal of the American Institute for Conservation (issue number 43), which looks at some possible new methods and materials for use in embedding samples for microscopy analysis.

from The Bonefolder (volume 1, number 1, Fall 2004)
Conservation and Tools: An Inquiry into Nature and Meaning
go to article (PDF format)

Jeffrey Peachey, a bookbinder and book-conservator, argues interesting towards the end of his article that a way to improve conservation skills is to horne one's knowledge about and interaction with tools in conservation use.

from Iconoduel weblog
Flash Bulbs and Artifact Preservation: Myth Debunked!
go to post

The restricted use of flash photography in museums and art galleries can be said to be fairly commonplace. The reason behind such a restriction has at times been attributed to conservation concern in terms of excessive exposure for light-sensitive artefacts.

However, as the above weblog posting set out to show, there is not a shred of scientific basis for such a concern. In fact, the post quotes Stefan Michalski (from the Canadian Conservation Institute) from an earlier Conservation DistList post in which he argues that actual increase in light exposure from photography flashes (using actual measured figures) would be rather insignificant:

"Assuming the gallery lighting is the lowest most museums can tolerate, 50 lux (5 foot candles) then each flash adds the equivalent of one second of normal gallery exposure. So, 300 amateur flashes a day is equivalent to adding five minutes to the display day."

In fact, Michalski cited more defensible reasons for restricting flash photography as : "copyright, or as a disturbance to the act of contemplation (my personal vote) but there is no preservation reason."

The other posts in the original Conservation DistList discussion thread could be viewed here.

from BBC News
Air to 'guard Michelangelo David'
go to article

It does seems like an over-reaction to what would otherwise be considered as a natural and fairly harmless surface dirt deposit. Extreme measures such as this certainly exemplifies the "darker" side of conservation concerns - fears built on partial information.

from The Guardian
This epic Earth
go to article

When artworks reach the scale of the monumental and beyond, then the question of conservation treatment becomes somewhat irrelevant. And this raises an interesting relationship between size and conservation methodology. It can be surmised that the scale of construction of an artefact would affect and impact on the choice of conservation treatments. However, to what extent? And more specifically - how? Such an explanation or exposition could perhaps help to make sense of the diverse concerns in the field of conservation such as museum artefacts, architectural, sites, monuments and even intangible heritage and digital materials.

from The New York Times
Devastation, Now Salvage, Page by Page
go to article

A sad reminder of how a tiny spark can set off a whole disaster and the importance of good disaster-salvage planning. A fire, set off by a electrical short at the Anna Amalia Library in Weimar, Germany, has caused irreparably damage to about 10 percent of the library's collection of a million books.

"The texts in Weimar were of a special nature in that they had their own history," said Michael Knoche, the library's director since 1991, emphasizing their personal connections with the greats of German literature. "They were used by Goethe, Schiller and Wieland. They wrote on the book covers, or margins." Goethe was himself administrator of the library, which was established in 1691.

At present, the Library is preoccupied with concerns for rebuilding the Baroque library building and the book collection and the restoration of the damaged books. The immediate treatment of the damaged books is being carried out by the Center for Book Conservation in Leipzig and further restoration would depend on possibilities of financial support.

from The Guardian
Vatican wants £2m to restore Michelangelo's last frescos
go to article

This latest story about the effort to restore a significant fresco of Michelangelo raises an interesting issue. That of the balance between the preservation of a historically significant masterpiece as a public interest issue (even if carried out with private sponsorship) and the private ownership and exclusive enjoyment of the artwork. And if as conservators, we do not take such issues into full consideration, we might run the risk of blind-siding ourselves. Even as we adopt the stance of maintaining professional ethics by insisting that artefacts are conserved irrespective of their (real or perceived) value, we need to take pause and consider the deeper implications of such an approach in the context of finite resources. As much as we wish to treat all artefacts as equivalent, this happens only in the realm of the ideal. In the rough and tumble world of the "everyday", what gives?

from BBC Radio 4
Restoring the Cutty Sark
go to programme web-page

also

from BBC news
Landmark ship 'faces collapse'
go to article

The latest from BBC Radio 4 Material World explores the thinking and preparation which goes into the conservation of the historic ship, Cutty Sark, currently dry-docked in Greenwich, UK. The conservation plan behind the full-size ship involves complex computer-modeling for physical movements and changes as the ship is being treated using electrolysis to extract sodium salts from its iron hull. It is also interesting to note that the 2 key personnel being interviewed on the BCC Radio 4 programme are not conservators - perhaps, a sign of things to come as conservation projects no longer remain the sole domain of the "conservation" profession, but more as a cross-disciplinary enterprise?

e-PRESERVATION Science
go to on-line journal

A new electronic journal which focuses on material research in the field of preservation including "studies in stability, environmental studies and condition assessment of cultural heritage, and studies of materials and procedures used for its conservation and preservation."

from MLA News
Thatched Church, Thai Demons, Dust-busters and Digital Archives Win UK's Premier Conservation Prizes
go to press release
go to Pilgrim Trust Conservation Awards web-site

Perhaps a similar award for conservation efforts in the Southeast Asia could serve to spur a greater level of professional and public recognition in the region.

from The Australian
Cultural shift by conservators
go to article

An interesting development in the teaching of the subject of conservation in the Centre for Cultural Materials Conservation at the University of Melbourne.

"Part of the course is a subject called Respect, in which experts from various communities will lecture students on indigenous culture and traditional law, with the aim of fostering greater depth of understanding."

from The New York Times
Hubert von Sonnenburg, a Leading Conservator of Paintings, Dies at 76
go to article (PDF format)

An obituary for the long-serving (since 1959) paintings conservator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. What caught my eye was the following passage which intimated at the connoisseurship of conservation, which is seldom discussed in today's conservation forums.

"When restoring a painting," he once said, "the question is not so much which solvent and chemicals or which new scientific methods and high-technology tools to use, but how the picture should look. Of course that is a matter of taste, tempered in part by the condition of the picture, but even more, it is a matter of understanding the art and the artist."

from Channel News Asia
Singapore's Heritage Conservation Centre carving a niche for itself

For those who missed the news section on Channel News Asia, here is the transcript (in PDF format).

from Getty Conservation Institute Newsletter
Preventive Conservation
go to newsletter

The focus of the latest issue of the GCI Newsletter is on preventive conservation - tracing the inter-disciplinary development of the field, the challenges of application and featuring 2 specific areas in lighting and climate controls in historic buildings.

from BBC Radio 4 - Connect
Dust to dust
go to programme synopsis
listen to programme (Real Player needed)

It boggles the mind to think of something as unassuming and ubiquitous as dust could contain information (when properly analysed) which can yield traces of history spanning many decades or even centuries. But, the question remains: "To clean or not to clean?"

from BBC Radio 4 - Material World
Painting Conservation
listen to programme (fast forward to 15m 30s; Real Player needed)
go to programme synopsis

A quick auditory "glimpse" into the work at the Conservation Department of the National Gallery in London. In particular, the discussion on the rise of de rigueur scientific analysis of materials in the conservation profession and the increasing interest in technical art history, much served by the former.

from Art Museum Network News
Smithsonian to Open "Visible Conservation Center"
go to article

Having conservation work always on view may sound like a good idea in the context of a museum display - but it must be added that just viewing the conservation work processes alone would not make much of a sense unless accompanied by some intelligent form of commentary and explanation. Without this added component of interaction and dialogue, conservation work can actually appear rather boring and uninteresting in itself. The other question would be whether is there no other way to present conservation to the public, other than being on constant view? Would we next ask for a glass-fronted office design for all museum curators so that visitors can understand the creative and often complex processes that go into the making of an exhibition?

from Conservation Research Laboratory, Texas A&M University
METHODS OF CONSERVING ARCHAEOLOGICAL MATERIAL
FROM UNDERWATER SITES
go to article


This on-line conservation manual has attempted to present the current state of conservation of archaeological material from marine environments.
This link consists of 16 conservation files, topics are

1.OVERVIEW OF CONSERVATION IN ARCHAEOLOGY; BASIC CONSERVATION
PROCEDURES
2.ADHESIVES AND CONSOLIDANTS
3.CONSERVATION OF BONE, IVORY, TEETH, AND ANTLER

and many more... Hope it is a good reference.

from The New York Times
Michelangelo's 'David' Gets Spruced Up for His 500th Birthday
go to article

from The Guardian
Thin grey veil lifted from Michelangelo's David, as restorer confounds critics
go to article

from The New Scientist
Michelangelo’s David revealed after clean-up
go to article

Finally, the saga of the cleaning of Michelangelo's David reaches a conclusion of sorts - in good time to mark the 500th anniversary of the placement of the sculpture. It is also interesting to note that one of the criteria held up to mark the success of the restoration project is: "a restoration that does not look like a restoration". If that be the case, then what does it look like? Or is the remark symptomatic of a certain "fear" of criticisms, even of well-intended restoration efforts?

from The Guardian
Arrow in eye for English Heritage conservators
go to article

It is indeed a saddening affair when preservation efforts are not matched by fiscal sustainability. It also points to a larger need to tie the ideals (and work) of heritage preservation to being able to maintain meaningful employment and achieving social objectives. The danger begins when preservation efforts are seen as an end in themselves (hence, to be managed as an expenditure item) - rather than as a means to achieve a greater social good.

from The New York Times
Halting Rust From Devouring What 9/11 Couldn't
go to article

An interesting take on how objects that were used and accumulated in an impromptu manner can acquire a near other-worldly significance almost overnight. The sensitive approach to stabilising the artefacts without impinging upon future display decisions is exemplar.

from Getty Conservation Institute Newsletter
Conservation Education
go to contents

The latest Fall 2003 issue of GCI newsletter carries a few articles on the various aspects of conservation training and education. The concerns reflect an increasing expanded role of conservation in the preservation of heritage - especially in the larger context of relevance to society, historical continuity and community involvement.

from The Guardian
Light on a dark subject
go to article

An interesting take on how mistakes made in lighting sculptures can mar one's visual experience - and at the same time, obscure the significance of these artefacts. And in the author's opinion:

"The commonest reason for such a failure (apart from ignorance and lack of funds) is conservation. Objects made of bronze or stone are mixed up with textiles or ivories or miniatures and other items that require a low illumination. There is absolutely no reason for keeping bronzes in low light. If the low light is there for the sake of the tapestries, then a good museum should recognise that bronzes and tapestries have to be kept apart - if they are to be seen."

Perhaps, it should also be added that the choice of display in a museum is also very much a curatorial and design decision.

from The Seattle Post Intelligencer
Restorers: 'David' statue looking better
go to article

An update on the (controversial) cleaning of Michelangelo's marble sculpture of David in time for the planned celebration of its 500th anniversary of its unveiling. More information can also be found on the web-site of the Friends of Florence, who is one of the key sponsors of this restoration project. Reports of the actual examination and on-going conservation treatment of the sculpture are available. More resources and images can also be found at the official web-site for the restoration of Michelangelo's famed sculpture, under the auspice of the Galleria dell Accademia.

from BBC News
Good home needed for paintings
go to article

It is an interesting idea to raise funds for the restoration of paintings by allowing the donor to display the adopted (and restored) painting on their premises for a year. One can only hope that the success of this scheme will not be taken as an excuse to reduce other avenues of funding for the proper care and conservation of art.

from ARTnews Online
The Case of the Escaped Spirit
go to article

The article is an amusing collection of various snippets of the strange circumstances of how art can be damaged.

from The Observer
Evolution of radar points to HMS Beagle's resting place
go to article
and
from The Herald
Military hardware saves Old Masters
go to article

Two reports on the use of technology to aid preservation efforts. The first highlighted the attempt to locate the sunken HMS Beagle in Essex, England, using ground-penetrating radar to find plausible sites where the historic ship might be buried. The second report looked at the use of an advanced infra-red digital imaging camera to "look" under surface paint layers of artworks.

from Molecular Expressions (TM)
Polarized Light Digital Image Gallery : Fibers

This interesting web-page has a few good photomicrographs of various (natural and synthetic) fibres as they would appear under polarised light. Also go to the main page for a whole range of information on microscopy and other images at the microscopic level - including what beers would look like when enlarged many times over!