Feature

Making Stuff Last

Chemistry and materials science step up to preserve history, old and new

Around the world, archives, museums, and their storage facilities brim with society's most prized objects. Some have been stashed on dusty back shelves for decades, while others bask under spotlights and curious gazes.

Scientists must first figure out how to best preserve old oil paintings, such as Giovanni Bellini's early 16th century "The Feast of the Gods," without experimenting on the precious art. The colors of this painting were recently restored. ~~ Widener Collection ©2000 Board of Trustees, National Gallery of Art, Washington.

A poster made of polyvinylchloride in 1990 to celebrate "The Plastics Age" has deteriorated on the edges as the PVC has degraded. ~~ Shashoua