Department Chair

Patrick Ravines

Date of Award

8-2019

Access Control

Open Access

Degree Name

Art Conservation, M.A., C.A.S.

Department

Art Conservation Department

Advisor

Jonathan Thornton

Department Home page

https://artconservation.buffalostate.edu

First Reader

James Hamm

Second Reader

Fiona Beckett

Third Reader

Theresa J. Smith

Fourth Reader

JJ Chen

Fifth Reader

Rebecca Ploege

Abstract

At the 1940 American Negro Exposition in Chicago, Illinois, a series of thirty-three dioramas were exhibited, and twenty of these dioramas were later given to Tuskegee University, where they later entered the collection of the Legacy Museum. Through the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) Diversity Initiative, the Legacy Museum’s dioramas are being or have been treated at the Winterthur University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation, the Garman Art Conservation Department at Buffalo State College, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum. The history, analysis, and treatment of “The Surveying of Washington, DC by Benjamin Banneker” will be the focus of this report. The materials were investigated with Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), x-radiography, and photographic techniques including infrared imaging, longwave ultraviolet induced visible fluorescence, and three-dimensional imaging. Treatment included dry surface cleaning, aqueous cleaning, consolidation, filling, inpainting, and housing. LED ribbon lighting was incorporated to safely replace the previous incandescent lighting and illuminate the scene in a manner similar to the original display.

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