Did You know?

Microspectrometers are most commonly seen in technical research labs, but they have also played a role in unlocking and preserving American history. Conservators working in Colonial Williamsburg, VA have been putting Fourier-Transform Infrared Microspectrometers (FTIR) to work in their material analysis labs in order to study the historic American artwork and artifacts in their collection. By analyzing a micron-scale sample of an artifact with FTIR, conservators can determine its unique material composition. This knowledge helps these scientists to learn more about the historical manufacturing processes used to create the item and better informs their choice of preservation techniques to avoid damaging artifacts.