extra extra UV protection

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JeffreyPrice

JeffreyPrice

True Grumbler
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Jan 10, 2008
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Norwalk, CT
I just sold a valuable M. C. Escher color woodcut to a gentleman who only has one place to hang it, and that spot gets a substantial amount of reflected light from the ocean. The picture has Museum Glass, but we were wondering if adding a SECOND layer of Museum Glass is a reasonable and prudent thing to do. He tried hanging a black sheet over it but thought it looked bad, which it certainly would. It seems moving the picture is not an option, though I know that's the best thing. I sure don't want to run any risk of this gent feeling like he didn't but the right picture, and if I tell him he can't hang it he might want to return it which would be really bad economically. He's an older man, but saying the color will probably last longer than he will does not seem like the best response. Suggestions?
 
How's about making a really good color copy of the thing for framing and telling him to store the original in a nice dark place.

I really don't think doubling up on Museum Glass is gonna do anything good.

Image is gonna go bye bye really fast with reflected light like that.
 
How about a coating on the windows.
 
It is not just the UV light you (and your client) need to be concerned about.

Even blocking 100% (which is not practical -and still see the image properly) of the UV light will not stop the effects of LIGHT. All light, not just UV causing fading. The best suggestion is to keep it covered unless viewing the image.

Your client also should be concerned with the other causes of fading - heat and changes in relative humidity.

Doubling up on UV filtering media will not produce the benefit you are looking for.
 
It's the light and the heat created by the sun light under the glass too.

Wouldn't Optimum acrylic be the second best choice, the first being to move the picture.

Sorry but if he really cares about it he has to be a responsible caretaker, throwing money at you and putting the responsibility and care in your authority is just wrong!
 
Framar said:
Hey you could sell him a picture light so he could ruin it after dark too!
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If you sell a battery operated one it will minimize the night time damage...

:o
 
I have all my windows in my house tinted with Suntek film.
Claims:
60% solar energy rejected
99% UV a&b rejected

Massive difference in how the sun no longer heats the house.


I am currently working on a project for myself that will have a small curtain in front. Never done one before, but its an option.
 
Does this Suntek film noticeably reduce the apparent amount of light coming in, like tinted car windows do? My front room here is like a solarium and gets uncomfortably hot at times no matter how hard the AC is working, so I would love to find a way to reduce this effect. I'm sure it would help with the longevity of my framed models too. I always use CC or MG on these, but as Rob said it doesn't filter the rest of the spectrum. The thing is, the area seems a bit dark overall on heavily overcast days, so I don't want the car window effect.
:kaffeetrinker_2: Rick
 
I don't know about Suntek but there are some very good U.V. filtering films available.

My brother had a print hung on a wall oppposite a window which faced West and caught full morning sun. Within 3 months the print had faded to a pale blue and the carpet in front of the window was also faded.

When he replaced the carpet he had the glass treated with a u.v. filtering film and I replaced the print. This time the print lasted the ten years he lived in the house before moving out and as a bonus he didn't use his airconditioner half as much either.
 
As Rob mentioned, UV light is not the only problem. For some printed colors, light in the visible range of 400 to 700 nanometers can be as harmful as UV light in the 300 to 380 nanometer range, and other environmental factors, such as temperature and humidity, can also contribute to the deterioration of colors on paper.

Doubling the UV blocking layers would not offer additional resistance to light damage, other than the fact that every element between the colored surface and the light source would slightly reduce the penetration of the light to the surface. Once the harmful UV frequency range has been blocked, provisions to further block the same range would only be redundant and almost useless.

A good UV-blocking window film would serve to protect everything in the room, while glazing would protect only what is in the frame. It is true that the UV blocking of window films degrades over time and has a limited life expectancy, but the UV blocking provision of frame's glazing would maintain its full measure of protection indefinitely.
 
Suntek is a pretty cool story. The tint dept was founded by several folks who used to work for the larger film companies.
They branched out, got together and in my opinion made a far better product.
Over the years I have had 3M, SolarGuard, Lumar, etc and this is my favorite. I also have their film on my mustang and the residential window film lets much more light through than the car type, but blocks just as much heat, etc. BUT still compared to the other auto films, my car is much clearer and lets more light in, but not heat.

Yep there is a difference between auto and building tint.

You can also get basically a clear film that still has most of the blocking and reflective properties.

http://www.suntekfilms.com/

For what it is worth, putting it on our windows that get sun during the day, we cut our power bill by $30 - $40 a month and the house is much more comfortable. YMMV :)
 
I have built drapes for frames where the light issue was a concern. I got the idea from a collection of paintings from private owners at a local museum.
There were two Winslow Homer watercolors hanging side by side. They were painted about the same time and the subject matter was similar. One was in a traditional frame with matting and glass. The other was frame the same with the exception of a linen drape that hung over the front of the frame. To view the piece you had to lift the drape. The condition of the two pieces was considerably different with the draped piece having much more vibrant color. (I realize there probably are other factors involved).
The drape I made was from airline linen, and was attached on the top back of the frame with a dowel at the free end. The edges (side hems) were folded and held in place with fabric glue. I chose a frame with a concave detail on the back so the fabric could be rolled up on the dowel and rested in the groove on the top of the frame.
I have seen much more sophisticated applications since this. Frames where the upper rail was routed out and a shade was installed that drew down over the image in a slot created with a shim just inside the rabbet. The dowel the shade was rolled on extended out one side of the frame and had a key so you could wind the fabric back up out of view.
 
HangingAroundHoover said:
I'm pretty sure the M.C. Escher copyright holders wouldn't care for that solution too much.
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Well, well, well - I hear that all the time on the Grumble - frame a copy and save the original if you have something valuable.

If the copy had COPY written all over the back of it and it was for private personal use only and if only ONE copy were to be reproduced - what would the copyright situation be anyways?

Escher has been dead a while now, hasn't he?

And if you didn't tell them (the heirs) - how would they ever know if it were only to hang in a private dwelling"

Surely there is a middle ground between protection and infringement?

Would the Escher people want to see one of his original works of art destroyed because of a pig-headed owner?

Questions, questions, questions.......
 
Framar said:
Well, well, well - I hear that all the time on the Grumble - frame a copy and save the original if you have something valuable.
Click to expand...

Yes, framing a reproduction is often advised, but not when it would violate copyright law. Most newspaper publishers will grant one-time permission to reproduce an article at no charge, and in many cases, can provide a new reproduction at a competitive price. Photographers will often provide new copies of their photos, too. Copyright laws exist to protect the owner's revenue stream.

And if you didn't tell them (the heirs) - how would they ever know if it were only to hang in a private dwelling
Click to expand...

If a copyright is infringed and the owner doesn't know it, does that make it OK?

Surely there is a middle ground between protection and infringement? Would the Escher people want to see one of his original works of art destroyed because of a pig-headed owner?
Click to expand...

Good questions, Mar. Only the owners of the M.C. Escher copyrights hold the answers. Asking is free.
 
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