publication date: Jan 19, 2012
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author/source: Catalyst PR
Britain's
oldest and largest specialist stained glass conservation studio has recently
embarked upon the conservation of York Minster's Great East Window with help
from Carl Zeiss microscopes. The York Glaziers Trust chose a pair of Stemi DV4
Spot microscopes to investigate surface corrosion on Britain's largest expanse
of medieval stained glass and the Zeiss AxioCam to record the phenomena for
future reference.
According to Sarah Brown, Director of York Glaziers Trust and Course Director of
the University of York's MA in Stained Glass Conservation, "The
pre-conservation examination and documentation of every panel requires a
microscope with a long reach and two newly acquired Stemi DV4 Spot microscopes
are now an essential part of the conservators' toolkit in our workshop. The
exceptional optics and the superb build quality of these microscopes are ideal
for the task. The Stemi DV4 Spot is a delight to use, allowing precision
adjustments to be made over the large but fragile panels with the minimum of
effort."
Following preliminary photography and documentation, each panel is dismantled
to allow the surfaces of the individual glass pieces to be cleaned and
restored. Monitoring by microscope is essential to ensure that neither the
delicate protective gel layer of the base glass nor the potentially vulnerable
paint layers are damaged by the cleaning process. Complete dismantling also
allows edge-bonding of original glass pieces to restore damaged pieces prior to
re-glazing.
"The Stemi DV4 has also proved invaluable in the investigation of corroded
glass surfaces and we are only just beginning to appreciate their full
potential," says Sarah. "The laminate glasses, especially the
'flashed' reds used in the window, are especially vulnerable to corrosion and
the microscopes are enabling the Trust to record both distinctive and
characteristic corrosion phenomena for future reference. The few examples of
deliberately abraded ruby glass discovered so far have been of particular
interest."
The Minster's Great East Window was commissioned in 1405 from the Coventry
glazier, John Thornton, and upon completion in 1408, depicted the beginning and
the end of all things. Under a figure of God holding a book with the words 'Ego
sum alpha et omega' (I am the beginning and the end), the main lights tell the
story of Creation and the events of the Apocalypse. With funding from the
Heritage Lottery Fund, the complete restoration of the window and its return
with state-of-the-art environmental protection will be completed in 2016. The
project will ensure its preservation in close to museum conditions for many
generations to come and was the subject of BBC4's recent documentary,
'Britain's Most Fragile Treasure'.
With a 4:1 zoom range and a 92mm working distance, the Stemi DV4's
best-in-class, parfocal zoom optics enable distortion-free imaging over the
whole of the large object field. Digital and video cameras may be rapidly
connected for image capture and recording and the system is also
fully-compatible with Zeiss AxioVision imaging and archival software. Other
options available for the Zeiss Stemi DV4 Stereomicroscope include
transmitted-light darkfield equipment, eyepiece measuring devices, and
attachment systems that enable enhanced resolution magnification up to 64x.
About York Glaziers Trust
Formed in 1967, York Glaziers Trust builds on centuries of craftsmanship
associated with York Minster, Britain's treasure-house of stained glass, and is
dedicated to the care of the Minster's windows and the preservation of historic
stained glass throughout the UK. As well as the current work on the Great East
window, YGT has also conserved the Rose Window, the St William Window, and
three of the Minster's oldest windows in the Chapter House vestibule. Outside
York, the Trust has worked on many of Britain's most important windows,
including four Oxford Colleges (Balliol, Lincoln, New College and Trinity) and
scores of parish churches throughout England and Wales.
About Carl Zeiss
Carl Zeiss is an innovative technology leader in the fields of optics,
precision engineering and electronic visualisation, setting new, pioneering
standards in sophisticated technology for recognising, experiencing, measuring,
analysing, structuring and processing a wide spectrum of objects.
For further
information, contact Carl Zeiss Ltd., PO Box 78, Woodfield Road, Welwyn Garden
City, Hertfordshire, AL7 1LU, UK or email
customercare@zeiss.co.uk