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Conserving the Past for the Future
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A Conservation Tour
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Hours of Queen Isabella the Catholic, Queen of Spain: The Effects of Light on Medieval Manuscripts
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How Light Can Damage Objects in Museums
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Intensity of Light
In a museum setting, most if not all ultraviolet and infrared radiation is removed/filtered from the light sources, and the amount or intensity of the light is reduced to no more than what is necessary for proper viewing - this includes full color rendering by the human eye.The intensity of light is measured in lux or foot-candles. The recommended intensity for displaying a light-sensitive museum object is typically 5 foot-candles or 50 lux. Natural daylight can vary greatly depending on many factors (location, time of day, time of year, weather); for example, on a sunny day in December in northeastern Ohio light levels taken in the afternoon through a west-facing window can be as high as 20,000 foot-candles (200,000 lux). A room brightly lit with fluorescent lights may be 500 to 600 foot-candles (5000 to 6000 lux).
Page 2 of 3 | On the next page: Frequency and Duration