Dr Fenella France, a University of Otago graduate and
leading US-based preservation scientist, reflects on an
image depicting Thomas Jefferson's handwritten draft of the
American Declaration of Independence. Careful analysis of a
smudged word "citizens" (mid-screen at right) shows it has
been written over "subjects" in an earlier wording. Photo
by Gerard O'Brien.
Advanced imaging techniques are allowing the recovery of
lost information from key heritage documents, including the
handwritten draft of the American Declaration of Independence,
leading US-based preservation scientist Dr Fenella France says.
A Hastings-born New Zealander, Dr France has a PhD in textile
science from the University of Otago, and is a senior
preservation scientist at the United States Library of
Congress preservation directorate in Washington DC.
She was back at Otago University yesterday to give a keynote
talk on "Preserving our heritage to inform our future" at the
start of a three-day Consumer and Applied Science Centenary
Conference.
Over the past decade, Dr France has worked mainly in the
United States and has been involved in a variety of research
and conservation projects.
These have included examination and preservation of the Magna
Carta; as well as America's huge Star-Spangled Banner (1814),
and artefacts from "ground zero", the World Trade Centre site
in New York, now part of the World Trade Centre Archive.
In her role at the Library of Congress, where she has been
based since 2007, she is developing research methods
involving the library's "hyperspectral" imaging system, which
also uses ultraviolet and infrared images which are not
visible to the naked eye.
Using advanced imaging and digital storage techniques offered
significant advantages by helping to "unravel the past" and
recovering lost information, including lines once drawn on
maps, but no longer readily visible.
And she has been researching anoxic (no oxygen) storage and
exhibition environments for the library's "Top Treasures",
such as the Waldseemuller 1507 Map, known as the first map to
use the word "America"; as well as the handwritten draft of
the Declaration of Independence (1776).
The Washington Post last year prominently featured some of
her research, which had uncovered a previously obscured word
in the draft declaration.
Dr France said in an interview that she felt privileged to be
able to work on major heritage preservation projects.
Her earlier efforts in initially "stabilising" artefacts from
the World Trade Centre site had included working with a
60-tonne steel column which had had many moving personal
messages written on it.
She had always tried to remain objective about such
preservation challenges but had also found herself shedding
quite a few tears during the World Trade Centre work, she
said.
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