Beyond mummies – the Conservation Soft Box finds a new use

The technology developed by Eurac Research for the conservation of ancient organic artifacts is being used for the first time outside the field of mummy research. A research team from Certottica in Longarone, Veneto, has placed 30 pairs of acetate and cellulose nitrate eyeglasses dating from the 1930s inside a conservation soft box developed in collaboration with Eurac Research’s Institute for Mummy Studies.

The conservation soft boxes are hermetically sealed and equipped with sensors that constantly monitor internal temperature and humidity, promptly signaling any changes in environmental parameters. In the coming weeks, the air inside the cases will also be replaced with argon gas in order to drastically reduce oxidation processes and limit the proliferation of mold or other microorganisms responsible for material degradation.

Credit: Certottica | All rights reserved

The aim of the experiment is twofold: on the one hand, to scientifically monitor the progression of degradation processes in historic plastics; on the other, to collect data useful for developing new conservation protocols dedicated to 20th-century industrial design artifacts, for example in corporate historical archives or design museums.