In May 2014, the conservation department at the Museum of Archaeology, University of Stavanger, invited Sonia O’Connor and Tom Sparrow from the University of Bradford (UK) to hold a course in X-radiography – with a focus on digital techniques. O’Connor is a leading expert in X-radiography of cultural materials and an experienced instructor in the subject. She has worked extensively with digital x-ray technology, including recently supervising a PhD student on the topic of digital X-ray techniques.
Text: Hege Ingjerd Hollund
Tom Sparrow has worked with software development for visualization and 3D processing of digital x-ray images. The course was aimed at both object and paintings conservators with some experience using x-ray as an analytical technique.
The course attracted 30 participants from 15 different institutions in Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark. It was clear that the topic of the course was timely, providing much needed new insights as many cultural institutions are making the shift to digital technology, or are planning to do so in the near future.
The course addressed topics such as the optimization of image quality, digitizing film images, viewing and interpreting images (film and digital) and digital image processing and manipulation. During the three day course the participants acquired new knowledge for optimizing use of x-radiography equipment on the special material categories that conservators deal with. Further more we, the participants, learned a lot from evaluating and interpreting x-ray films and digital images together with O’Connor and Sparrow.
As conservators we are often trained in how to make an x-ray image, but not how to make the best possible image, or how to troubleshoot if we struggle to get good results. The course gave the participants a thorough basis from which to improve their skills, and achieve better, more informative x-radiographic images.
We’ve received positive feedback from many participants, now excited about applying their newly gained awareness and knowledge in their own laboratories. Last but not least, the course provided a very pleasant occasion for Nordic conservators to meet and network, strengthening the user network established in Trondheim at the digital x-ray workshop in December 2013.
The course was made possible through the financial support of the Arts Council of Norway (Kulturrådet), the Nordic Conservator Association – Norway (NKF-N), and the University of Stavanger.
