Re: [BKARTS] New method for dating art prints, books

[frank brannon <frankbrannon@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Thanks for the article, Christine. Interesting. The dating method appears to 
rely on the natural deterioration of the wood in woodblocks and the copper 
in etchings. I'm wondering how metal type deteriorates, and if there could 
be a corollary argument made in determining the age of printed text. Any 
ideas?

Thanks
Frank

Frank Brannon
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
www.speakeasypress.com

Date:    Wed, 21 Jun 2006 07:43:38 -0600
From:    Christine Cassidy <christinecassidy@xxxxxxx>
Subject: New method for dating art prints, books

For those of you who are interested in such things:

New method for dating art prints, books borrows know-how from genetic
science
Wednesday, June 21, 2006

(an excerpt)
A new and relatively simple method for discovering the date when
centuries-old art prints and books were produced has been developed
at Penn State. The method could reveal long-sought information about
thousands of undated works printed on hand-operated presses before
the development of modern printing methods in the mid-19th century,
including works by Rembrandt and Shakespeare. "The discovery that the
wood blocks and metal plates used for printmaking deteriorate at a
clocklike rate means that we can now use the prints as a 'print
clock' for determining the date a work was printed," said Blair
Hedges, professor of biology at Penn State and author of the paper
describing the research, which will be published in the scientific
journal Proceedings of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical
and Engineering Sciences.



Go here for the rest of the story:

http://live.psu.edu/story/18359



Christine



Frank Brannon
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
www.speakeasypress.com

Frank Brannon
Tuscaloosa, Alabama

www.speakeasypress.com

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