How Multispectral Imaging Uncovers Museum Secrets

Published on 8 May 2026, 14:00

Not every artifact has a secret, but for those that do, there's multispectral imaging to uncover hidden details without damaging the object. At the @NationalParkService's Museum Conservation Lab, conservation technician Ray Mansfield shows Adam Savage how he and his team use special lights and filters to take UV and IR images of objects with a regular digital camera, detecting and identifying coatings, inscriptions and images that are invisible in regular light.

National Park Museum Conservation Lab: nps.gov/subjects/hfc/museum-co...
National Park Service: nps.gov/index.htm
How to Replicate a Long-Lost Patterned Fabric: youtu.be/dlkeL2yDyC0
Where America’s Historical Artifacts Are Being Preserved (Well ... For Now): youtu.be/1lxSXvLGvcs
How to Wash a 157-Year-Old Newspaper: youtu.be/P3J-ToojchA
Making a Chair Stay a Chair: youtu.be/J9aSt9mLUqs
Adam Savage Makes "Leather" Out of Silicone: youtu.be/FWBP1_2Dyu8
Ouch! Here's What Happened: youtu.be/L8MDAmCpzyA
Follow the NPS Museum Conservation Lab here: instagram.com/conservation_hfc...

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