I agree with Rick.  Interior plexi or equivalent can be virtually
undetectable if installed with the same filtering capacity on all windows in
the room.  It hasn't been mentioned (I believe) that a secondary benefit is
a contribution to stabilizing the environment, both the RH and T.  Also,
this should lead to energy savings, so it is a triple benefit.  The cost
also is relatively low, at least for materials.  Another alternative is
mylar roll-down shades, either spring roller or chain drive.  They have
small gaps at their sides, so are a bit more visible.  They also do not
contribute as much to stabilizing the environment or saving energy.  But
they are easy to install with only 2-4 screws usually.

Regardless of alternative, the real-world evaluation of colors that I have
been involved with for various client museums concurs with Rick in the
bronze color preference.  In some installations, the rooms with the bronze
light protection actually looked brighter (they weren't actually) than
without light control - the same effect you get when putting on bronze sun
glasses.

Marc

American Conservation Consortium, Ltd.
     4 Rockville Road
     Broad Brook, CT 06016
     www.conservator.com
     860-386-6058

*Collections Preservation Consultation
*Conservation Assessments & Surveys
*Environmental Monitoring & Low-Tech Control
*Moisture Management Solutions
*Collections in Historic Structures
*Collections Care Grant Preparation
*Conservation Treatment of:
     Furniture
     Painted Wood
     Horse-Drawn Vehicles
     Architectural Interiors

Marc A. Williams, President
     MS in Art Conservation, Winterthur Museum Program
     Former Chief Wooden Object Conservator, Smithsonian Institution
     Fellow, American Institute for Conservation (AIC)



> -----Original Message-----
> From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On
> Behalf Of Richard L. Kerschner
> Sent: Wednesday, January 30, 2008 12:48 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: [MUSEUM-L] Blocking Visible Light to Galleries
>
>
> Trevor,
> We attach the moldings with finishing nails or screws. Not all of our
> interiors are historic, but we try to use a minimum number of
> smaller nails
> in the historic settings. Any window treatment is a compromise,
> so of course
> each building or even room has to be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. As
> far as appearance, we have found that they nearly disappear if the molding
> is properly installed and pre-painted to match the surrounding wood frame.
> Any tinting less than 50% is barely noticeable if all the windows in the
> room are covered. I would recommend against using any tinted window
> coverings only in selected windows of the same room as they will certainly
> be noticeable as compared to the untinted windows.
>
> I agree that any historically correct window coverings such as shutters,
> blinds, or curtains should be considered first especially if there is
> historical evidence for them in the room. All of these must also still be
> attached to the original woodwork in some way, and staff must be
> trained to
> operate them properly. With a large and changing staff of guides to cover
> our 40 buildings, we have found that a more permanent solution
> that does not
> depend on the human element for proper implementation on a daily or more
> frequent basis works best for us.
>
> In the end, it comes down to what is best for each particular site, and
> having many options in our bag of preventive conservation tricks
> is essential.
>
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