Do light bulbs and fluorescent lighting fade WWII uniforms

[Austin R]

Do light bulbs and fluorescent lighting fade WWII uniforms after a long time?

[Sabrejet]

Do light bulbs and fluorescent lighting fade WWII uniforms after a long time?

 

 

Why wait around to find out?! Basic rules of conservation dictate that, ideally, old uniforms and equipment should not be exposed to any light source, natural or artificial, for prolonged periods for risk of fading and degradation. Best keep them covered up as much as possible.

 

Sabrejet

[Austin R]

Thanks, I just moved them out of my room today and into the basement. There is a lightbulb just above it so I will move it to a place away from lights. Also I wasn't going to wait to see what happens; I was asking because I was not sure.

[67Rally]

The answer lies in another question. What, in the spectrum of light, inflicts fade-damage upon WWII uniforms (and other collectibles)?

 

The answer is fairly complex, but you can boil it down to the UV band.

 

Here is the spectrum from a standard incandescent bulb (wattage would be a variable):

 

 

I am trying to locate a similar spectral chart for an apples to apples comparison.

 

Considering the range of the UV spectrum (UVA:10nm to EUV: 400nm), flourescent light poses a significantly lower risk of light damage:

[bheskett]

I was led to believe that flourecant was bad and that incandecant was ok.

 

Bob

[67Rally]

I was led to believe that flourecant was bad and that incandecant was ok.

 

Bob

 

 

I'm NOT suggesting that fluorescent is good, by any stretch...just showing the differences between the two. Consider the high-end museums and how they show uniforms. How do they manage their displays. Typically, they rotate and limit light exposure. When they are on display, they are using very specific light sources that have specific spectral design that provides for minimized harmful exposure.

[Bugme]

My uniforms are on display in a dark room in which the lights are turned on no more than an hour or two a day. It's doubtful that your uniforms will experience very much fade in this sort of environment whether it's incandescent or florescent. The real culprit is sunlight! If you have a window in the room, make sure it has the curtain closed all the time. Also, having a uniform under a spotlight in a case is not a great idea.

[bheskett]

67Rally

 

I was not disagreeing with you. I was putting in my 2 cents. Perhaps a call to a museum will answer this one.

[67Rally]

67Rally

 

I was not disagreeing with you. I was putting in my 2 cents. Perhaps a call to a museum will answer this one.

 

I realize that and I hope that I didn't come across as argumentative. I was simply trying to emphasize some caution as I don't want to be responsible for anyone's prized uniforms decaying because they took what I posted as gospel.

[Austin R]

Thanks everyone I moved it to a area in my basement with little light. Soon when my brother goes to college I can move my whole collection down.

[Dave]

Honestly, I'd be more worried about dust, mold, and critters than light damage (if I had to choose between them!) Even in optimal environments, there can be toxins in the air that will tarnish/discolor metal/bullion insignia, and if the environment is too dry, you run the risk of eventually making the thread too brittle. People can invest tens of thousands of dollars into preservation, but for the vast majority of us, sending a uniform to a good dry cleaners, and then storing it under the dry cleaning bag, taking it out every month or so to shake it out and let it "breathe" is probably the cheapest and most economically effective thing you can do.

 

Just my thoughts...(and my collecting rooms have all had windows too...) :pinch:

 

Dave

[Bugme]

Just my thoughts...(and my collecting rooms have all had windows too...) :pinch:

 

Dave

Mine has a window too Dave... it's been years since I last opened it to look outside.

[67Rally]

I don't have a collecting room... but I do have some of my collection in a large room that gets flooded with light...but then again, none of my uniforms are in there...merely because I don't have a good display method yet. My wife has given me some latitude as the room is "mine" but I am limited as to the amount of floor/wall space I can consume as the room is somewhat geared toward multipurpose rather than a single-function.

 

All of my uniforms are in garment bags in my closet at the moment.

[Cobrahistorian]

Hi all,

 

Perhaps I can weigh in with a little information too. Firstly, during my museum grad school program it was common to refer to "insidious light" because of the damaging effects it has. As has been previously stated, direct sunlight is the most harmful, and I've seen museum artifacts that were pristine when donated become faded, crumbling messes in just a few years because of that type of exposure. Fortunately none of that happened where I was working, but still, it is terrible to see.

 

Incandescent and fluorescent lights are only marginally better, and there are pros and cons to each. Incandescent bulbs do put off a higher proportion of UV radiation, but properly lit spaces (read DIM) will subject artifacts to significantly lower doses of UV than fluorescents will, and will allow the artifacts to be seen in a more natural light.

 

I can't stand fluorescents. Period. The harsh light distorts colors, irritates people and is generally not good for museum displays. It is also impossible to dim fluorescent lights, so they are putting out a constant amount of energy whenever they are on. Now it is possible to get UV filters for fluorescent lights that will protect your artifacts. These do break down over time and should be replaced every few months. It gets costly.

 

When it comes down to it, the best way to preserve your item is to keep it in a hermetically sealed box where no light, moisture or insects can get to it. Unfortunately that defeats the whole purpose of even having the item, so your best bet is to limit light exposure as best you can.

 

Jon

[Ricardo]

My uniforms are on display in a dark room in which the lights are turned on no more than an hour or two a day.

 

Me too! :thumbsup:

[zepher11]

Hi all,

 

Perhaps I can weigh in with a little information too. Firstly, during my museum grad school program it was common to refer to "insidious light" because of the damaging effects it has. As has been previously stated, direct sunlight is the most harmful, and I've seen museum artifacts that were pristine when donated become faded, crumbling messes in just a few years because of that type of exposure. Fortunately none of that happened where I was working, but still, it is terrible to see.

 

Incandescent and fluorescent lights are only marginally better, and there are pros and cons to each. Incandescent bulbs do put off a higher proportion of UV radiation, but properly lit spaces (read DIM) will subject artifacts to significantly lower doses of UV than fluorescents will, and will allow the artifacts to be seen in a more natural light.

 

I can't stand fluorescents. Period. The harsh light distorts colors, irritates people and is generally not good for museum displays. It is also impossible to dim fluorescent lights, so they are putting out a constant amount of energy whenever they are on. Now it is possible to get UV filters for fluorescent lights that will protect your artifacts. These do break down over time and should be replaced every few months. It gets costly.

 

When it comes down to it, the best way to preserve your item is to keep it in a hermetically sealed box where no light, moisture or insects can get to it. Unfortunately that defeats the whole purpose of even having the item, so your best bet is to limit light exposure as best you can.

 

Jon

 

Thanks, Jon. This information is very helpful.

 

I have read this thread with interest, since I have a couple of uniforms in my little war room. I was wondering if there are any UV free lights/bulbs that would be of war room/museum quality that may be less harmful than incandescent or fluorescent bulbs? Especially if used sparingly.

 

Zeph

[TenthA86]

If I remember correctly, the US Army museum system has a policy about light exposure and types of lighting. Direct sunlight is verboten, and there are specific guidelines for incandescent lights - spots, etc. They have not issued a ruling on LEDs, but the Getty Conservation Institute is working on that issue.

 

At our end of the collecting spectrum, the thing to avoid is sunlight and direct spotlights. There are suggestions that fluorescents are better, but the issue of cool white/warm white or ?? hasn't been widely publicised. Fluor lites do have higher UV rays which are not good, but I think there are UV slipover filters available. The newer CFLs may affect that, but I haven't seen anything recently to support or dispute their use.

[Retired]

If I remember correctly, the US Army museum system has a policy about light exposure and types of lighting. Direct sunlight is verboten, and there are specific guidelines for incandescent lights - spots, etc. They have not issued a ruling on LEDs, but the Getty Conservation Institute is working on that issue.

 

At our end of the collecting spectrum, the thing to avoid is sunlight and direct spotlights. There are suggestions that fluorescents are better, but the issue of cool white/warm white or ?? hasn't been widely publicised. Fluor lites do have higher UV rays which are not good, but I think there are UV slipover filters available. The newer CFLs may affect that, but I haven't seen anything recently to support or dispute their use.

 

I have a fairly large uniform collection ranging from WWII through Iraq, primarily WWII and Vietnam. I have them stored flat in 24"x38" paper stock boxes that I got from the State Printing Plant. I use acid-free tissue paper around the different items. This method makes it somewhat difficult to view the uniforms but at least I can rest easy, knowing that the uniforms are safe. I also have a quarterly visit from my local pest control company.

Retired

[Retired]

I have a fairly large uniform collection ranging from WWII through Iraq, primarily WWII and Vietnam. I have them stored flat in 24"x38" paper stock boxes that I got from the State Printing Plant. I use acid-free tissue paper around the different items. This method makes it somewhat difficult to view the uniforms but at least I can rest easy, knowing that the uniforms are safe. I also have a quarterly visit from my local pest control company.

Retired

 

I probably should add that the collection is in a basement room with aluminum foil over the windows, a dehumidifier set for 55% in summer and a humidifier on the furnace in winter. In over 40 years I haven't noticed any degradation in the collection.

Retired

[WWII Parachutist]

From my parachute work I think that fluorescent is worse the incandescent lighting.

Here is some information from “The Parachute Manual” by Dan Poynter.

“Fluorescent lights work on nylon only half as fast as sunlight when in close proximity, which is bad enough. Incandescent lights are relatively safe”

 

“close proximity” I believe is about 5-8 feet if I remember correctly.

 

On 1.1 ounce nylon parachute cloth, one continuous week of exposure to sunlight results in a little over 50% loss of strength, and glass screens out about 10% of the damaging rays.

Nylon has superior sunlight resistance than silk, cotton, and linen, so they will deteriorate faster, and dyed fabrics deteriorate faster. Of course, on thicker fabrics, it will take longer to deteriorate.

But, this really doesn’t answer the question of fading, only of the tensile strength. Fading occurs much more slowly than tensile strength loss. Not sure if this helps.

[Dave]

I probably should add that the collection is in a basement room with aluminum foil over the windows, a dehumidifier set for 55% in summer and a humidifier on the furnace in winter. In over 40 years I haven't noticed any degradation in the collection.

Retired

 

Man! I wish I had stuff that valuable in my collection!

[ww2_1943]

Hi all,

 

Perhaps I can weigh in with a little information too. Firstly, during my museum grad school program it was common to refer to "insidious light" because of the damaging effects it has. As has been previously stated, direct sunlight is the most harmful, and I've seen museum artifacts that were pristine when donated become faded, crumbling messes in just a few years because of that type of exposure. Fortunately none of that happened where I was working, but still, it is terrible to see.

 

Incandescent and fluorescent lights are only marginally better, and there are pros and cons to each. Incandescent bulbs do put off a higher proportion of UV radiation, but properly lit spaces (read DIM) will subject artifacts to significantly lower doses of UV than fluorescents will, and will allow the artifacts to be seen in a more natural light.

 

I can't stand fluorescents. Period. The harsh light distorts colors, irritates people and is generally not good for museum displays. It is also impossible to dim fluorescent lights, so they are putting out a constant amount of energy whenever they are on. Now it is possible to get UV filters for fluorescent lights that will protect your artifacts. These do break down over time and should be replaced every few months. It gets costly.

 

When it comes down to it, the best way to preserve your item is to keep it in a hermetically sealed box where no light, moisture or insects can get to it. Unfortunately that defeats the whole purpose of even having the item, so your best bet is to limit light exposure as best you can.

 

Jon

 

Jon,

 

Would LED lights be considered safe. I would imagine that LED's could be left on without damageing or fadeing uniforms.

[17thairborne]

Does anyone have an opinion on the use of the LED Rope lights for display cabinets?

[Cobrahistorian]

LED lights are the new standard. They use minimal energy, give off minimal heat/UV and are great for lighting displays. I was just at the Army Transportation Museum and they've begun converting over to LED. It looks great!

 

We are designing the ADA Museum exhibits specifically with LED lighting in mind.

 

Jon