Abstract
Gutta percha, a natural latex from Southeast Asian trees was a ‘miracle material’ of industrial, technological, and historic importance. Its application to submarine telegraphic cable enabled the transformation of nineteenth century industry and politics. The 1866 Atlantic cable connected England and the United States. The success of the Trans-Atlantic telegraphic communication depended on the supply of raw latex; Singapore was at the center of this vital supply chain. The thermoplastic characteristics of gutta percha prompted its use in creation of myriad cultural heritage artifacts. The popularity of gutta percha was paralleled by the discovery of industrial properties of balata and natural rubber. What is gutta percha? How does it differ from balata and natural rubber? How can we distinguish these materials in cultural heritage objects? This presentation will answer some of these questions, reporting on fieldwork in Southeast Asia, analysis of historic specimens, and original cultural heritage artifacts. The research aimed to establish microanalytical markers for each material to lay the foundation for the preservation strategies of objects made of these polymers.
About the Speaker
Hanna Szczepanowska is a material scientist specialized in analysis of cultural heritage material. Currently she is a professor at West Virginia University teaching Technical Art History course. She is also a Physical Scientist at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, Washington DC. During her 4-year contract in Singapore she established a research laboratory and analytical research program for the collection of Southeast Asian artifacts at the National Heritage Board in Singapore. Before that she worked for 14 years at the Smithsonian Institution, and was also an adjunct professor at George Washington University, Washington DC. Hanna has a Masters degree in conservation from the University of Nicolaus Copernicus in Torun, Poland, and PhD from the University of Lyon, France, in material science. She authored a handbook, Conservation of Cultural Heritage: Key Principles and Approaches, Routledge 2012.
