NEWS RELEASE

Contact: David West (west@alpha.nsula.edu )
News Bureau
Northwestern State University
Natchitoches, LA 71497
(318) 357-6466

10/31/2001

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NATCHITOCHES -The National Center for Preservation Technology and Training will hold an open house as part of the dedication ceremonies for Lee H. Nelson Hall Nov. 7.

NCPTT staff members Dr. ElizaBeth Bede, Dr. Mary F. Striegel, Mary S. Carroll and Dr. Mark Gilberg along with Meg Abraham of Los Angeles County Museum of Art will give presentations explaining technology used in historic preservation. Architect Wayne Coco will present a slide presentation on the rehabilitation of Nelson Hall. The open house follows the dedication of Nelson Hall at 10:15 a.m. and runs until 11:30 a.m. The public is invited to attend.

Bede will provide a tour of NCPTT's Exposure Facility giving a brief overview of NCPTT's pollutant deposition studies and laboratory capabilities. NCPTT operates a world-class Exposure Facility featuring a custom-designed environmental exposure chamber.

The chamber, which is one of three in the world, simulates outdoor conditions and allows for the measurement of pollutant deposition rates onto building materials. The chamber allows scientists to control relative humidity, temperature, wind speed, turbulence, and pollutant concentrations. The chamber has been used to measure sulfur dioxide deposition rates onto limestones and marbles. Current projects involve measuring pollutant deposition rates onto stone that has been treated with waterproofing or consolidating agents.

Bede served as the Environmental and Materials Research Fellow for four years while earning her Ph.D. in Conservation Research at the University of Delaware. She serves as NCPTT's Dupont Research Fellow.

Striegel will demonstrate NCPTT's unique microscopy capabilities. Visitors will have an opportunity to examine different stones under low and high-resolution microscopes. Discussions will include how acid rain interacts with limestones and marbles. Hands on demonstrations will allow visitors to dramatically see the effects of air pollution on these stones. Other stone types will be available for viewing.

Striegel directs NCPTT's Environmental and Materials Research Program. She specializes in research on the preservation of cultural materials. She holds a Ph.D. in Inorganic Chemistry from Washington University in St. Louis.

Carroll's demonstration will highlight the Preservation Technology and Training Clearinghouse, which is the database-driven section of NCPTT's Web site, www.ncptt.nps.gov. The clearinghouse is a database system of Internet resources, training and education opportunities, job openings, conference announcements, funding opportunities and all grants and projects sponsored or undertaken by NCPTT.

The section is interdisciplinary in scope, encompassing archeology, historic architecture, historic landscapes, materials and objects conservation, and interpretation. Workstations will be available during the demonstration where attendees can explore the information available via NCPTT's Web site.

Carroll directs NCPTT's Information Management program. An archeologist by training, she holds a Master's in Anthropology from Arizona State University and focuses on data management and information dissemination issues in preservation.

Gilberg and Abraham will demonstrate uses of lasers in the conservation of cultural resources. Particular attention will be given to the use of lasers as an alternative to conventional cleaning methods for the treatment of soiled or polluted surfaces on works of art.

Gilberg is director of the Applied Research and Technology Transfer Division of NCPTT. He holds a Ph.D. in Archaeology from the University of London Institute of Archaeology and a Master's in Inorganic Chemistry from Stanford University. Abraham is Principal Investigator of Laser Conservation Research, Conservation Center, Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

Coco, the project architect, will present a short slide presentation on the rehabilitation work which was done on Nelson Hall. Coco will give a brief history of the building and its original use through slides. Early pictures of the building and scenes of how it was used will be shown. Slides from photographs contained in the 1994 Historic Structures Report showing the condition of the structure prior to rehabilitation will be shown. Scenes of the destructive 1997 fire will be shown as well. The presentation will conclude with a time-line of selected slides showing the 14 months during the construction process. Coco will be available to answer questions following the presentation.

The open house is part of two days of events associated with the dedication of Nelson Hall. Events begin Nov. 6 at 6 p.m. with a cocktail buffet at Nelson Hall. At 8 p.m., the Mrs. H.D. Dear Sr. and Alice E. Dear Department of Creative and Performing Arts at Northwestern will present a concert gala, "A Celebration of America" in Magale Recital Hall. Limited seating is available for the gala.

For more information, call the NCPTT at (318) 356-7444.

Main Menu