An original picture-taking system
February 2016
The specialists at the School of Forensic Science have to solve a number of problems inherent in photographing a spherical surface systematically and precisely […]
centre informatique
Restoration and conservation
2015
The globes are cleaned and consolidated by Margaux Genton, an assistant restorer at SIK|ISEA. The final report provides full details of the work performed […]
Condition of the globes prior to their restoration
November 2014
The exact condition of the globes prior to their restoration is determined and described by the restoration manager. Her report reveals that the globes were already restored at an earlier unknown date […]
Transfer to the Swiss Institute for Art Research
10 November 2014
The Institute for Art Research in Zurich is asked not only to restore the globes but also to analyse and summarise all the test results obtained thus far […]
Stratigraphy of the spheres
2015
The successive layers forming the shells of the two spheres are studied by Karin Wyss, Dr Stefan Zumbühl, Nadim Scherrer and Margaux Genton at the Swiss Institute for Art Research in Zurich […]
Surfaces and pigments
June 2014
A battery of scientific methods is brought to bear to determine what kinds of pigment were used to print the globes. The final report concludes that all the identified components were available in Mercator’s time […]
Heterogeneous surfaces
March and June 2014
In a step that is indispensable for restoration work, UV fluorescence is used by Prof Dobruskin and Dr Scherrer of the Graduate School of the Arts in Bern (HKB|HEAB) to distinguish details of the spheres’ multi-layered shells […]
X-rays of the structure
June 2013
At the Swiss Institute for Art Research (SIK|ISEA), Danièle Gros further analyses the globes’ structure using X-ray technology. This method highlights a number of additional details […]
CT scan of the structure
June 2013
A series 578 computer tomodensitometry images were made of the terrestrial globe and 572 of the celestial globe to help better understand the spheres’ inner structure […]
A delicate trip to the CHUV
June 2013
The globes are taken to the Radiodiagnostics and Interventional Radiology department of the Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) for a tomodensitometry (CT) scan. How will this first major transfer be handled ? […]