Mobile Lab a look behind the scenes
The Cultural Heritage Agency's lab examines...
cultural heritage in the broadest sense.
Artefacts, paintings, museum objects, historic buildings and churches.
We don't always work at the lab. We usually start with the object itself.
Only if we're unable to analyse the samples on location...
we bring them back to the lab for further analysis.
We take our Mobile Lab on a two-day visit to a museum.
There we set up our equipment and invite local museums...
to bring objects for examination.
We started the Mobile Lab because smaller heritage organisations...
have a hard time reaching us, because they don't know what to ask.
Our Mobile Lab offers an accessible way of conducting smaller projects...
and figuring out what questions to ask and which objects to examine...
without having to commit to an official application.
Our Mobile Lab consists of five instruments...
that allow us to examine a surface using different lighting.
But we can also determine an object's chemical and basic composition.
It's great to work with objects and give people the opportunity to observe.
Using a specific object, we're able to explain our research.
It's always amazing to be presented with such a wide range of objects.
We were able to make out that an ancient clasp used to be gilded...
suddenly making it all the more valuable.
Thanks to our Mobile Lab, organisations that couldn't find us before...
are now able to reach us and have their objects examined.
The Cultural Heritage Agency's laboratory conducts scientific research into objects...
either for restoration, improving preservation conditions or an exhibition.
For further information on research, visit www.cultureelerfgoed.nl.