The Pigments of British Illuminators: A Scientific and Cultural Investigation

Lead Research Organisation: Durham University
Department Name: History

Abstract

British illuminated manuscripts from the medieval period are priceless artefacts and are remarkable artistic, literary, and historical sources for scholarship. One of the qualities that makes these manuscripts so captivating - their coloration - is also a precious source of knowledge.

Manuscripts were central to learning, culture, belief, and art in Britain from the seventh century to the fifteenth. The ways in which they were made - first in monasteries, then by paid professionals in urban centres - reflect both the roles that they fulfilled, and the materials and technologies that were available at that time and place. As inks and pigments were fundamental to writing and illuminating, they helped to determine the forms of book culture and played a formative role in the evolution of pictorial art. Differing in type (organic, mineral, alchemical) and availability (some made from local materials, others relying on long-distance trade), pigments varied considerably in cost, with practical and symbolic implications for how they were used and perceived. Nevertheless, reliable information about them is currently very limited: the origin, nature, and deployment of the pigments used by scribes and illuminators during the nine centuries in question are unwritten chapters of British cultural, bibliographical, scientific, and artistic history.

There is very little work of enduring value on these pigments, owing to a series of practical difficulties. Manuscripts are dispersed around museums and university and cathedral libraries across the country. There is (rightly) a moratorium on taking samples from medieval and renaissance manuscripts: they are fragile, and too valuable. Any investigation must be undertaken by non-invasive, non-destructive means. The technology to accomplish this task has existed since the 1980s, but work to date has been piecemeal and extremely limited because of the expense and size of the equipment, and because of conservation restrictions and high insurance costs that debar the moving of precious manuscripts to laboratories. However, new conservation approved techniques, and modern, mobile instrumentation mark a step-change in equipment mobility, and in accuracy of results. The current equipment, much of which has been developed as bespoke, dedicated tools by the team, has set new benchmarks in security, sensitivity, and spatial resolution. The proven high performance, mobile resources at the disposal of the present team, its joint manuscript-chemistry-physics expertise, and its collective experience in examining manuscripts in pilot studies funded by Durham and Cambridge Universities, mean that this hitherto impracticable project has now become feasible. This project combines unique historical, curatorial, and scientific skillsets to identify the pigments of medieval manuscripts without damaging them.

The team will identify the pigments in a broad, carefully chosen selection of ca. 200 manuscripts. These range in date from the seventh to the fifteenth centuries; they represent a cross-section of the major centres of production; and they include books that have a known origin and provenance and that can, therefore, act as a fiducial point for a time and place. From this information, the team (and other scholars) will be able to analyse: patterns of cultural, social, and economic interaction between regions and scribal centres; the use of local materials and the movement of trade; reasons for changes in pigments; innovations by illuminators to overcome technological limitations; the interplay of cost, technology, and artistic practice.

The principal outcome will be the first scientific account of the pigments of British illuminated manuscripts as a whole, which will be the fundamental work of reference for future research in the field; with additional benefits in training and providing reliable information to museums, archives, conservators, and their audiences.

Planned Impact

The 3 main strands of impact will be professional curatorial and conservation practices; the transformative use of technology; and public understanding of art and science.
1. Curation and conservation for the 21st century
The impact from this strand will be on curatorial and conservation practices, with likely effects on archival or institutional policy, in the areas of training and the use of technology. Curatorial staff will benefit from new knowledge about the nature and composition of the materials used to make the most valuable items in their care. Conservators responsible for preserving these collections will benefit from more accurate identification of particular materials and experience of the newest technologies of pigment identification. In our pilot project work, Raman spectroscopy has already revealed that a type of degradation typically diagnosed 'by eye' as characteristic of red lead is also a feature of vermilion.
Throughout the research programme, we will organize collaborative advisory sessions for conservation staff. These sessions will be a standard feature of our site visits at which research analysis is undertaken. There will be continuous on-site interaction with relevant keepers and conservators, explaining the technology, sharing findings on the manuscripts, and discussing the interpretation. We will make a broader presentation of our findings to the library and academic community as a whole during the final year of the project through a conference organized under the aegis of AMARC (Association for Manuscripts and Archives in Research Collections), the leading association of professionals involved with such material.
2. Techniques, Technology, and Transforming Practice
The project will disseminate awareness of, and best practice in the use of, modern non-invasive technologies. The research process goes hand-in-hand with the continual development of equipment and introduction of emerging technologies, in order to increase their portability, suitability, and capability specifically for in situ work with fragile manuscripts. The project will disseminate its results and processes - of relevance to scientists as well as to anyone involved in caring for books and documents - through display sessions and publicity releases. Principal Investigator Gameson and Co-Investigators Beeby and Nicholson undertook such sessions, which provide a model for the proposed activities, for the Institute of Conservation at the Wellcome Institute, London, in January 2016 and for the Association of Archivists at Wembley in September 2016.
3. Illuminating the Public
The most-frequently asked question by the 100,000+ visitors to the 2013 'Lindisfarne Gospels' exhibition in Durham was: 'what was used to make the colours of the exhibited manuscripts, still so vivid after 1,400 years?' The third impact strand is the presentation to the general public of the illuminated manuscripts explored during the research phases of the project. The project will work closely with the planned major exhibition, 'The Lindisfarne Gospels and the Glories of Britain's Greatest Medieval Library', to be held in Durham in 2020 as the planned successor to 'Lindisfarne Gospels Durham'. A substantial section will be devoted to the pigments of the manuscripts on display and the techniques used to identify them, and to the technological, artistic, and historical implications of the proposed research project. This theme will be central to the associated programme of public lectures and guided visits (coordinated by Gameson) and will be part of a school education programme (directed by Dr Sarah Price at Palace Green Library). Dr Price and her team saw no fewer than 10,000 children in association with the 2013 exhibition. Drawing on the expertise developed in the course of recent exhibitions, the Palace Green Library team will devise visitor surveys and elements of the education programme to record changes in understanding as a result of the exhibition.
 
Description The principal effort (above all for the PI), as also the main achievement, in 2023 was preparing for submission, and then seeing through the press, our monograph, The Pigments of British Medieval Illuminators: a scientific and cultural study (London: Archetype, 2023; ISBN978-1-909492-96-7), which presents all our key findings for the broadest possible audience. The first chapter explains (in terms suitable for the layman) the techniques that were used for identifying the pigments; subsequent chapters treat in chronological order the manuscripts and materials of five periods (c,. 600-900, 900-1066, 1066-1250, 1250-1360, and1360-1485); the conclusion provides a succinct diachronic overview of pigment use throughout the period as a whole. While the main body of each chapter discusses the artistic and cultural implications of the pigments used at the time in question, full identifications of the materials identified in each manuscript studied are provided in the appendices. Numerous activities were undertaken to promote awareness of the publication and its relevance to the widest possible audience - notices in news bulletins, on-line presentations, etc. - with another major launch event (featuring an exhibition and equipment demonstrations) scheduled to take place in Durham on 14 March 2024. Although it is too soon for formal reviews to have appeared, the enquiries that the team has received from a broad range of parties - conservators, librarians, calligraphers, students, general public - attest to the interest that the publication has generated, while specific invitations to examine further manuscripts not only in British (e.g. Christ Church, Oxford) but also in European libraries (e.g. Utrecht University Library) show that it has raised awareness of the importance of this field of enquiry, and of the expertise of the project team for undertaking the work in question.

The Current year (2022) has seen us bring to fruition the labours of previous years, achieving all that we aimed to achieve - and more. Thus the monograph that is the summation of all our research was duly completed and will shortly be submitted to Archetype (a publisher specialising in heritage science and conservation research); individual investigations and findings in relation to specific manuscripts and pigments have been published on-line and/or in print (whichever should be the more appropriate for the relevant audience); a focused exhibition highlighting particular findings was mounted at the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge (free to all); and we have continued to give talks and presentations about our work to a wide range of audiences, national and international (in January 2023, for example, the PI addressed a seminar at L'institut nationale de l'histoire de l'art in Paris on the subject of 'Recettes de pigments d'origine britannique', a session archived and freely available via the INA YouTube site). To consolidate, expand and develop the legacy of the project, we continue to enhance our technical capabilities, and are devising further ambitious research initiatives in collaboration with the Bodleian Library, Oxford.
Much of the current year (2021) was hampered by restrictions arising from Covid-19, along the lines described for 2020: first-hand examination of manuscripts in a broad range of libraries is central to our project and it was not until August that this was able to resume - and then only with certain institutions (we were not able to return to the British Library until the end of November). In so far as possible, we have endeavoured to 'plug gaps' in our data from books in libraries that were earlier in reopening to outside researchers; however, for examples of illuminated manuscripts from certain places and periods (e.g. southern England around the millennium) we have been 'at the mercy' of the timetable of particular repositories for re-opening. Nevertheless, 'making a virtue of a necessity' we have devoted the time we could not spend in libraries to writing and revising the monograph, which now exists in an almost complete form, including (alongside a comprehensive chronological account of pigment use in medieval Britain) explanations of the technologies used to identify the materials, transcriptions and translations of the earliest pigment recipe collections of British provenance, and transcriptions and translations of particularly informative documentary sources bearing on use and expenditure on pigments in medieval England. Examples of specific findings from such analyses as we were able to undertake this year include an unexpected variety in the preparation and colour of boles (underlayers) beneath metals, and targeted use of pigments by certain individual illuminators, suggesting that pigment choice could be a key component of artistic style. Overall, our investigations demonstrate that medieval illuminators had a sophisticated understanding of both the physical properties and the semiotic power of their materials.
Our third year (2020) was severely disrupted by Covid. As the foundation of our project is first-hand scientific examination of medieval manuscripts in a wide range of repositories, and as such repositories have been largely shut to in-person readers (and certainly to those needing to work within spaces normally reserved for staff - as we do) since March 2020 our in situ work was forcibly stopped. The exception was our home repositories (Durham University and Cathedral collections, the Fitzwilliam Museum collection), to which we have intermittently had limited access (depending on ever-changing government restrictions and equally changing university policies); however, these were the collections in which we had already accomplished the largest amount of work. Nevertheless, the obligation to accomplish what we can with already-gathered data, supplemented by limited re-examination of 'home' manuscripts permitted the PI to draw up detailed if lacunose chronologies for the employment of each individual pigment - what was used where and when for each colour from the seventh century to the fifteenth. Though points will need to be checked and refined when we can return to the relevant libraries and manuscripts, this is already a valuable resource, which we have shared informally with interested researchers (who have applauded its clarity and lauded its utility). In its finished state it will form the final chapter and summation of our monograph-handbook. It establishes, to mention some specific examples, the chronology of the adoption of vermilion red (from its first appearance at the end of the tenth century to its use as a standard pigment everywhere in Britain by 1100), the transition from gallo-tannic ink to carbon-based blacks as the standard brown/black for illumination during the course of the twelfth century (almost certainly linked to the increasing role of 'professional' illuminators), the rise of gold leaf as a standard material (from the early twelfth century) and the growing sophistication with which it was tooled (from the end of the twelfth century), the adoption of lead-tin yellow (shortly after 1400), and the slow but sure replacement of lapis lazuli with azurite for blue (a process stretching from the early thirteenth century to the middle of the fifteenth). An individual discovery of great interest was finding the first ever use of calomel (a highly toxic mercury chloride) as a pigment (white) in an illuminated manuscript (Fitzwilliam Museum, MS 34, a missal made in York c. 1470) [to date calomel has only been identified on three medieval and early modern objects in western Europe - all from England]. The PI also drafted c.85,000 words of the aforementioned monograph-handbook, which is thus well under way - albeit with many points of detail that await checking once library visits can resume.

During our second year, we have focused on examining runs of manuscripts from periods that (the work in our first year had suggested) were points of evolution in pigment usage. Thus for the fifteenth century we now have accumulated a data set which permits us to observe in some detail changes in the use of (for example) the different blue colorants, lapis lazuli, azurite, and indigo, both across the decades and by location. Lapis lazuli, widely used from the tenth to the twelfth century, reserved for higher grade projects from the thirteenth to fourteenth, all but vanishes as a pigment deployed in its own right in Britain during the course of the fifteenth century. The phenomenon is first apparent in minor centres, then (from the middle of the century) occurs in the major ones also. This is crucial new evidence to set alongside the scattered documentary records that indicate that the price of the mineral rose sharply in north-west Europe as a whole during the fifteenth century. The chronological coincidence of this hitherto unknown demise in the usage of lapis in Britain with, on the one hand, the fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Turks and, on the other, with the final stages of the Hundred Years War (disastrous for England) raises the possibility that the phenomenon we have discovered in illuminated manuscripts reflects events in national and international history that disrupted trade in a luxury material. (Future investigation of contemporary illuminated manuscripts made in Flanders, France and elsewhere in Europe to see whether they display similar patterns in pigment usage would reveal whether the changes we have identified were specific to Britain or common to larger areas of Europe, helping to identify the most likely reasons for them.)
Equally, new data from pigment analysis has led to the revision of scholarly orthodoxies in relation to the understanding of individual manuscripts and their illuminations: e.g. traditional art-historical scholarship has identified the work of two illuminators in the early thirteenth-century Society of Antiquaries MS 59; however, pigment analysis clearly indicates the work of three different hands, with distinctive palettes.
A Royal Society equipment award, made in recognition of the importance of this project, enabled us to add high-specification multispectral digital microscopy (appropriately customised for conservation-safe use with illuminated manuscripts) to our suite of portable equipment. In addition to seeing and recording in close detail how and in what order different paints have been applied - and hence to understand the fine grain of individual illuminators' techniques - the infrared capacity permits us to see through paint surfaces to any carbon-based underdrawings, bringing to light a hitherto entirely unseen dimension of British medieval art. Thus we now know that, strikingly, some illuminators were so proficient that they could accomplish their work 'freehand' without any preparatory lines or reworking. Others, by contrast, supplied remarkably detailed drawings (works of art in their own right), the lines of which then provided subtle tonal gradation - in effect shading - to the layers of paint that were subsequently applied on top of them.
In September we delivered (under the aegis of Durham University's Institute for Medieval and Early Modern Studies, in collaboration with colleagues from Cambridge, York and Copenhagen, and with additional funding awarded by the Schindler foundation) a Summer School in the Scientific Study of manuscripts. This intensive, week-long course, the first of its kind in Britain, gave twelve selected participants (the maximum number feasible if they were to have first-hand experience of the equipment) specialist teaching in, and practical experience of, our techniques and equipment, along with an understanding of its applications and - equally important - of the conservation issues that must govern them. The cohort comprised special collection librarians, advanced doctoral students, and young scholars, for all of whose work and careers (as the uniformly positive replies to the end-of-course questionnaire documented) the opportunity proved transformational.

This is the first year of the project so we have only, to date, examined a selection of our corpus of manuscripts. Nonetheless, this has already significantly enlarged the body of scientific information available on the pigments in British books. Points of particular interest that have emerged include the discovery of manuscripts dating from the tenth and early eleventh centuries in which Egyptian blue was used (a pigment of exceptional rarity after Antiquity), and the observable shift from red lead to vermilion as the red of first choice during the course of the eleventh century. Both facts feed into broader debates about trade routes and trading practices at the periods in question. We have also observed cases where individual illuminators engaged on collaborative projects have maintained a distinctive palette of their own. At the same time, we have been refining models of good practice for conservation-safe investigation of unique, highly valuable yet potentially vulnerable material.
Exploitation Route Publication of our monograph in 2023 means that all other workers in the field, whether within Britain or elsewhere, now have a firm foundation on which to build, one that sets out optimal working practices and establishes a clear chronological framework for the use of pigments between c. 600 and c. 1500, along with guidance in interpreting the data. In addition, the owners of the c. 400 MSS examined for the project have reliable data on the materials used in their manuscripts to inform decisions on conservation and to utilise in exhibitions and outreach (as some have already done).

During 2022 we continued to undertake in situ analyses for other researchers and institutions, alongside the work for our own project, sometimes broadening our focus beyond British manuscripts to coeval continental ones (thus one recent publication, the PI's 'Les Cent Nouvelles nouvelles: the physical fabric of the fables', explores the pigments of the unique manuscript of this monument of late medieval French literature, alongside other aspects of its codicology). The requests for such specialist work will certainly increase with the publication of our The Pigments of British Medieval Illuminators. Providing the first account of pigment use from the seventh to the fifteenth centuries for any European country, this will be the standard work of reference in the field - a firm foundation on which future researchers can build. In discussing the range of techniques appropriate for the analysis of unique heritage items, it provides clear guidance for conservators and other technicians to follow, an aspect of the project that we shall further promote via our on-going collaboration with book conservators in the Bodleian Library.

Notwithstanding Covid-19 related restrictions, we are increasingly being asked to undertake pigment analysis on particular manuscripts for other scholars, conservators, and institutions which - so long as the work in question is compatible with the aims and objectives of our own reserach - we undertake as and when we can. This feeds directly into an ever-widening circle of research and knowledge. Our most recent undertakings in this regard have been the examination of an eleventh-century book held in the British Library on behalf of the Head of the Portable Antiquities Scheme (based at the British Museum) with funding for costs from the British Academy for a project on the visual context of the Bayeux Tapestry (done in November 2021), and the examination of one fifteenth- and one sixteenth-century book for Norfolk Museum Services, to inform conservation of them and their bindings, prior to their inclusion in the new Norwich Castle Museum displays that are currently being prepared for 2023 (done in February 2022).
The aforementioned draft chronology of pigment use, compiled during our third year (2020) and circulated informally pending the reopening of libraries necessary for revising it for formal publication, will provide an indispensable foundation for all future work in the field. Further research (not least by the present team) will doubtless finesse its details; however, it is only because of the present pioneering work that they will know where best to look to be able to do so: thus in due course, slightly earlier instances of, for instance, lead-tin yellow may be identified than those we have found to date; however, it is precisely because we have now demonstrated that the beginning of the fifteenth century is the period when this pigment was first in widespread use among illuminators that future workers will know which manuscripts to examine to test and refine this threshold. Correspondingly, historians of trade, science and culture can use such data to examine the factors behind the transmission of relevant materials, knowledge, and skills from other places in Europe and beyond where such materials were known and used at slightly earlier dates.

In last year's submission (retained below) we noted how, in our second year, we would be pursuing the promising routes that had been identified in our first year of work: this we have done and are continuing to do. As this is a very new field, many of the manuscripts we examine, raise interesting and important new issues that we and future workers should pursue. For instance, as noted above, this year's work brought to light a watershed in the use by British illuminators of lapis lazuli blue, a material supplied from Afghanistan. It would clearly be of great value - for the cultural and economic history of Britain and Europe more generally - to know whether this pattern is echoed in Britain's near-neighbours. Again, a manuscript that we examined in January 2020 transpired to contain small quantities of artificial orpiment - only the third occasion to date that his material has been identified in a book. As all three known examples date from c. 1500, it is eminently reasonable to hope that future work on this period (beyond our normal upper threshold for the current project) would bring to light further instances of this and other materials that would show the development of new practices and their transmission across Europe.
Our first findings from multispectral digital microscopy (a technical capability we gained during our second year, as noted above) demonstrates that the technique has enormous potential for enlarging understanding the work of individual illuminators (just as the application of comparable technology to Renaissance panel paintings revolutionised understanding of what is likely to be autograph work by such leading figures as Leonardo da Vinci, and revealed the complicated patterns of interaction between studio masters and talented pupils). The technology can also provide new data for understanding the status of certain pictorial cycles in books: for seeing whether or not there are marks of planning and reworking under the illuminations provides crucial and hitherto wholly unavailable evidence for assessing whether the cycle was first devised, or was merely copied, in the oldest extent version.
The success of our first Summer School for the Scientific Study of Manuscripts as a way of disseminating our techniques and promoting good practice, and the requests we receive to analyse manuscripts for various institutions and to offer master classes all indicate a real demand for such services that, with appropriate conditions, we and such future workers as we can train, could continue to supply.


We shall ourselves be exploring these preliminary findings further during the remaining time of the award. These first findings provide the beginnings of a 'road map' for pigment use in the British Isles of relevance and interest to anyone involved in medieval and renaissance studies, libraries, heritage, and conservation. The certain identification as vermilion (a mecury-based pigment) of what had commonly been presumed to be a lead-based pigment is of potential use to conservators. The degradation that vermilion sometimes undergoes (and has led to it being misidentified as a lead-based colour) is a phenomenon that we hope to understand better as we gather more data. Our exposition of good practice (and safe power densities) for pigment identification in manuscripts should inform future work by others.
Sectors Education

Culture

Heritage

Museums and Collections
 
Description The publication of our monograph, The Pigments of British Medieval Illuminators, means that all the institutions caring for manuscripts that we have examined now have accurate data on the materials in their books that is presented in an accessible form: any presentation of these materials to the public can now incorporate information on the inks and pigments - as is the case for the permanent display of the Winchester Bible and for a shorter, more specialised showing of an eleventh-century Psalter in Edinburgh (November 2023). Our expertise and technology continue to be engaged by a range of bodies to inform the preservation and presentation of unique items of cultural heritage, benefitting the public at large both directly and indirectly: for example, our analyses of the pigments in the Winchester Bible, and their cultural implications, feature in the current exhibition of treasures within Winchester Cathedral; our identification of the inks and pigments in a folding almanac and their implications for its date are part of a recent presentation on the website of no less an Institution than the Royal Society; and our work diagnosing the nature of aggressive green pigments has been informing a major conservation project in the Bodleian Library (reported in the Bodleian Library Friends' News Magazine, Spring 2022, and the subject of public presentation by the P.I. and a Bodleian conservator in March 2023). Our reputation for conservation-safe pigment identification and contextual analysis continues to generate requests for presentations and analyses by a range of bodies, national and international (e.g. the P.I. has been invited to address a conference in Basel on 'Drugs, Dyes, Art & Pharmacology in the Medieval World' in September 2023) - which further promotes our work and advertises good practice. During 2021 we have presented the methods of, and findings from, pigment analysis to broad audiences drawn from the heritage sector and the general public, initially via on-line platforms then increasingly in person as that became possible: these occasions have led to requests for further information and/or invitations to examine particular items. Thus the lecture that the PI gave at Lambeth Palace in November (to real and virtual audiences simultaneously) produced a wide range of enquiries, including for practical demonstrations of how our technology works and to what it can be applied; our work with manuscripts in Oxford collections and presentations thereon led to requests to help identify the pigments used in pre-Raphaelite furniture in the Ashmolean Museum and to examine calotypes in the Bodleian, in both cases to inform conservation decisions prior to the inclusion of these items in public exhibitions; while our online presentations generated the request to examine manuscripts for Norfolk Museum services, to inform the conservation these items are about to undergo prior to their exhibition in 2023. The PI was invited to provide a digest of our work (and supply visual materials for) the first episode of a multi-part BBC-commissioned television series ('The Art that Made Us', filmed by Clearstory productions, due for broadcast later this year (2022)) that will reach a very large national and international audience; edifying 'entertainment' in its own right, this will further publicise what the technology can now do and the appropriate ways of deploying it. In all such cases, our work is contributing both directly and indirectly to the long-term preservation of unique items of cultural heritage, while informing the public as a whole of their nature, interest and value. Many of our proposed outreach/public-facing activities for 2020 (exhibitions, display sessions, etc.) were inevitably cancelled or postponed owing to covid-19 (for instance, the New Chaucer Society Durham event noted in last year's report was initially rescheduled to summer 2021, and then moved again to summer 2022; the Lambeth Palace lecture that the PI had been due to deliver in June 2020 was first moved to October 2020, then on to July 2021, possibly to be online rather than in person then; the lecture that the PI was booked to give in July 2020 on pigments in late medieval literary manuscripts for the Association of Manuscripts and Archives in Research Collections was rescheduled for December 2020, then to April 2021, probably to be done online then; the display session that the PI and Beeby were booked to do for the summer 2020 meeting of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals was first rebooked for December 2020 and has since been moved again to September 2021, online; Ricciardi's presentation on manuscript surfaces to the Cambridge Italian Research Network was cancelled; Reynolds and Ricciardi's masterclass on new approaches to medieval manuscripts at the Fitzwilliam Museum was postponed, new date tbc; and so on). Conversely, the opportunity to present our work in online sessions has enabled it to reach a wider global audience of all sorts than would otherwise have been the case: thus an overview presentation by Beeby on Thursday 28 January 2021 was attended (virtually) by 276 participants, of whom almost a third were located outside Britain. Equally, our growing reputation, generated by previous publications, presentations, talks and TV appearances, has meant that we have been contacted during the course of 2020 by various individuals and bodies, beyond academia, for talks, presentations etc. in the future (be it online or in person, as circumstances permit - the PI, for instance, has been engaged to talk to the Richard III Society in 2022 about the pigments in that king's own book of hours). Equally, Team Pigment has been engaged (whenever the lifting of covid restrictions should permit) to undertake ink and pigment analysis in relation to projects and public-facing activities in collaboration with other groups and researchers, ranging from the Winton Domesday Project (Winchester-London) to the Bayeux Tapestry exhibition (Bayeux-Paris-London). Our findings from a range of late medieval literary manuscripts (texts by Chaucer, Lydgate, Hoccleve, etc.) are being incorporated in the public exhibition, 'The Age of Chaucer: literature and devotion in late medieval England', scheduled for the galleries of Palace Green Library, Durham, for summer 2020, and accompanied by a catalogue written by the PI. Coinciding with the meeting of the New Chaucer Society in Durham (ensuring that an audience of 500 mostly North American scholars gain exposure to the scholarly implications of our work), the exhibition will equally be open to the general public (enhancing popular understanding and appreciation of manuscripts and their materials more broadly). Key findings on Northumbrian manuscripts were reported to a broad audience via an interview with the PI, broadcast first on local then on national television. The success of this in raising media interest in our work is evidenced by the fact that it led directly to the request to do a longer television feature wholly devoted to the work of the Team, which has just (February 2020) been filmed; this will explain and publicise our innovative contribution to revealing, interpreting and preserving previous items of broad cultural interest that are part of the nation's heritage. As in year one (report retained below), the impact of our published work and of our interactions with the staff in the libraries we visit is evidenced by the requests we receive to present our findings to groups across Britain in lectures and display sessions and to work in other collections. The many outreach lectures and practical sessions delivered by the PI and other members of the team are recorded elsewhere in this submission. Recent examples, leading to forthcoming presentations include: work in Lambeth Palace Library in 2019 resulting in the invitation to the PI to give the Lambeth Friends lecture in summer 2020; work in the Bodleian Library, Oxford, in 2019 leading to Gameson and Beeby being asked to give a masterclass in Oxford in March 2020; sessions delivered in Durham in September 2019 resulting in an invitation for the team to examine manuscripts in New College, Oxford in March 2020; work undertaken in Glasgow in January 2020 resulting in the invitation to the PI to give a lecture, and to the Team to deliver practical sessions, demonstrating the techniques to a specialist 'Rare Books' group there in August 2020. These promise to disseminating our work, our findings and our good practice to a broad range of constituencies from specialists of various types to the general public. The broadening awareness and appreciation of our expertise, our work and its potential is equally evidenced by the requests to examine selected manuscripts (and other materials) for projects beyond our own. Additional undertakings of this nature of this nature have included the recovery via multispectral imaging of a hitherto illegible unique copy of an Arthurian romance in Trinity College, Cambridge, and distinguishing spectroscopically between types of filmstock for Edinburgh University Library, thereby permitting appropriate safe storage. The most recent such request is for us to undertake pigment analysis on a German manuscript in the John Rylands University Library as part of a comprehensive study of the volume. It is a measure of our success and its impact that (regrettably) we do not currently have the capacity to fulfil all such requests! High-profile presentations that remain freely available include Ricciardi's keynote lecture on 'The Science of Art: near-infrared spectroscopy at the Museum' for the International Conference for Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (NIR2019), Gold Coast Conference Centre, Broadbeach, Queensland, Australia (16-20 September 2019); attended by 200 academics and industry professionals from a broad range of STEM fields, this, the 19th biennial meetings of the International Council for NIR Spectroscopy, was the first such occasion to include a session on Heritage Science - opened by Ricciardi; her presentation is available at http://www.nir2019.com/for-attendees#program. Our work identifying pigments In the Hereford Mappa mundi and in Hereford Cathedral Library manuscripts informed, and was showed-cased in, Hereford Cathedral's Spring-Summer public exhibition 2018, 'Hereford Cathedral Library: New Discoveries'. Our identification of pigments in the Winchester Bible informed, and is incorporated in, the new public exhibition of the Bible, due to open in Winchester in Spring 2019. During 2018 we held three 'scientific study of manuscripts' workshops, show-casing our work to other specialists in heritage science and related disciplines and exchanging good practice; one direct result of this was an invitation to examine MSS in the Chester Beatty Library, Dublin, to provide relevant information about items selected for exhibition or conservation; another is that we identified a demand from conservators, curators and librarians in a cross-section of institutions for experience of, and basic training in, scientific techniques of analysis - to meet this need we shall be offering a 'Scientific Study of Manuscripts' Summer School (2-6 September 2019).
First Year Of Impact 2018
Sector Education,Leisure Activities, including Sports, Recreation and Tourism,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections
Impact Types Cultural
 
Description Explanation of processes and procedures to conservation professionals in Italy
Geographic Reach Europe 
Policy Influence Type Influenced training of practitioners or researchers
 
Description Exposition of Safe Analytical Methods to international colloquium on investigative techniques
Geographic Reach Europe 
Policy Influence Type Contribution to new or Improved professional practice
 
Description AHRC Capability for Collections Fund
Amount £2,987,113 (GBP)
Funding ID AH/V011685/1 
Organisation Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 02/2021 
End 03/2021
 
Description AHRC Capability for Collections Fund
Amount £108,000 (GBP)
Organisation Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 02/2021 
End 03/2021
 
Description British Library funding for L.Garner conference paper presentation
Amount £100 (GBP)
Organisation The British Library 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 12/2018 
End 12/2018
 
Description Royal Society of Chemistry Summer Studentship at Northumbria University (2018)
Amount £1,600 (GBP)
Organisation Royal Society of Chemistry 
Sector Charity/Non Profit
Country United Kingdom
Start 05/2018 
End 08/2018
 
Description Investigation of Royal Society MS 45 (Almanac) 
Organisation The Royal Society
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Charity/Non Profit 
PI Contribution Analysis of, and reporting on, the inks and pigments in MS 45 belonging to the Royal Society (an exceptionally rare, folding almanac dating from c. 1400) prior to conservation treatments.
Collaborator Contribution Making available the facilities of the RS, underwriting the expenses of RG, AB and CN for their visit, coordinating this with the external conservator engaged by the RS to undertake conservation of the MS, organising filming of the operation.
Impact A film record of the investigation and the key findings to be posted on the RS website once the conservation of the MS has been completed.
Start Year 2021
 
Description Investigation of Royal Society MS 45 (Almanac) 
Organisation The Royal Society
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Charity/Non Profit 
PI Contribution Analysis of, and reporting on, the inks and pigments in MS 45 belonging to the Royal Society (an exceptionally rare, folding almanac dating from c. 1400) prior to conservation treatments.
Collaborator Contribution Making available the facilities of the RS, underwriting the expenses of RG, AB and CN for their visit, coordinating this with the external conservator engaged by the RS to undertake conservation of the MS, organising filming of the operation.
Impact A film record of the investigation and the key findings to be posted on the RS website once the conservation of the MS has been completed.
Start Year 2021
 
Description Miniare & St John's College, Cambridge 
Organisation University of Cambridge
Department St John's College
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Minare provided expertise and equipment to investigate an early Irish Psalter belonging to St John's College, Cambridge.
Collaborator Contribution St John's College provided the manuscript, working space as well as library assistance, and collaborated in the preparation of on-line resource arising from the work which is aimed at sixth-formers and students who are new to manuscript studies.
Impact The findings will be incorporated into the new online catalogue of the college's medieval manuscripts (currently in preparation) and so will become freely available to scholars and other interested parties world wide. The separate study resource introduces 6th-formers and undergraduates to the questions posed by medieval books.
Start Year 2021
 
Description Scientific Analysis of Jain Manuscripts 
Organisation Yale University
Department Institute for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage
Country United States 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Miniare provided expertise and undertook FORS analysis of Jain manuscripts in Cambridge University Library as part of a broader investigation led by Dr Marcie Wiggins of the Yalel Institute for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage and Michele Gironda, Global Market Segment Manager at Bruker Nano Analytics. Bruker Nano loaned an XRF scanner to undertake XRF analysis. The collaboration started early in 2020 and continues: we expect to publish a co-authored article on this research when covid restrictions permit.
Collaborator Contribution Equipment as specified above, and complementary expertise.
Impact Publication anticipated
Start Year 2020
 
Description Team Pigment & Bodleian Library - Fox Talbot 
Organisation University of Oxford
Department Bodleian Library
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Team Pigment analysed via XRF spectroscopy the elemental make-up of a collection of Fox-Talbot calotypes (transferred from the Bodleian Library to Durham University Library for this purpose) to inform decisions about which might be included in a forthcoming exhibition in Oxford and what conservation measures would be appropriate.
Collaborator Contribution The collection belongs to the Bodleian Library and the Museum of the History of Science in Oxford, who made all the arrangements and bore all the costs of transferring it to and from Durham for us to examine. Conservation and exhibition costs will be borne by the Bodleian.
Impact Inform the storage, conservation and exhibition of historic calotypes dating back to the birth of photography, ensuring their long-term survival and informing the conservation that will permit the exhibition of some of them under safe conditions.
Start Year 2021
 
Description Team Pigment & Bodleian Library - corrosive pigments 
Organisation University of Oxford
Department Bodleian Library
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Identification of the pigments that are causing damage to parchment and paper in a cross-section of medieval manuscripts.
Collaborator Contribution Provision of a designated working room within the Bodleian for Team Pigment and their equipment; experimentation with different pigment recipes supplied by Team Pigment to monitor their corrosiveness.
Impact Devising appropriate treatments for medieval manuscripts damaged by corrosive pigments, ensuring optimum conditions for their long-term preservation.
Start Year 2021
 
Description Team Pigment & Norfolk Museum Services 
Organisation Norfolk Museums Service
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Public 
PI Contribution We examined fifteenth- and sixteenth-century manuscripts in the collection of Norfolk Museum Services, identifying the inks and pigments used in their bindings as well as within their texts. This will inform conservation that the items will now undergo, prior to their inclusion within new display in Norwich Castle Museum in 2023.
Collaborator Contribution Norfolk Museum Services covered our costs and provided appropriate working spaces in which the examinations could be done. They enhanced the potential outreach and impact arising from the collaboration by arranging for the work to be filmed for television.
Impact The manuscripts will now be sent for conservation, informed by our analyses, ensuring their long-term security; they will be put on public display with full knowledge of their materials and hence will be displayed in light levels and for exposure periods that will preserve them. Full details of the manuscripts examined will be included in our monograph on British Medieval Illuminators' Pigments. Summary information will be included in the materials accompanying their display and in a short television feature (for 'Look East')about our work and the conservation.
Start Year 2022
 
Description Team Pigment + Prof David Messinger 
Organisation Rochester Institute of Technology
Country United States 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Provision of pigment analysis data.
Collaborator Contribution Technical analysis and re-presentation of pigment data to maximise its utility and accessibility; development of computer code for processing pigment data.
Impact In progress
Start Year 2023
 
Description Team Pigment and Winchester Cathedral 
Organisation Winchester Cathedral
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Charity/Non Profit 
PI Contribution Analysis of the pigments in volumes. 3 and 4 of the twelfth-century Winchester Bible (Winchester Cathedral, MS 1) to inform, and be presented within, the exhibition of the manuscript in Winchester, currently in preparation (scheduled to open Spring 2019)
Collaborator Contribution Winchester Cathedral funded conservation and investigation of the Bible and is providing the infrastructure and resources for the public exhibition of the manuscript and the findings.
Impact In progress - exhibition pending.
Start Year 2018
 
Description Team Pigment and the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford 
Organisation University of Oxford
Department Ashmolean Museum
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Team Pigment provided expertise and equipment and collaborated in the non-invasive investigation of the materials used to decorate a painted PreRaphaelite bookcase owned by the Ashmolean Museum. The research question was: whether the painters (who were imitating and evoking the manner of medieval artists) used medieval pigments or contemporary paints to do so
Collaborator Contribution The Ashmolean Museum made the PreRaphaelite bookcase available for examination, ordered and manufactured an appropriate large-scale frame to facilitate spectroscopic analysis of this large object, and their heritage scientist undertook XRF and other analyses of it.
Impact The information and insight arising from the work will inform and be reported in a forthcoming publication and in exhibition texts about this object.
Start Year 2021
 
Description Team Pigment and the Head of the Portable Antiquities Scheme 
Organisation Portable Antiquities Scheme
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Public 
PI Contribution Prof. Michael Lewis, head of the Portable Antiquities Scheme, based at the British Museum, engaged Team Pigment to identify the colorants used for specific items and artefacts depicted in the eleventh-century Old English Hexateuch held by the British Library (MS Cotton Claudius B.IV) as part of on-going research on the visual and artefactual context for the Bayeux Tapestry. Funding to cover Team Pigment's expenses for the operation was obtained by Prof. Lewis from the British Academy (Neil Ker Memorial Fund).
Collaborator Contribution Team Pigment undertook non-invasive spectroscopic examination of the Old English Hexateuch in the British Library, identifying all the pigments used therein.
Impact This information will be used both by Professor Lewis as part of his contextual study of the Bayeux Tapestry, and by Team Pigment in their monograph of British Illuminators' pigments. Assuming that current (November 2021) covid restrictions do not change, Profs. Lewis and Gameson will report and discuss the findings with French colleagues at Bayeux in Spring 2022.
Start Year 2021
 
Description Team Pigment and the Head of the Portable Antiquities Scheme 
Organisation Portable Antiquities Scheme
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Public 
PI Contribution Prof. Michael Lewis, head of the Portable Antiquities Scheme, based at the British Museum, engaged Team Pigment to identify the colorants used for specific items and artefacts depicted in the eleventh-century Old English Hexateuch held by the British Library (MS Cotton Claudius B.IV) as part of on-going research on the visual and artefactual context for the Bayeux Tapestry. Funding to cover Team Pigment's expenses for the operation was obtained by Prof. Lewis from the British Academy (Neil Ker Memorial Fund).
Collaborator Contribution Team Pigment undertook non-invasive spectroscopic examination of the Old English Hexateuch in the British Library, identifying all the pigments used therein.
Impact This information will be used both by Professor Lewis as part of his contextual study of the Bayeux Tapestry, and by Team Pigment in their monograph of British Illuminators' pigments. Assuming that current (November 2021) covid restrictions do not change, Profs. Lewis and Gameson will report and discuss the findings with French colleagues at Bayeux in Spring 2022.
Start Year 2021
 
Title Development of MINIARE equipment 
Description The equipment MINIARE uses non-invasively analyses pigments in books or manuscripts. A change was made to the light source of this equipment. 
Type Of Technology New/Improved Technique/Technology 
Year Produced 2018 
Impact The modification of this equipment reduced effective power required to collect results, improving best practice. 
 
Description 'New Light on Durham's Illuminations', Public lecture, Gala Theatre, Durham 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Account of key findings to date on Durham manuscripts, presented in Durham's theatre, followed by Q&A; all seats taken.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
 
Description (Team Pigment and MINARE) Day symposium presenting findings from the investigation of selected MSS via a range of scientific techniques 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Primary audience: scholars, librarians and doctoral students interested in the consolidated application of scientific techniques to the analysis and understanding of manuscript evidence

Years: 2019

Result: a unique opportunity to compare and coordinate new scientific data for parchment identification with current findings about pigments and hence to reach more fully-rounded appraisals of the manuscripts in question and their historical importance.

Impact: demonstrating to a broad audience the value of holistic study of manuscripts and establishing a template for future collaborations
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
URL https://www.dur.ac.uk/imems/research/strands/manuscripts/
 
Description A talk by R.Gameson on illuminators and pigments of Centerbury at Canterbury Medieval Weekend 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Talk plus demonstration for the general public, resulting in several requests for further information about the technology and its potential applications (notably possible identification of colorant used for medieval glass, for the Glass Restoration Workshop at Canterbury Cathedral).
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
URL https://www.canterbury.ac.uk/arts-and-humanities/school-of-humanities/medieval-canterbury-weekend/me...
 
Description A. Beeby and R. Gameson talk to friends of Trinity Library about current research 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact A celebration of Trinity's medieval manuscripts

Friday 4 May 5.15-7pm
To commemorate the publication of The Medieval Manuscripts of Trinity College, Oxford: A descriptive catalogue by Richard Gameson we are hosting a series of short talks illustrating different aspects of the collection. Drinks will be available.

5.15pm Welcome by Stefano-Maria Evangelista, Fellow Librarian.

5.20-5.45pm Cosima Gillhammer on Trinity MS 29. This manuscript, which Cosima is studying for her doctorate, contains a history of the ancient and biblical world in Middle English and Latin. It was compiled from many different sources and written by a single scribe. The manuscript provides fascinating insights into how history was perceived and how manuscripts were produced in late medieval England.

5.50-6.20pm Professor Richard Gameson (1982) (Professor of the History of the Book at Durham University, and Trinity alumnus) will give an introduction to Trinity's manuscripts highlighting some of the treasures of the collection. There will be an opportunity to view several of the manuscripts, on temporary loan from the Bodleian.

6.25-6.50pm Professor Andy Beeby (Department of Chemistry, Durham University) will describe his work on the development of Raman spectroscopy, which, combined with hyperspectral imaging, and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, makes it possible to identify the materials used in delicate medieval illuminated manuscripts, including those in Trinity's collection. The identification of precise pigments provides an insight into the techniques and skills of the scribes and illuminators, as well as the sometimes complex trade routes of the times.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
 
Description A. Beeby gave a talk at Exeter University "Post-Conquest Archaeology" 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact .
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
 
Description A.Beeby Gave a "Chemistry and the Curious" RSC funded talk at Trinity College Dublin 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact Date: Friday 23 August 2019
Time: 16:00 - 21:00
Venue: Chemistry Building Foyer and CHLLT, Trinity College Dublin
This event merges history, arts, science and philosophy. It recreates the convergence of thinking across disciplines that inspired Mendeleev to conceive of the Periodic Table in 1859 and to give birth to what became known, as elemental theory.
The event has three distinct but overlapping elements for the Creative, the Curious and the Chemist:
• A reception and artists' discussion to mark the unveiling of three unique pieces of artwork on the historic staircase of the Main Chemistry Building in Trinity College Dublin.
• A presentation lecture, which takes us on 'An exploration of Medieval Manuscripts using Spectroscopic Techniques' by Prof. Andrew Beeby (University of Durham).
• RSC and SCI members' AGMs and BBQ.
The event arises through funding awarded by the RSC's IYPT and TCD's Visual and Performing Arts fund and a unique collaboration between the National College of Arts and Design and the School of Chemistry (on the closing of its in-house glass-blowing workshop in 2019)
Members who attended reported that they were very interested in the talk and the wider project, and that they would follow progress of the project.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
URL https://chemistry.tcd.ie/news-events/2019/
 
Description A.Beeby gave a lecture at Edinburgh University "Shining light on medieval manuscripts" 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Presentation of the project, its current findings and its broader implications.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
 
Description A.Beeby gave a lecture to Bristol University Arts and Humanities Faculty 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact A science lecture for humanities professionals - audience reported great interest and many interested follow up questions.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
 
Description A.Beeby gave a lecture to The British Archaeological Association 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Study participants or study members
Results and Impact A lecture to the British Archaeological association which was very well received. Numerous questions and requests for further information.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
 
Description A.Beeby gave a lecture to the Archaeology Department at Glasgow University 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact Audience interested to know more and keen to develop links in areas of mutual interest.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
 
Description A.Beeby gave a presentation to sixth-formers for OX-NET to encourage widening participation in university applications for local students 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Schools
Results and Impact The students who attended the talks found the research and presentation interesting and their teachers reported that it had provided excellent stimulus for debate, further questions and interest surrounding applying to study science at university.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
URL https://www.ox-net.org/oxnet-hub
 
Description A.Beeby gave a talk to The Friends of Glasgow University Library about research project 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Presentation of the project, its current findings and its broader implications.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
URL https://universityofglasgowlibrary.wordpress.com/2018/03/13/friends-of-the-glasgow-university-librar...
 
Description A.Beeby gave plenary lecture to IMEMS History of the Book meeting 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Patients, carers and/or patient groups
Results and Impact At short notice stepped in to give a plenary lecture to The History of The Book meeting at St.Chad's college. Audience members very interested and asked plenty of insightful questions.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
 
Description A.Beeby presentation on pigment analysis at Spectroscopy Conference, Durham University 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact A.Beeby presented research to academic audience at a national spectroscopy conference, hosted at Durham University.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
 
Description A.Beeby presentation to the IRDG (Infrared and Raman Discussion Group) at University College London 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact Presentation to fellow academic audience, which sparked interest and further questions.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
 
Description AI Unveils Secrets of Ancient Artifacts 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact Interview leading to online article on machine learning and manuscript illumination, bringing manuscript illumination to non-humanities audience worldwide
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL https://www.mathworks.com/company/mathworks-stories/ai-for-digital-preservation-of-ancient-artifacts...
 
Description Beeby Lecture to IRDG (Infra-red and Raman discussion group) at Perkin Elmer Ltd 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact Lectured on current applications of IR and Raman in manuscript work - increased awareness of project and answered many interested questions. Emphasis on safety of equipment in looking at cultural heritage items, and the inadequacies of off the shelf systems.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
 
Description Beeby and Fiorillo on FORS 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Andre Beeby and Fiorillo participated in the Fibre-optic Reflectance Spectroscopy Users' Group (open to those who use and maintain FORS equipment for technical analysis of cultural heritage property), sharing their experiences in the application of the technology to the analysis of illuminated manuscripts.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description British Illuminators' Blues Seminar 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Richard Gameson presented recent discoveries relating to the employment of blue pigments to an art-history research seminar at the University of Oxford, May 2023. This sparked general debate about whether current understanding of the hierarchy of blues needs to be revised, and specific request for the future analysis of particular items.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description C.Nicholson (Team Pigment) expert analysis on BBC Programme "Fake or Fortune" 
Form Of Engagement Activity A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press)
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact C. Nicholson provided expert pigment analysis of a painting during the BBC programme Fake of Fortune (S7:Ep4) aired on 2nd September.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
 
Description Codicology and Chemistry 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Richard Gameson gave a talk entitled 'Codicology and Chemistry' at the Symposium 'Analytical Science in the Library' held in Durham on 15-9-2022, under the auspices of the Royal Society of Chemistry, Analytical Division
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://www.rsc.org/events/detail/74232/analytical-science-in-the-library
 
Description Exhibition: 'Painting with Gold' 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact A focused exhibition on the use of gold in illuminated manuscripts, held at the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, September 2023 to February 2024. Open to all visitors to the museum (a total of 164,871 during the period in question) it increased understanding and appreciation of materials and techniques of medieval illuminators by presenting the findings of scientific investigation.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description Explanation of spectroscopic techniques for schoolchildren 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Schools
Results and Impact Andrew Beeby gave a video presentation of spectroscopy and imaging as a non-invasive analytical techniques at the Saltes Festival for schools
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Flavia Fiorillo talk on portrait miniatures 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Flavia Fiorillo gave presentation, 'Novel insights from the study of Isaac Oliver's portrait miniatures' to the InfraRed and Raman Users Group Conference 15, in Tokyo, Japan, September 2023
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description Gameson & Beeby Pigment analysis demonstration for Art-Historians 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Richard Gameson & Andrew Beeby offered a practical session on the techniques and practices of pigment analysis ('Non-Invasive Pigments Analysis: a hands-on introduction to hands-off techniques') for participants - principally art-historians of various levels, but also librarians, conservators and calligraphers and some 'general public' - in the Ninth International Insular Art Conference, 7 April. None of the participants had had much, if any, previous experience of this field; all said that the session had opened their eyes to its interest and importance and had enlarged their understanding of their own fields. The calligraphers, in particular, were interested to learn what was known about medieval inks and to compare that with their own materials and technieus.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description Gameson Lecture on Pigment Analysis: how, where, when and why 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Richard Gameson gave a lecture on the principles and recent (post-monograph) findings of pigment analysis to an audience in Oxford (Harris-Manchester College) on 27 February 2024
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2024
 
Description Gameson Seminar for Archetype Academic Projects 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact On 12 October 2023 Richard Gameson gave an online seminar 'The Blue Pigments of British Illuminators', under the aegis of Archetype Academic Projects, to an international audience of conservators, archive and museum professionals and the interested public. This resulted in a range of specialist questions about the optimum techniques for identifying particular materials.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description Illuminated Manuscript online educational resource 
Form Of Engagement Activity Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Schools
Results and Impact Online resource to facilitate engagement with illuminated manuscripts during the pandemic, aimed at school-age children.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL https://www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac/work/illuminated-manuscript
 
Description Illumination for children 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Schools
Results and Impact Miniare team members offered children from various schools (including those participating the Cambridge city council Holiday Activities and Food scheme for children on free school meals) a series of sessions about the making of illuminated manuscripts
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description K.Nichloson "Meet the scientist" event at The Palace of Science 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact K.Nicholson did a Meet the Scientist session at Palace of Science - visitor footfall about 250 to the event. Team pigment research showcased with hands on analysis of manuscript with IR imaging. Lots of interested members of the general public.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
URL https://palaceofscience.co.uk/
 
Description L. Garner gave a talk to sixth form at Durham School 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Schools
Results and Impact L. Garner showcased science careers and Team Pigment research at a local sixth form.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
 
Description L.Garner and R. Gameson - Durham University Open Day Show & Tell 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Undergraduate students
Results and Impact L.Garner and R. Gameson were conducting examination of a series of manuscripts in Palace Green Library in September 2019 (2 days). As part of the Open Days during the examination prospective students and their parents were able to come and see how and why analysis was being carried out and to hear a little about Team Pigment's project, and to ask questions.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
 
Description L.Garner gave a presentation at the British Library 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Study participants or study members
Results and Impact At a conference to accompany the once-in-a-generation Anglo-Saxon exhibition at The British Library, London, Louise presented a paper detailing research from Team Pigment. Many of the audience members were very keen and interested to know about scientific analysis of manuscripts and there have been several follow up requests for information. The presentation featured in an online article in "History Extra", the official website for BBC History Magazine and BBC World Histories Magazine. https://www.historyextra.com/period/anglo-saxon/manuscripts-anglo-saxon-kingdoms-british-library-codex-amiatinus/
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
URL https://www.bl.uk/events/manuscripts-in-the-anglo-saxon-kingdoms
 
Description L.Garner ran an outreach session for the MEMSA community course on Pigments and Manuscripts at the World Heritage Centre 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact A presentation on pigments and current research, followed by a practical workshop where attendees created an illuminated initial on parchment using pigments.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
URL https://www.dur.ac.uk/imems/outreach/community/
 
Description Lecture for AMARC 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Gameson gave a lecture on 'The Pigments of Les Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles' to the first on-line meeting of the Association for Manuscripts and Archives in Research Collections on 21-iv-2021. This publicised the project and its outcomes to a wide range of library and archive professionals, leading to invitations to examine material in other collections - once covid restrictions permit.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description MINIARE presented a paper at the Schoenberg Symposium on Manuscript Studies in the Digital Age, University of Pennsylvania 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Stella Panayotova and Paola Ricciardi were invited to give a paper, 'Intermedial Exchanges: Integrated Analyses of Illuminated Manuscripts', at the 11th Annual Schoenberg Symposium on Manuscript Studies in the Digital Age, University of Pennsylvania (15-17 November 2018, 120 delegates).
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
 
Description MINIARE sharing of expertise with various institutions 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Paola Ricciardi and Stella Panayotova advised on analytical methodologies and shared information on the project's findings with curators, conservators, librarians and academics in the following institutions: Cambridge University Library; Cambridge, Corpus Christi College; London, Society of Antiquaries; Peterborough Museum; University of Exeter; University of Reading; University of East Anglia; New York University; University of Pennsylvania; Venice, Benedictine Abbey of San Giorgio Maggiore.

While undertaking research and technical analyses on an English manuscript at Cambridge University Library (MS Ee.3.59) on 4-5 June 2018, Stella Panayotova and Paola Ricciardi shared with staff in the Library's Conservation Department and Digital Contents Unit new discoveries on the manuscript's production, patronage and history, and guidelines about analytical protocol, equipment and conservation standards. Stella Panayotova also advised the Library's digitisation team on a presentation focusing on MS Ee.3.59 which the team was currently preparing for an international conference of digitisation experts and discussed with them some of the biggest challenges in accurately capturing and reproducing images from illuminated manuscripts digitally and in print.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
 
Description Manuscripts at the Fitzwilliam 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Study participants or study members
Results and Impact Class for M.A. students in Archival Studies at the University of Plymouth.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
 
Description Manuscripts in a Museum Context 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact For Glasgow students in Museum studies: enhanced understanding of manuscripts in a museum context.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
 
Description Medieval Britain in colour workshop 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Suzanne REynolds and Flavia Fiorillo presented an in-depth workshop related to the 'Medieval Britain in colour' exhibition at the Fitzwilliam, imparting to attendees an enhanced understanding of the materials and techniques of British medieval illuminators.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description Object handling session for partially sighted and blind people 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Workshop for blind and partially sighted people who are members of 'Suffolk sight'.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
URL https://www.suffolksight.org.uk/
 
Description On-line Presentation for Librarians and Conservators 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Under the title 'The Story of the Blues: identifying and understanding illuminators' pigments and their deployment', Richard Gameson and Andrew Beeby explained the technologies we use and summarised what we have discovered about blue pigments and how they were used during the fifteenth century. This was a session within the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (Rare Books and Special Collections Group) Conference. The session was then made available as a podcast.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Online Overview 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact In January 2021 andrew Beeby gave an illustrated overview of our work and findings to an online international audience, followed by questions. The librarians of several institutions in which we have not previously worked issued invitations to us to visit them to examine their manuscripts whenever covid restrictions should permit.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
 
Description P. Ricciardi gave a presentation during Winton Domesday Workshop at the Royal Society of Antiquaries 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Paola Ricciardi, 'Scientific analyses of manuscripts: challenges and opportunities', talk
delivered during a one-day workshop Winton Domesday: Manuscript, Place and People in a
Digital Age, Royal Society of Antiquaries, London (27 February, c. 20 academics and library
staff).
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
 
Description P. Ricciardi, 'Masters' Secrets Revealed: the art and science of medieval illuminated manuscripts', public talk at the Abbey Museum of Art and Archaeology (Caboolture, Queensland, Australia) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Paola Ricciardi, 'Masters' Secrets Revealed: the art and science of medieval illuminated
manuscripts', public talk at the Abbey Museum of Art and Archaeology (Caboolture,
Queensland, Australia) (14 September, 30 Abbey museum staff and members of the local
community).
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
 
Description P. Ricciardi, 'Science at the Museums', lecture at half-day workshop organised by the UCM Research and Impact Working Group, Sainsbury Laboratory, Cambridge 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Paola Ricciardi, 'Science at the Museums', lecture at half-day workshop organised by the UCM
Research and Impact Working Group, Sainsbury Laboratory, Cambridge (8 March, 40
University of Cambridge staff and students).
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
 
Description Paola Ricciardi (and Dr Lora Angelova from The National Archives), one-day course, 'What can Heritage Science do for you?', organised by UCM 4C with the National Heritage Science Forum, British Library, London 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Paola Ricciardi and Dr Lora Angelova (The National Archives), one-day course, 'What can
Heritage Science do for you?', organised by UCM 4C with the National Heritage Science
Forum, British Library, London (12 March, 24 heritage professionals).
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
 
Description Pigment Identification for Conservators & Librarians 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Richard Gameson and Andrew Beeby gave a talk about, followed by a practical demonstration of, pigment identification in the Bodleian Library to Oxford librarians and conservators. This was designed to raise awareness of how our work and our findings can inform the conservation and preservation of unique manuscript materials.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Pigment identification and contemporary creative arts 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact A gallery talk plus workshop associated with the Medieval Britain in Colour exhibition at the Fitzwilliam Museum, CAmbridge, for adult learners on MUSE creative arts programme. The most important outcomes (not available via the drop-down menu) were enhanced creativity (shown via creative outputs based on the exhibition) and improved wellbeing.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description Pigment identification in Edinburgh outreach website 
Form Of Engagement Activity Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Our identification of the pigments in the oldest manuscript in Scotland reported (duly credited to 'Team Pigment') in a website devoted to the book, mounted by Edinburgh University. This resulted in requests from other libraries and individuals for our expertise - whenever current social distancing restrictions should be lifted.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL https://artsandculture.google.com/story/tgUBgf3ix9sMfA
 
Description Pigments in Chaucer's Day 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Richard Gameson gave a day workshop on pigment identification and its implications for the study of Chaucer manuscripts to doctoral students and early career researchers who are members of the New Chaucer Society. None of the participants had previously had any first-hand experience of such work; all left understanding its potential relevance for their own areas of enquiry.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description Pigments in Lambeth Palace Library 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Supporters
Results and Impact Richard Gameson presented Team Pigment's work on manuscripts in Lambeth Palace Library to the Friends of the Library, other supporters and interested parties, in the brand new library auditorium.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Presentation by L.Garner to general public at World Heritage Centre for MEMSA 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact This presentation was for the Medieval and Early Modern Society and the general public, on how Material and Visual Culture is used in PhD research. L. Garner spoke about her PhD research and Team Pigment's research.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
URL https://www.dur.ac.uk/imems/events/?eventno=42180
 
Description Presentation by R.Gameson (Team Pigment) to the general public at Hereford Cathedral 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact A talk to the general public at Hereford Cathedral on pigments and illuminators.

Feedback : Dear Richard,

Your talk yesterday evening was hugely appreciated. I've bumped into several people already today who told me how much they enjoyed it. One of our volunteers phoned me just to say how good he thought it was. He was almost purring! There were some students from Hereford College of Arts too who found it fascinating.

Very best wishes,

Rosemary

Dr Rosemary Firman
Librarian
Hereford Cathedral
5 College Cloisters
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
URL https://www.herefordcathedral.org/Event/uncovered-illuminators-pigments
 
Description Public lecture 'The Bury Bible up close' 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Suzanne Reynolds and Paola Ricciardi gave online lecture in December 2022 to 163 participants, fostering increased understanding of an twelfth-century illuminator's palette.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description Public lecture on Colours and Gold 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Suzanne Reynolds and Flavia Fiorillo gave public lecture 'Colours and Gold: new research on the materials of British Illuminators' to 40 attendees, imparting an increased understanding and appreciation of illuminators' materials and techniques.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description Public talk, 'Medieval Britain in Colour' 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Suzanne Reynolds and Flavia Fiorillo spoke about 'Medieval Britain in Colour' to a mixed in-person and online audience in November 2022, enhancing understanding of the materials and techniques used to paint British MSS.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description R. Gameson and A.Beeby presented a masterclass 'Scientific identification of pigments in medieval manuscripts: how, when and why to do it' 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact RG and AB gave a masterclass demonstration to specialist scholars and conservators of analytical techniques and their implications.
Most important impact: raised professional awareness of the technology, its applications and the appropriate interpretation of the results. The engagement of the participants is demonstrated by requests for further information, by the request that we undertake analysis of an Italian manuscript featuring in an Oxford research project, and a report of the session on the blog of the University of Munich (Dear Richard Gameson, my name is Carolin Benz, I attended your fascinating seminar 'Scientific identification of pigments in medieval manuscripts: how, when, and why to do it' at the Bodleian Library last week. I'm studying Library and Information Management in Munich and currently I'm working as an intern at the Bodleian. For the weblog of the university in Munich which you can see here https://www.aubib.de/blog/ I would like to write a blog article in German about the seminar with the foto I took. I just wanted to ask if this is okay for you.)
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL https://www.aubib.de/blog/
 
Description R. Gameson contribution on purple pigment in manuscripts to BBC Radio 3, 'The Verb' 
Form Of Engagement Activity A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press)
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact An exposition of (among other things) the fact that the most recent scientific investigations show that orcein rather than murex purple was the pigment used to dye and paint the pages of late antique and early medieval deluxe manuscripts.

Impact: raising awareness of the project among a broad cross-section of the general public, and providing up-to-date information to correct a popular misconception about one particularly famous pigment and its use.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
URL https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0009d6n
 
Description R.Gameson gave a presentation, A.Beeby gave a lecture to the Morely Medieval group 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Study participants or study members
Results and Impact Presentations, including guided examination of relevant manuscripts, to a special interest group from the Home Counties
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
 
Description RG exposition of pigment analysis techniques to staff of Lambeth Palace Library 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Explanation, while analysis was being carried out, of the techniques of pigment investigation, the occasion being described by the Lambeth Palace's librarian as 'a real eye-opener to my colleagues'.

Most important impact: spreading good practice to relevant professionals, resulting in an invitation to RG to give a fuller account of the work to a broader audience at Lambeth Palace in summer 2020.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
 
Description RG gave a public outreach talk to MEMSA/IMEMS 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact This talk will focused on illuminated manuscripts: an opportunity to reflect on how they were made, the materials that were used; who made them, why, and for whom; and - above all - to examine at first hand a selection of these masterpieces in miniature.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
 
Description RG talk at University of Vienna, Institut für Österreichische Geschichtsforschung 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact RG gave a talk comparing the books of Durham and Tournai, including their pigments

Impact: requests for further information about our project from the Department of Manuscripts of the Österreichische Nationalbibliothek [Austrian National Library]; RG duly sent selected papers, receiving the reply from the Keeper of Manuscripts: 'I can use your papers to show the need for a systematic approach and for interdisciplinary team-work'.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
 
Description RG television interview about the pigments used on Lindisfarne 
Form Of Engagement Activity A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press)
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Discussion of the pigments used on Lindisfarne as part of 'Villages by the Sea: Lindisfarne', broadcast on BBC2 in HD.

Impact: extending awareness of pigments, their properties and their importance to the widest possible audience. The interest of the material is reflected in the fact that the programme was highlighted in the Radio Times as choice of the day.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
 
Description RG, LG, AB and KN plus other colleagues delivered Scientific Study of Manuscripts Summer School at Durham University 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact The participants (selected on grounds of qualifications, merit and practical needs from a pool of applicants) received four days of practical training in the physical manufacture of medieval manuscripts and the best available techniques for decoding their evidence, followed by a day of presentations on the results of such work when applied to particular books. The event received a subvention from the Schindler foundation.
Impact: spreading detailed knowledge and first-hand experience of procedures and processes to those who most have need thereof.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
URL https://www.dur.ac.uk/imems/research/strands/manuscripts/
 
Description Research colloquium at Lincoln University 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Study participants or study members
Results and Impact Contributed to a research colloquium by describing the project and discussing project in context with other research projects.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
 
Description Research into teaching at Cambridge 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Undergraduate students
Results and Impact Suzanne Reynolds gave sessions on illuminated manuscripts and their pigments for US students at Westfield House Cambridge, as part of the course 'Christianity and the Arts'.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022,2023
 
Description Ricciardi talk about analysing the Great Bible 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Paola Ricciardi gave a talk on 'The precarious life of the Great Bible II: analyses' for the Early Book Society's XVII biennial conference, resulting in improved awareness amongst the audience of the potential of heritage science investigations for the historical study of books.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://earlybooksociety.org/conferences/virtual-wales-july-12-16-2021-2/
 
Description Ricciardi talk about the Great Bible 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Paola Ricciardi and Eyal Poleg gave the online conference talk 'Cut-and-paste Reform: scientific analysis of Henry VIII's Great Bible' for attendees of the Renaissance Society of America's annual conference.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdWnEtw-2Y
 
Description Richard Gameson & Richard III 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Richard Gameson gave a talk on 'The Pigments of Fifteenth-Century English Illuminators and the Hours of King Richard III' at a Richard III Society study day in Barnard Castle on 23-iv-2022. The event was streamed live, and hence reached a large, national audience (and a smaller international one), beyond those who were actually present. Questions indicated that the occasion had dramatically changed the audience's understanding of medieval colorants and how they were used; the striking anomalies within the Hours of Richard III were (understandably) a particular talking point. Wide interest in pursuing the themes further were evidenced by several invitations to address other groups.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description Richard Gameson 'Meet the Manuscripts: pigments' 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Richard Gameson held a public engagement session at the Bodleian Library, Oxford (4 May) in partnership with Dr Matthew Holford of the Bodleian, based around Bodleian manuscripts, discussing the revival and expansion of pigment use in Britain from the reign of Alfred the Great (871-99) to that of Athelstan (924/5-39).
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description Richard Gameson BBC1 programme 'Villages by the sea' discussion of pigments used on Lindisfarne 
Form Of Engagement Activity A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press)
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Exposition of the pigments known to have been used on Lindisfarne as part of 'Villages by the Sea: Holy Island', broadcast on BBC1 at 7.30 pm on 16-xii-2019

Most important impact: explaining aspects of the work to a substantial television audience - BBC1 prime time.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
URL https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000c78q
 
Description Richard Gameson TV contribution 
Form Of Engagement Activity A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press)
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Richard Gameson discussed the Lindisfarne Gospels and its Pigments in the documentary 'Art that Made Us', episode 1, first broadcast on BBC2 on 8-iv-2022 and subsequently made available on BBC iplayer. That the importance of pigment identification was clearly conveyed was underlined by the review in The Spectator (9-iv-2022) in which RG's contribution was one of only a couple singled out for their interest, the reviewer noting, 'That the Lindisfarne Gospels were as much a triumph of chemical technology as of calligraphy, which is why the pigments have survived for fourteen centuries'.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description Richard Gameson talk in Paris 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Richard Gameson gave a talk, 'Les plus anciennes collections de recettes de pigments d'origine britannique' in Paris at the INHA on 10-1-2023 as part of a seminar series on art techniques organised jointly by the Bibliotheque nationale de France and the Institut national d'histoire de l'art. In addition to the 'live' audience, the session was recorded and is available to anyone via the INHA's website. The session raised awareness among French colleagues of the work we are doing and generated demand for our publications (past and future).
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
URL https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsl8NWzVv6T0Vksuxr3XlxW9ur93uKtfV
 
Description S. Panayotova gave a lecture to the general public at Peterborough Museum 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Stella Panayotova was invited to give a lecture, 'Christmas Colours: identifying the pigments of illuminated manuscripts', at Peterborough Museum (4 December 2018, 75 attendees)
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
 
Description S. Panayotova gave three masterclasses to doctoral students at Charles University, Prague 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Stella Panayotova was invited to give a series of three masterclasses on illuminated
manuscripts to doctoral students at Charles University, Prague (8- 10 April; 25 students and
8 faculty staff).
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
 
Description S. Reynolds and P. Ricciardi classes for first year History of Art students: The Making of Art - Illuminated Manuscripts 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Undergraduate students
Results and Impact Suzanne Reynolds and Paola Ricciardi taught two classes for University of Cambridge first year
History of Art students: The Making of Art - Illuminated Manuscripts (6 November, 24
students).
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
 
Description S. Reynolds and P.Ricciardi workshop on the Breslau Psalter 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Study participants or study members
Results and Impact Suzanne Reynolds, Paola Ricciardi and Edward Cheese (Fitzwilliam Museum), workshop on the Breslau Psalter (MS 36-1950) with discussion of painting materials and techniques for the Marlay Group of Fitzwilliam Museum's supporters (29 November, 9 participants).
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
 
Description S. Reynolds talk on pigments and manuscripts to the Wryngwyrm society 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Suzanne Reynolds (with two Fitzwilliam Museum colleagues, Sara Oberg Stradal and Monika
Stokowiec), talk on the pigments of early illuminated manuscripts to the Vikings living history
society Wryngwyrm (22 November, 15 participants).
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
 
Description S. Reynolds, talk on the colours of heraldry in illuminated manuscripts to Year 8 Arts Award Students from Soham Village College 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Schools
Results and Impact Suzanne Reynolds, talk on the colours of heraldry in illuminated manuscripts to Year 8 Arts
Award Students from Soham Village College (29 October, 12 students).
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
 
Description S.Panayotova presented a paper and participated in ART BIO MATTERS convened by the Metropolitan Museum of Art and New York University 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Stella Panayotova was invited to present a paper and participate in the international expert forum ART BIO MATTERS which focused on the advanced analyses of organic materials in art works and was convened by the Metropolitan Museum of Art and New York University (8-10 November 2018, 65 experts).
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
 
Description Seminar for Postgraduates at Oxford University 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Explanation of the relevance of pigment analysis to the work of historians, art-historians, literary scholars, etc., in order that a new generation of young scholars in these disciplines would be aware of its relevance to their work. Several of the participants asked for references to a selection of our publications and/or emailed me subsequently with specific questions and requests.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description Short documentary on Pigments and manuscripts on BBC1's Inside Out programme 
Form Of Engagement Activity A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press)
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Three members of Team Pigment were involved in a 10 minute documentary on Inside Out which was broadcast on BBC1 HD at 7.30pm to England, and to the North East on BBC1.
Members of Archive.net - the online forum for Archivists shared the documentary amongst their members. Palace Green Library reported several members of the public made enquiries to look at the manuscripts.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000fzws/inside-out-north-east-and-cumbria-09032020
 
Description Suzanne Reynolds Gallery Talk on Gold in Illuminated Manuscripts 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Gallery talk, 'Illuminated: gold in medieval manuscripts', for adult learners on MUSE creative arts programme. The participants produced creative work based upon the display and the talk, fostering their creativity and improving their wellbeing.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Suzanne Reynolds online talk about gold in medieval manuscripts 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact Talk for people with cognitive impairment enrolled in Portals to the World Museum Programme
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://www.dementiacompass.com/
 
Description Suzanne Reynolds: film on gold in illuminated manuscripts 
Form Of Engagement Activity A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press)
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Patients, carers and/or patient groups
Results and Impact Aimed at older people with a dementia diagnosis in community settings and within residential and clinical care, this film brought the subject to an audience that rarely encounters such material. The enthusiastic response indicated that the wellbeing and social engagement of the participants improved as a result of the experience.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://www.dementiacompass.com/
 
Description Talk for the University of Leicester 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Andrew Beeby gave a talk/presentation about the work of Team Pigment and its newest findings to an audience at the University of Leicester on 29 March 2022.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description Talk in Basel 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Richard Gameson gave a talk entitled 'The Colour of Plants' at the international conference 'Visualizing Drugs & Dyes: art & pharmacology in medieval worlds' at the University of Basel, September 2023.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description Talk on Pigment identification for the National Trust 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Andrew Beeby presented an overview of our work and project to an audience of National Trust members, who were then particularly interested in the conservation applications of our technology and findings.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Team Pigment exhibition at Durham World Heritage Centre 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Publicised the project and selected findings to all who visit the World Heritage Centre, leading to further enquiries from interested parties.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
 
Description Team Pigment presentations at the Scientific Study of Manuscripts IMEMS research group at Durham University 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact The interdisciplinary 'Scientific Study of Manuscripts' theme was initiated by IMEMS to bring colleagues from across Durham and beyond to showcase and exchange approaches for exploring medieval manuscripts and their associated material culture.

A group of professionals from across Durham University met to discuss the potential to undertake some preparatory work which would enable the University to develop bids and respond to future funding calls arising from, the Arts and Humanities Research Council, The Leverhulme Trust, or another funder, for a similar scheme or initiatives.

The group agreed it should hold twice yearly research meetings to exchange ideas and share information; and to be poised as an active body in the event that the development of a bid in response to future funding calls is necessary.

The group held its first research meeting on 13 February 2018, comprising of short presentations, case-studies, and practical demonstrations in their fields of expertise.

The group held its second meeting on 30 October 2018.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
URL https://www.dur.ac.uk/imems/research/strands/manuscripts/
 
Description The Science behind the Results: how materials are investigated 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Catherine Nicholson gave a talk entitled 'The Science behind the Results: how materials are investigated' at the symposium 'Analytical Science in the Library' held in Durham on 15-9-2022 under the auspices of the Royal Society of Chemistry, Analytical Division.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://www.rsc.org/events/detail/74232/analytical-science-in-the-library
 
Description Two blog posts about pigment analysis on the Durham Priory Online website 
Form Of Engagement Activity Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact L. Garner wrote three blog posts about pigment analysis on Durham Cathedrals manuscripts, for publication on the Durham Priory Library website. Two have been published so far.

https://www.durhampriory.ac.uk/identifying-pigments-used-in-manuscripts/

https://www.durhampriory.ac.uk/why-analyse-pigments-in-manuscripts/
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018,2019
URL https://www.durhampriory.ac.uk/identifying-pigments-used-in-manuscripts/
 
Description Two lectures to students from Cambridge, Anglia Ruskin and other universities at the annual Love Art After Dark Event at The Fitzwilliam Museum 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Undergraduate students
Results and Impact Love Art After Dark - the Fitzwilliam Museum Society's flagship, annual, FREE late night opening of the Fitzwilliam exclusively for students.

Every year, the Fitzwilliam Museum Society collaborates with the museum to bring a dynamic programme of art events and performances, giving a rare opportunity to view and hear more about the Fitzwilliam after hours.

Stella Panayotova gave two masterclasses at this even about pigments in Medieval Manuscripts.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
URL https://www.facebook.com/events/169636173761758/
 
Description What can heritage Science do for you? 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact On-line presentation by Paola Ricciardi for The Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (Rare Books and Special Collections Group) Conference
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Workshop on Edinburgh's 'Celtic Psalter 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Richard Gameson explained the range of pigments used in Edinburgh University Library, 56 and their implications for the creation and dating of the manuscript as part of a workshop on this 'Celtic Psalter' attended by library professionals, conservators, academics and students. This led to an invitation to undertake further examination of the manuscript .
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description workshop for people with dementia 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Patients, carers and/or patient groups
Results and Impact Suanne Reynolds gave an online workshop, 'A World of Colour: illuminated Manuscripts' for older people with a dementia diagnosis in community settings and within residential and clinical care. The most important impact (not available via the drop-down menu) was the improved wellbeing and social engagement of the participants.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023