My collection on the wall. Is sun gonna ruin them?

[TBM]

Yes your autographs may fade and your bats can also fade and start to crack. If there is direct sunlight that crosses them or comes close to them it is a bad thing also if you have any fluorescent lighting that you use in the room. I don't know about those new fangled energy efficient light bulbs though, they may have the same effect. Easiest way to stop this from happening is to put them where the sun don't shine. No, Really it is the best way.

Since we all like to display our collection some things you can do is:
1. Apply a UV barrier to your windows.
2. Apply a UV barrier to your lights.
3. Put your bats in a UV resistant bat tube.
4. Put your bats in a display case that is UV resistant.
5. Put them in a room with no sunlight.
6. Take pictures of them now so you know what they looked like 5 years from now.
8. I do not know if curtains will limit the UV from going through so they may not be the best.

My suggestion is to do any two of 1 - 4 if your able to. My windows are UV treated and I keep my bats in bat tubes. The tubes take away from the aesthetics of the display but also keep off the dirt, keep take in better condition, helps keep the bats wood from separating, keeps any dirt off the pine tar on the bat and helps to keep the autographs in good condition. Also, my bat display cost me $7 per bat ($6 per tube, $1 for mounting hooks) to display on the wall. If you can afford it a nice multi bat display case would work wonders.

Just my thoughts.

As for your pictures, reduce the size of them. Every windows computer has Microsoft Paint that you can use to do this resize the picture to 50% to 75% of the original and save a as a .jpg and you will be good. Follow the attachment key on the manage attachments page for size limitations. If you are using a phone then I like YouDoodle Pro. It works great for reducing photo sizes and layering your photomatches on top of each other. Reduce to 900 to 1000 pixels on the longest side while keeping the aspect ratio and you will be good.

Hope this helps.

[thomasbolin]

Thank you!!!!!

[64SHEA]

Are your windows glass or plexiglass? Plexiglass already absorbs about 70% of swuv energy but having a uv coating would offer additional protection. I would also suggest lighting the room with high quality LED's, as they produce little to no energy in the uv spectrum and emit even less. As was stated though, it is a good idea to protect anything of value from any other possible contaminants as well. I have built myself a couple of display cases useing large uv absorbing acrylic panels. Its not cheap, but its something you could consider if you want to keep your current display.

[TBM]

That's a nice looking display wall you have there. It would look great with three panes of sliding plexiglass in front to encase them and keep the elements out while allowing easy access.

[Wrigley2010]

Like 64Shea said LED lighting is a must. They are incredibly cost effective now and will not only help preserve your collection but will save you $ on your utility bill. My utility bill is about 10% lower than it was when I used incandescent lighting. UV bat tubes are another great option but unfortunately the coatings on them break down over time and do become ineffective. The majority of tubes available today have a 5 year UV rating with some more expensive ones stretching to 20+. I would suggest getting some nice window treatments and switching to LED lighting and your collection should stay safe for years to come.

[bryzzo2016]

" if you have any fluorescent lighting that you use in the room. "

I've never heard fluorescent lighting was bad for autographs. Can you please elaborate ?

[64SHEA]

Fluorescent lighting works by (skipping a few steps) creating ultraviolet radiation and then using fluorescence (hence the name) to convert it into the spectrum we can see. Some ultraviolet radiation is emitted though.

[sorklora]

Guys...LED lighting is still untested and may not be as harmless as we all think, from all that I have read. Incadescent bulbs are still the best and least abusive to collections.

Read this link:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencete...h-C-zanne.html

[camarokids]

Get some blinds and window coverings. Do not leave the lights on unless you are down there enjoying your collection and you should be fine.

[64SHEA]

Guys...LED lighting is still untested and may not be as harmless as we all think, from all that I have read. Incadescent bulbs are still the best and least abusive to collections.

Read this link:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencete...h-C-zanne.html

That article, and other published at the time, are misleading, and their conclusions were not included in the journal articles as they would not have passed peer review for multiple reasons. Its to much information for me to go into here but I will include a few links that discuss the topic in depth.

How Many Light Bulbs Does It Take to Discolor a van Gogh? - ARTNEWS

Important update on LED lighting! - The Australian Institute for the Conservation of Cultural Materials

LED Lighting: Fact and Fiction - Connecting to Collections

Museums Are Starting To Use LED Lights To Preserve Their Paintings - Tech Times

A few years ago, the Smithsonian held a symposium on the use of LED's in museums. There is about three hours of presentations by conservators, lighting engineers and designers et cetera on their youtube page.

Summary

Gallery Illumination: LED Lighting in Today's Museums - Smithsonian American Art Museum

One of the talks not listed was given by Jim Druzik, Senior Scientist at the Getty Conservation Institute, and Dr. Michael Royer, a Light Engineer at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. It directly deals with the Van Gogh painting.

How safe is Van Gogh’s Sunflowers to LED Lighting? Quite safe, actually!
(transcript in last post)