Lighting In Museum Exhibits Western Australian Museum - Shipwreck Galleries Image copyright WA Museum Image of the Western Australian Museum - Shipwreck Galleries in Fremantle All rooms that house artefacts and other artworks need to have controllable light levels. There are a number of ways this can be done. The method selected will vary according to the style of the building and the size of the budget. For museum purposes external shutters and verandahs are the best line of defence as they deflect heat as well as light. These are not suitable in all situations as they are costly and may conflict with the integrity of a heritage building. One of the best internal treatments is opaque blinds which are fitted to exclude all light from penetrating round the edges. Films for glass are good if they exclude UV and heat. They can also prevent breakage. Display lighting In rooms where textiles, papers and other organic materials are likely to be located it is important to design for flexibility. This includes the installation of light tracks so that the positions can be changed with the exhibits and that the light levels can be dimmed. In exhibition galleries it is advisable to have two lighting systems, on separate circuits. Retain general room lighting in some form for working purposes, so that display lighting need only be on when open to the public. It is useful for display lighting to be installed on a separate circuit, so that it can all be controlled from a single switch. Most modern display lights operate on a 12 volt system. Lighting in cases It is no longer considered to be good museum practice to put lighting in display cases. The build up of heat, which changes to the relative humidity and more intense exposure to light are the main reasons, but also access to change bulbs can be difficult and unnecessarily risky to the collection. It is better to locate the light source behind a window in the ceiling or wall of the case, with separate access, or to design cases so that use of the general room light can be maximised. Translucent or ‘opal’ acrylic is a good material for this purpose. To maximise the benefit of available light it is always beneficial to use predominantly light colours inside a case (including the underside of any shelves or ceiling). This will also reduce the mirror-effect. References and further reading: Museums and Galleries NSW, Fact Sheets and Technical Information