The color change on those Roman columns at the British Museum is getting worse every year

I went back to see the Trajan column casts for the first time in 5 years and the marble looked like it had a yellow-brown filter over it, especially compared to photos from the 1990s. The tour guide said it's mostly from decades of coal dust settling into the pores before they finally cleaned up London's air. Has anyone else noticed sections of ancient stone suddenly looking dingy in person compared to old records or am I just seeing it now?

3 comments

3 Comments

finleym374d ago

Actually... I don't think that's quite right about the 80s cleaning. The big cleanups on the British Museum were done in the late 90s and early 2000s from what I remember reading. The 80s methods were definitely harsh on the Elgin marbles though, that part's true.

black.oliver4d ago

Didn't they use metal tools on the marbles in the 30s, not the 80s?

wadejenkins4d ago

That's a solid question. Did the tour guide mention if the cleaning they did in the 80s actually made it worse? Heard some old methods were harsh. Think they used abrasives back then. Wonder if that roughened the surface up, letting more modern grime stick faster.