Paint Analysis

The Center conducts historic paint analysis to identify the chromochronologies of historic buildings. Currently the Center's capabilities include basic stratigraphic analysis and color matching to the Munsell color system.

The most ambitious project involved an extensive interior paint analysis of the Tennessee Supreme Court Building, which produced an analytical report detailing the chromochronology of the major Art Deco public spaces as well as numerous office spaces. The report included narrative text along with tables of paint stratigraphic data keyed to cross-section drawings of moldings and other architectural features. This information documents the paint history of this important Tennessee public building and provides the basis for an authentic repainting campaign during the building's restoration phase.

On the national level, the Center produced an extensive technical reading list on historic paint with grant support from the National Council on Preservation Education, the National Park Service, and the Legacy Resources Program of the Department of Defense. The reading list was published during 1993/94 by the National Park Service with the title Painting Historic Buildings: Materials and Techniques: An Annotated Bibliography.

For a complete listing of the historic paint analysis projects conducted by the Center, please consult the historic paint projects bibliography.


	Historic Paint Analysis The Center conducts historic paint analysis to identify the chromochronologies of historic buildings. Currently the Center's capabilities include basic stratigraphic analysis and color matching to the Munsell color system. The most ambitious project involved an extensive interior paint analysis of the Tennessee Supreme Court Building, which produced an analytical report detailing the chromochronology of the major Art Deco public spaces as well as numerous office spaces. The report included narrative text along with tables of paint stratigraphic data keyed to cross-section drawings of moldings and other architectural features. This information documents the paint history of this important Tennessee public building and provides the basis for an authentic repainting campaign during the building's restoration phase. On the national level, the Center produced an extensive technical reading list on historic paint with grant support from the National Council on Preservation Education, the National Park Service, and the Legacy Resources Program of the Department of Defense. The reading list was published during 1993/94 by the National Park Service with the title Painting Historic Buildings: Materials and Techniques: An Annotated Bibliography. For a complete listing of the historic paint analysis projects conducted by the Center, please consult the historic paint projects bibliography.
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