Smoke machines

Perks Kate <kate.perks<-at->sciencemuseum<.>ac<.>uk>

>I am looking in to smoke / haze machines and whether they are
>appropriate for a temporary exhibition (6 months to a year) in a
>museum space with objects of mixed media on open display nearby.

Some years ago I was working in a church where a film crew had been
intensively using smoke machines before.  There was a significant
deposit of a smeary, oil-like substance (possibly paraffin oil?) on
the stone floor, particularly concentrating on the area around the
openings of the machines (which had been directly put on the
ground).  All over the benches and objects nearby there also was an
oily film, which was very hard to remove (especially on porous
materials like the stone tiles, where dark discolorations remained).
So I would be *very* careful with these things, especially if you
intend to use it over a longer time.  This could produce a big mess
plus serious effects on museum objects and furniture, not to forget
on the health of the staff.

Dr. Gundula Tutt
Diplomrestauratorin
Kaiserstuhlstrasse 24
D-79279 Varstetten


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