The architectural design trend of making more liberal use of windows is seemingly more popular than ever before.

Why wouldn’t it be? Adding more and/or larger windows to a room makes the space feel larger and airier.

However, while the brilliant glow of sunshine may make a room more delightful, there is a downside to it. Natural light (and to an extent, strong artificial light) is damaging to photographs, paintings and works of art on paper.

The reason is the light streaming through all those windows contains ultraviolet rays. When these rays strike the emulsified celluloid surface of a photo or the oil-based pigment brushed across the canvas of a painting, they cause fading and deterioration.

This damage doesn’t occur in a single day because the effects of exposure to ultraviolet rays are cumulative – they show up after some span of months or years.

......to be continued......