Reviews the scientific methods used to examine artifacts and art objects in order to accurately assess their condition and prescribe care, exhibition and storage. The volume discusses the aging of natural and synthetic polymers such as wool, cotton, silk, paper, wood and polymers used in sculptures, photographs, film and other media. Important analytical methods such as size exclusion, chromatography, viscometry, and gel electrophoresis, are described in assessing damage in silk textiles. Microchemical manipulation, light microscopy and FTIR spectroscopy techniques are described in the analysis of historic cotton fibers, including those from a marine environment. This text also introduces laser surface profilometry as a novel technique for the examination of polymer surfaces. Also included is a comparison of natural and artificial aging effects of cellulose acetate artifacts as followed by FTIR spectroscopy and ion chromatography, and the applications of light microscopy and FTIR spectroscopy to distinguish between oil and acrylic painting media. All the information provided can be taken straight to the workplace and will be and extremely useful book for those working in the preservation of historic objects.