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ALL IS REVEALED A revolutionary infrared torch that can see through deletions is ready to unmask history’s inkiest secrets

Mysterious words and phrases obscured by crossings-out will no longer remain hidden, thanks to a special scanner that reads through ink without damaging the page. The system, which combines an infrared illuminator with a book-imaging device, has been developed by Dr Ian Christie-Miller, former visiting research fellow at London University, and the Photonics Innovation Centre (PIC) at the University of St Andrews. While studying watermarks, Christie-Miller realised infrared could reveal more than conventional reflected light and backlighting. “Infrared is used for forensic purposes, and it also passes through ink,” he explains. “I thought we may be able to discover what was underneath deletions.” With the help of Dr Cameron Rae of the School of Physics & Astronomy at St Andrews, the infrared torch was created. It was trialled at the Royal Horticultural Institute (RHI) on a 1533 edition of De Agriculturaby Dio Cassius, a treatise on farming. With the torch, a line of Latin text obscured by pen ink was revealed with great clarity. The line read: “Formerly falsely attributed to the Emperor Constantine.” Brent Elliott, archivist at the RHI, was pleased with the result. “We could have discovered what the line said by finding another copy of De Agricultura,” he says, “but locating another edition could be impossible.” The infrared torch will be used again in the future, he says: “As we catalogue our books, we’ll find more texts with effaced lines. We can photograph them and uncover long-hidden mysteries.” The torch is still being developed, and currently can only illuminate printed ink concealed by pen ink, because these types of ink are different. Christie-Miller hopes his torch will also reveal hand-written text concealed with pen ink. “The potential of the torch when images can reveal hand-written text is very advantageous,” Elliot suggests. “Amongst other discoveries, we could recover previous owners’ names, which are often scribbled out.” The infrared torch is simple to use and causes no damage to the book, which needs only to be opened 45 degrees. A light sheet is inserted on pads under the page, and a light reflective system placed above and aligned with the camera. The torch is placed nearby and the whole device covered. “It uses a minute amount of electricity,” explains Christie-Miller. “Light emitted cannot be seen by the human eye – it is much like a television remote control.” Christie-Miller also plans to develop a larger scale torch. Dr

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Similar success was achieved with Deutsche Apoteck, 1573, Ryff, as may be seen from the image right. In this case not only has the ink been removed but so also has the red print. Careful examination shows that this removal has been so ‘successful’ that the indentations left by the printing press can be studied

The combination allowed items to be imaged by three different sorts of light – Aconventional light reflected from the surface, B backlighting allowing paper structure to be recorded, and C infra red light in four different ranges

Brian Hillyard, head of rare books at the National Library of Scotland, would like to image a copy of the second volume of

Jeronimo Roman y Zamora’s Republicas del Mundo, which was heavily censored in ink by the Spanish Inquisition on 2 April 1585, ten years after it was published. Presently, the infrared torch can read only about three lines per image. “We’re working on enlarging the number of LEDs to create an infrared array,” says Christie-Miller, “which could photograph a page at a time.” With further development, the infrared torch could become invaluable to mystery-solving scholars and librarians. As yet there are no plans to market the product, but the experimental version could be supplied for around £300. Christie-Miller hopes to test it on more books. “What is most delightful about being a researcher,” he says, “is you never know what you’re going to find.”

Gabriella Józwiak ’

For more information visit www.earlypaper.com.

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