Why do we have to take photos without flash in museums and certain historical places?

Answer 1

Because the light from the flash contains a UV component that over time will make certain pigments in rare and valuable art objects fade.

Answer 2

Most museums don't want a flash in there at all. Really they don't want cameras in the museums. This is done so that you will stop by the gift shop and buy post cards with the pictures you like on them. Many museums color the light so that camera without the right type of filters will end up giving bad results.

Answer 3

As others have stated, the primary concern is damage to paintings and other priceless works of art from exposure to excessive light, especially light from flash cameras that might peak at 5500 degrees Kelvin.

However, it is estimated that 300 amatuer flashes per day would only be equivalent to adding five minutes to the "display day" (the amount of time that the art is exposed to the light of the room).

Now in museums that see a high rate of traffic, like the Vatican which averages 35,000 visitors per day, this could add up over a decade of time. But for the average museum, it is really not that great of a risk to the artwork.

The primary reasons, I believe, is:
1.) for the overall museum atmosphere (i.e. the annoyance of flashes going off) but even more so
2.) financial. The museum would rather you buy the momentos from their shop than for you to take digital photos of their exhibits and email them to all of your friends for free.

Usually the answer to any question like this eventually comes back to one thing...MONEY...who has it...who doesn't...who gets to keep the most of it...and who has to ultimately pay for it.

And that's all I have to say about that...

Answer 4

this rule is mainly around paintings and drawings. the light of the flash can cause damage to them. museums are super anal about preserving their pieces (with reason!) so they keep the temperature and lighting at a constant. sure, if only you took a picture with a flash, you wouldn't do anything to the piece... but due to the extensive amount of traffic that museums get, if everyone took a flash photograph, the colors would (after a while, of course) surely fade or alter and the painting would not be the same.

Answer 5

I once heard that Graceland prohibits pictures like that because someone had proposed that all the flashes going off all the time would cause the fabrics in the place to fade as if they were in the sun all the time.

It has also been pointed out that they will tell you soon after saying this that you can purchase pictures in the gift shop. Is it a way to preserve the artifacts or is it a way to boost gift shop sales?

Answer 6

Light can cause fading of pigments. That's why things that get left in the sun will fade over time. Although fading due to a single flash is minuscule, but given the value of a masterpiece painting and the fact that it will be viewed for centuries or millinia to come, preservation becomes more stringent.

Answer 7

The bright flashes over time will degrade certain items.
Not just your flash but think about the thousands of flashes during the day would have it affect.

Answer 8

because the flash damages the coloration and the material in old pictures, makes them fade out, we are not talking just about 1 photo, million of people try to take a pic out of them , and because of the age of the paint , old paitns are so sensitive to ruin

Answer 9

because the flash can actually damage certain items. Thats why important documents are kept in the dimly lit rooms so that light will not fade them.

Answer 10

when going round a stately house last year my daughter was told that the flash from a camera fades the fabrics and colors