Frequently Asked Questions

What are plaster casts? 

Historically, plaster casts of statues were made by applying layers of wet plaster directly onto the surface of the original sculpture to form a rigid mold. Before this, artisans often coated the statue with a separating layer such as oil or clay to prevent sticking and protect the surface. Once the outer mold hardened, it was carefully cut into sections and removed, then reassembled to create a hollow form. Fresh plaster was poured or brushed inside the reassembled mold, and after it set, the mold was taken apart to reveal a detailed cast. The casts were then shipped in pieces around the world to be reassembed when they arrived. 

Why are plaster casts important? 

Inaugurated in 1875 by Regent John Milton Gregory, the Spurlock Museum’s plaster cast collection represents a key moment in art history, archaeology, and educational practice. Plaster casting became a widely adopted method of replication and educational outreach in the nineteenth-century at a time when American higher education was rapidly expanding and the disciplines the classical archaeology and art history were becoming increasinly formalized. The Parthenon sculptures on the Athenian Acropolis were some of the first to be cast, first by the French artist Fauvel, then by the infamous Lord Elgin, enabling their dissemination across Europe and America. As “flexible instruments for the advancement of cultural, ideological, and institutional classicism” (Dyson 2010: 557) and “important symbols of aesthetic refinement” (Fahlman 1991: 1), casts naturally took on a principle role within the didactic setting of the university, establishing a carefully-constructed canon of the so-called ‘great masterpieces’ of classical art. When Gregory's casts were first unveiled, the University of Illinois boasted the largest collection west of New York City, and the subsequent acquisition of fifty-two castings of the Parthenon friezes from Fauvel’s molds further enhanced educational efforts. 

Today, these replicas remain an invaluable resource for classicists, archaeologists, conservationists, and educators alike. Many cast collections were marginalized and neglected, some even destroyed, when a preference for “real” art guided the holdings of institutions (as revealed at the 2015 conference Destroy the Copy!).  Recent scholarship has presented a favorable shift in the perception of casts, corresponding with a greater appreciation of their historicity. Indeed, casts are now valued for their role as time capsules, preserving historical and archaeological details relating both to the original sculptures from which they were molded and the craft process employed to make the casts. Such an acknowledgement is particularly noteworthy for understanding the significance of the Spurlock collection: since Fauvel’s molds were made prior to Lord Elgin’s removal of the original sculptures from the Acropolis to the British Museum, and thus prior to subsequent “cleaning” efforts by earlier conservationists (e.g. at the British Museum in the 1930s), the casts here retain details no longer present in the original friezes.

In addition, institutions and artists have increasingly turned to replicas (both physical and digital) as a means to share their collections globally and explore issues pertaining to repatriation; for replicas afford “multi-sensory forms of experiencing culture [that] have a great benefit for the accessibility of cultural heritage” (Neumüller et al. 2014: 119). Though museums have been quick to adopt emerging replication techniques for expanding forms of interaction, the ways that differing audience groups engage with these replicas has not yet been studied extensively. Indeed, recent research has highlighted that many individuals still view replicas negatively; thus scholars should be seeking to identify and understand trends in the reactions of varying stakeholder groups. Parthenon at Illinois therefore addresses this gap in scholarship by studying the extent to which replicas promote engagement through haptic, personalized experiences, and how this engagement may differ depending on form (digital/physical) or group identity.

How will you digitize the casts?

There are several techniqes that we could use, but we're not sure yet which one will be most effective. Part of our research is to determine which approach is the best fit for plaster casts and related objects. In the workshop below, Mary Ton, Dirk Ton, and Cadence Cordell how computers build three dimensional models of historic objects by stitching together photos (photogrammetry) and by measuring the way that light bounces off of an object (LiDAR). For more details about the digitization process, check out the University of Illinois Library's guide. 

Where can I go to print 3D replicas? 

For folks at the University of Illinois, there are several places to 3D print. 

My question isn't answered here! Who do I contact? 

Reach out to Mary Ton at maryton@illinois.edu!