Source OEPM
Friday May 08
The Historical Archive of the Spanish Patent and Trademark Office (OEPM) is one of the most important documentary centers in Spain, preserving original documents that reveal the evolution of Spanish science, technology, and creativity since the beginning of the 19th century.
Recently, researchers from the Institute of Heritage Sciences (INCIPIT), part of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), visited the OEPM Historical Archive to explore the research potential of its collection from the perspective of its materials.
The interest of Spain’s most prestigious scientific institution in the OEPM Historical Archive is not surprising, as it houses documents of great importance to the history of science, such as the patents registered by some of the most illustrious figures of Spanish invention, like Isaac Peral and Leonardo Torres Quevedo. Among its shelves are also documents registering inventions belonging to some of the most renowned scientists in human history, such as Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison.
The researchers, equipped with a portable analytical laboratory, applied a series of non-invasive techniques to study the inks, dyes, pigments, and metals in various documents. They analyzed everything from photographs on copper plates to samples of dyed silk, matchboxes from 1862, and an original glove from 1845.
Using advanced 2D and 3D imaging techniques, the ‘Museum of the Invisible’ project seeks to rescue the cultural heritage hidden in manuscripts, paintings, archaeological objects, and even landscapes of the past. Each recovered fragment reveals lost stories, allowing us to rediscover and share a legacy that time and deterioration had left forgotten in the shadows of history.
