Conservator Susan Costello uses a laser (yes, that’s right) to safely remove dirt from a 17th-century marble object. Picture an individual who uses lasers as part of her job, and you might imagine a radiologist, a surgeon, maybe even a tattoo-removal specialist. One role you may not expect is art conservator. However, at the Straus Center for Conservation and Technical Studies, as at many conservation labs, a laser is indeed an essential tool of the trade. “We don’t use the laser all that often, but when we do, it’s just so amazing,” said Susan Costello, associate conservator of objects and sculpture. “It can remove grime very evenly and quickly.” TAKE A CLOSER LOOK: + ARTICLE/ Laser Precision: https://www.harvardartmuseums.org/article/laser-precision + OBJECT/ Pierced railing, Delhi, India, c. 1655. Marble. Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, The Stuart Cary Welch Collection, Gift of Edith I. Welch in memory of Stuart Cary Welch, 2009.202.67: https://hvrd.art/o/190660 -- © President and Fellows of Harvard College. Video: Danny Hoshino. For questions related to permission for commercial use of this video, please contact the Department of Digital Imaging and Visual Resources at am_divr@harvard.edu.