Walter McCrone
Encyclopedia
Walter Cox McCrone was an American chemist
who was considered a leading expert in microscopy
. To the general public, however, he was best known for his work on the Shroud of Turin
, the Vinland map
, and Forensic science.
. At Cornell University
he received a bachelor's degree in chemistry
(1938) and a Ph.D.
in organic chemistry
(1942), after which he completed two years of post-doctoral work there. From 1944 to 1956 he was a microscopist and materials scientist at what is now the Illinois Institute of Technology
.
Becoming an independent consultant in 1956, he founded McCrone Associates, an analytical consulting firm now located in Westmont, Illinois. In 1960, he founded the McCrone Research Institute
, a nonprofit organization for teaching and research in microscopy and crystallography.
For more than thirty years he edited and published The Microscope, an international quarterly journal of microscopy. He also wrote more than 600 technical articles along with sixteen books or chapters. He is credited with expanding the usefulness of the microscope
to chemists, who had previously considered it to be primarily a tool for the biologist
. In 2000, the American Chemical Society
presented him with its National Award in Analytical Chemistry.
McCrone served on the board of directors
and as president of the Ada S. McKinley Community Services, Inc., a nonprofit social services agency in Chicago.
McCrone died of congestive heart failure at his home in Chicago. He was survived by his wife, the former Lucy Beman; two sisters, Mary Lou Catts of Chattanooga, Tennessee
and Phyllis Painter of Cherokee Village, Arkansas
; and many nephews and nieces.
is a length of linen
cloth, claimed by some to be the burial shroud of Jesus
and dismissed by others as a medieval fake. Its advocates include the Holy Shroud Guild, established by the Roman Catholic Church
in the United States in 1951.
In 1977, a team of scientists selected by the Holy Shroud Guild developed a program of tests that they proposed to conduct on the Shroud. The Archbishop of Turin
granted permission. The STURP scientists conducted their testing over five days in 1978. McCrone, upon analyzing the samples he had, concluded that the red stains that had been pointed to as blood were actually pigment—specifically, red ochre and vermilion
tempera
paint.
Two later additions to the STURP team, John Heller and Alan Adler, published their own peer-reviewed analysis concluding that the stains were blood. (Heller, J.H. and A.D. Adler, "Blood on the Shroud of Turin", Applied Optics, 19:2742-4, 1980; Heller, J.H. and A.D. Adler, "A Chemical Investigation on the Shroud of Turin", Canadian Society of Forensic Sciences Journal 81-103, 1981) According to Shroud skeptic Joe Nickell
, neither Heller nor Adler was a forensic serologist or a pigment expert. Nickell adds that, "at the 1983 conference of the International Association for Identification, forensic analyst John E Fischer explained how results similar to theirs could be obtained from tempera paint."http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2843/is_5_25/ai_77757762/pg_3 McCrone adhered to his opinion that comparison of microscopic images showed that the stain on the Shroud was not blood.http://www.mcri.org/shroudupdate.html#anchor577043
STURP members also disputed McCrone's similar conclusion that the Shroud image was painted. They contended (also in peer-reviewed papers) that physical analyses excluded the presence of pigments in sufficient quantities to be accountable for the image. (For a summary of STURP studies see L.A. Schwalbe, R.N. Rogers, Analytica Chimica Acta 135, 3-49, 1982.)
McCrone resigned from the STURP team in June 1980. In McCrone's words, he was "drummed out" of STURP. Heller, however, stated that McCrone resigned after being "insulted" by the STURP's reviewers' conclusion that the papers McCrone submitted to be vetted for publication contained data that were "misrepresented", observations that were "highly questionable", and conclusions that were "pontifications" rather than "scientific logic" (Heller, Report on the Shroud of Turin, p. 184).
Until McCrone's death in 2002, he continued to comment on and explain the analysis he had performed, and he became a prominent figure in the ongoing Shroud of Turin controversy. His book on the subject, Judgment Day for the Shroud of Turin (ISBN 1-57392-679-5), was published in 1999.
contained a substance (synthetic anatase
) not incorporated in ink until the 1920s, from which he concluded that the map was a forgery
. As was the case with the Shroud of Turin, other scientists were involved in studying this object, and some of them reached conclusions that differed from McCrone's. But only McCrone worked microscopically with the tiny physical particles that had been removed from the Shroud with tape in his new laboratory.
On occasion, McCrone was given hair samples of famous people to analyze. Based on such analysis, he rejected the hypothesis that Napoleon had been poisoned with arsenic
, but he concluded that Beethoven
had suffered from lead poisoning
.
McCrone microscopically examined the physical forensic evidence: hairs, fibers, blood, etc. that led to the conviction of Wayne Bertram Williams as the Atlanta child killer.
Chemist
A chemist is a scientist trained in the study of chemistry. Chemists study the composition of matter and its properties such as density and acidity. Chemists carefully describe the properties they study in terms of quantities, with detail on the level of molecules and their component atoms...
who was considered a leading expert in microscopy
Microscopy
Microscopy is the technical field of using microscopes to view samples and objects that cannot be seen with the unaided eye...
. To the general public, however, he was best known for his work on the Shroud of Turin
Shroud of Turin
The Shroud of Turin or Turin Shroud is a linen cloth bearing the image of a man who appears to have suffered physical trauma in a manner consistent with crucifixion. It is kept in the royal chapel of the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist in Turin, northern Italy. The image on the shroud is...
, the Vinland map
Vinland map
The Vinland map is claimed to be a 15th century mappa mundi with unique information about Norse exploration of America. It is very well known because of the publicity campaign which accompanied its revelation to the public as a "genuine" pre-Columbian map in 1965...
, and Forensic science.
Biography
McCrone was born in Wilmington, DelawareWilmington, Delaware
Wilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware, United States, and is located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River. It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities in the Delaware Valley...
. At Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
he received a bachelor's degree in chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
(1938) and a Ph.D.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
in organic chemistry
Organic chemistry
Organic chemistry is a subdiscipline within chemistry involving the scientific study of the structure, properties, composition, reactions, and preparation of carbon-based compounds, hydrocarbons, and their derivatives...
(1942), after which he completed two years of post-doctoral work there. From 1944 to 1956 he was a microscopist and materials scientist at what is now the Illinois Institute of Technology
Illinois Institute of Technology
Illinois Institute of Technology, commonly called Illinois Tech or IIT, is a private Ph.D.-granting university located in Chicago, Illinois, with programs in engineering, science, psychology, architecture, business, communications, industrial technology, information technology, design, and law...
.
Becoming an independent consultant in 1956, he founded McCrone Associates, an analytical consulting firm now located in Westmont, Illinois. In 1960, he founded the McCrone Research Institute
McCrone Research Institute
The McCrone Research Institute is a not-for-profit educational and research organization for microscopy located in Chicago, Illinois. It was founded by Dr. Walter C. McCrone in 1960...
, a nonprofit organization for teaching and research in microscopy and crystallography.
For more than thirty years he edited and published The Microscope, an international quarterly journal of microscopy. He also wrote more than 600 technical articles along with sixteen books or chapters. He is credited with expanding the usefulness of the microscope
Microscope
A microscope is an instrument used to see objects that are too small for the naked eye. The science of investigating small objects using such an instrument is called microscopy...
to chemists, who had previously considered it to be primarily a tool for the biologist
Biologist
A biologist is a scientist devoted to and producing results in biology through the study of life. Typically biologists study organisms and their relationship to their environment. Biologists involved in basic research attempt to discover underlying mechanisms that govern how organisms work...
. In 2000, the American Chemical Society
American Chemical Society
The American Chemical Society is a scientific society based in the United States that supports scientific inquiry in the field of chemistry. Founded in 1876 at New York University, the ACS currently has more than 161,000 members at all degree-levels and in all fields of chemistry, chemical...
presented him with its National Award in Analytical Chemistry.
McCrone served on the board of directors
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
and as president of the Ada S. McKinley Community Services, Inc., a nonprofit social services agency in Chicago.
McCrone died of congestive heart failure at his home in Chicago. He was survived by his wife, the former Lucy Beman; two sisters, Mary Lou Catts of Chattanooga, Tennessee
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Chattanooga is the fourth-largest city in the US state of Tennessee , with a population of 169,887. It is the seat of Hamilton County...
and Phyllis Painter of Cherokee Village, Arkansas
Cherokee Village, Arkansas
Cherokee Village is a city in Fulton and Sharp counties in the U.S. state of Arkansas. The population was 4,807 at the 2007 census.-Geography:Cherokee Village is located at ....
; and many nephews and nieces.
Shroud of Turin
McCrone's most famous analytical work began with his participation in the Shroud of Turin Research Project (STURP). The Shroud of TurinShroud of Turin
The Shroud of Turin or Turin Shroud is a linen cloth bearing the image of a man who appears to have suffered physical trauma in a manner consistent with crucifixion. It is kept in the royal chapel of the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist in Turin, northern Italy. The image on the shroud is...
is a length of linen
Linen
Linen is a textile made from the fibers of the flax plant, Linum usitatissimum. Linen is labor-intensive to manufacture, but when it is made into garments, it is valued for its exceptional coolness and freshness in hot weather....
cloth, claimed by some to be the burial shroud of Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
and dismissed by others as a medieval fake. Its advocates include the Holy Shroud Guild, established by the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
in the United States in 1951.
In 1977, a team of scientists selected by the Holy Shroud Guild developed a program of tests that they proposed to conduct on the Shroud. The Archbishop of Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
granted permission. The STURP scientists conducted their testing over five days in 1978. McCrone, upon analyzing the samples he had, concluded that the red stains that had been pointed to as blood were actually pigment—specifically, red ochre and vermilion
Vermilion
Vermilion is an opaque orangish red pigment, similar to scarlet. As a naturally occurring mineral pigment, it is known as cinnabar, and was in use around the world before the Common Era began. Most naturally produced vermilion comes from cinnabar mined in China, and vermilion is nowadays commonly...
tempera
Tempera
Tempera, also known as egg tempera, is a permanent fast-drying painting medium consisting of colored pigment mixed with a water-soluble binder medium . Tempera also refers to the paintings done in this medium. Tempera paintings are very long lasting, and examples from the 1st centuries AD still exist...
paint.
Two later additions to the STURP team, John Heller and Alan Adler, published their own peer-reviewed analysis concluding that the stains were blood. (Heller, J.H. and A.D. Adler, "Blood on the Shroud of Turin", Applied Optics, 19:2742-4, 1980; Heller, J.H. and A.D. Adler, "A Chemical Investigation on the Shroud of Turin", Canadian Society of Forensic Sciences Journal 81-103, 1981) According to Shroud skeptic Joe Nickell
Joe Nickell
Joe Nickell is a prominent skeptical investigator of the paranormal. He also works as an historical document consultant and has helped expose such famous forgeries as the purported diary of Jack the Ripper. In 2002 he was one of a number of experts asked by scholar Henry Louis Gates, Jr...
, neither Heller nor Adler was a forensic serologist or a pigment expert. Nickell adds that, "at the 1983 conference of the International Association for Identification, forensic analyst John E Fischer explained how results similar to theirs could be obtained from tempera paint."http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2843/is_5_25/ai_77757762/pg_3 McCrone adhered to his opinion that comparison of microscopic images showed that the stain on the Shroud was not blood.http://www.mcri.org/shroudupdate.html#anchor577043
STURP members also disputed McCrone's similar conclusion that the Shroud image was painted. They contended (also in peer-reviewed papers) that physical analyses excluded the presence of pigments in sufficient quantities to be accountable for the image. (For a summary of STURP studies see L.A. Schwalbe, R.N. Rogers, Analytica Chimica Acta 135, 3-49, 1982.)
McCrone resigned from the STURP team in June 1980. In McCrone's words, he was "drummed out" of STURP. Heller, however, stated that McCrone resigned after being "insulted" by the STURP's reviewers' conclusion that the papers McCrone submitted to be vetted for publication contained data that were "misrepresented", observations that were "highly questionable", and conclusions that were "pontifications" rather than "scientific logic" (Heller, Report on the Shroud of Turin, p. 184).
Until McCrone's death in 2002, he continued to comment on and explain the analysis he had performed, and he became a prominent figure in the ongoing Shroud of Turin controversy. His book on the subject, Judgment Day for the Shroud of Turin (ISBN 1-57392-679-5), was published in 1999.
Other investigations
McCrone was also involved in other notable historical inquiries. His microanalysis produced evidence that the ink of the Vinland mapVinland map
The Vinland map is claimed to be a 15th century mappa mundi with unique information about Norse exploration of America. It is very well known because of the publicity campaign which accompanied its revelation to the public as a "genuine" pre-Columbian map in 1965...
contained a substance (synthetic anatase
Anatase
Anatase is one of the three mineral forms of titanium dioxide, the other two being brookite and rutile. It is always found as small, isolated and sharply developed crystals, and like rutile, a more commonly occurring modification of titanium dioxide, it crystallizes in the tetragonal system; but,...
) not incorporated in ink until the 1920s, from which he concluded that the map was a forgery
Forgery
Forgery is the process of making, adapting, or imitating objects, statistics, or documents with the intent to deceive. Copies, studio replicas, and reproductions are not considered forgeries, though they may later become forgeries through knowing and willful misrepresentations. Forging money or...
. As was the case with the Shroud of Turin, other scientists were involved in studying this object, and some of them reached conclusions that differed from McCrone's. But only McCrone worked microscopically with the tiny physical particles that had been removed from the Shroud with tape in his new laboratory.
On occasion, McCrone was given hair samples of famous people to analyze. Based on such analysis, he rejected the hypothesis that Napoleon had been poisoned with arsenic
Arsenic
Arsenic is a chemical element with the symbol As, atomic number 33 and relative atomic mass 74.92. Arsenic occurs in many minerals, usually in conjunction with sulfur and metals, and also as a pure elemental crystal. It was first documented by Albertus Magnus in 1250.Arsenic is a metalloid...
, but he concluded that Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential composers of all time.Born in Bonn, then the capital of the Electorate of Cologne and part of...
had suffered from lead poisoning
Lead poisoning
Lead poisoning is a medical condition caused by increased levels of the heavy metal lead in the body. Lead interferes with a variety of body processes and is toxic to many organs and tissues including the heart, bones, intestines, kidneys, and reproductive and nervous systems...
.
McCrone microscopically examined the physical forensic evidence: hairs, fibers, blood, etc. that led to the conviction of Wayne Bertram Williams as the Atlanta child killer.