AIC-PMG Winter Meeting 2025

Light Continental Breakfast Available

Virginia Oldoini (1837-1899), later known as Countess de Castiglione, was born into an aristocratic Florentine family, and quickly became recognized for her beauty and intelligence. After successes in the local court, she was sent to France to aid in a political scheme to unify Italy under the auspices of Napoleon III. Instructed to “succeed by whatever means you wish - but succeed,” the Countess recognized photography as a means to establish a glamorous and mysterious persona. She frequently visited Pierre-Louis Pierson (1822-1913) of the Mayer & Pierson studio, the leading society photographers of Paris, and together they produced over 400 portraits. The Countess took an active role both in staging the photos and altering negatives with the photographer and painter to assert an imaginary reality. Successful images were elaborately colored by hand, to the extent that they could be mistaken for paintings.

An example in The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art collection (Kansas City, MO) was studied in depth during preparation for the exhibition, Still Performing: Costume, Gesture, and Expression in 19th Century European Photography. Pierre Apraxine and Xavier Demange’s extensive research of the Countess’s life and photographs, published in La Divine Comtesse: Photographs of the Countess de Castiglione (2000), served as a ‘field guide’ in our exploration.

Apraxine describes the multi-step editing procedure employed by Aquilin Schad (ca. 1815-1866), one of Mayer & Pierson’s many painters. The process began with the Countess drawing or writing instructions on a proof print to convey her vision. The painter executed these changes on an enlarged print produced with a solar enlargement device. The edited print was then re-photographed, printed, and finally hand-colored to be presented as the finished work. While many hand-colorists worked for the studio, the examples signed by Schad feature brushwork and a high level of execution similar to that seen on the Nelson-Atkins example, prompting the question: Was this photograph produced by Schad using his elaborate process?

We were able to find a high-quality digital image of an unpainted print from the unaltered, first-stage negative, and comparison of the two images revealed dramatic compositional changes. Detection of silver by XRF analysis in the area of the print beyond the frame of the original negative would suggest the addition was made in the inter-positive stage, then photographically printed for the final version. At the time of this writing, a conclusive result of XRF analysis is pending. Observation under magnification showed the use of stippling, or layering of very fine brush strokes to blend colors, a technique seen in examples signed by Schad. Without studying other signed works, it is not possible to definitively attribute this work to Schad; however, the clues identified during this study are consistent with accounts of his practice and imply the need for future research to reach a definitive attribution.

This paper focuses on developing a display solution for the mixed-media photo artwork Revolution, Body, Time (1978) by Ernesto de Sousa. Due to the artwork’s intricate composition and fragile condition, it was essential to find a safe display method that would also honour the artist’s original intent of presenting the piece without a frame and completely flat.

A comprehensive literature review and a series of mounting tests were conducted to achieve this. Based on the findings, a magnet-based mounting system emerged as the most viable solution. Neodymium magnets and magnetic adhesive tapes were selected for this approach, although the latter is rarely cited in the literature.

Mock-up tests were performed, which involved applying the magnets and subjecting them to various ageing tests. The materials were then characterized using colourimetry, digital optical microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (μED-XRF), and attenuated total reflectance Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR).

The results led to the development of a safe display method for the upcoming 2024 exhibition, successfully preserving the artist’s intent. This approach could also potentially be applied to other works by Ernesto de Sousa or similar artworks in need of a comparable solution.

This paper will present an experiment to assess the light-induced fading of duplicate color slides used as exhibition copies. The project was initiated when Blocking Out the Sun was selected for a 33-week-long exhibition at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

Blocking Out the Sun (2004) is a slide-based artwork by artist Edgar Arceneaux (born 1972). A series of 72 35 mm color slides projected on the wall show photographs of Santa Monica beach with various colors and luminosity levels, from blue to orange shades and from dark shadows to almost white overexposed areas where the sun directly hits the film. In most images, the artist’s thumb covers the sun, a reference to a historical technique used by astronomers to measure the clarity of the atmosphere.

The significant sensitivity to light of chromogenic films has been known since the process was commercialized in the 1930s. Henry Wilhelm’s 1994 study demonstrated that light is the primary cause for color slide fading, that the most light-sensitive dye (for all six films he tested) was magenta, and that the highlights faded faster than the lowlight areas. The most stable films he tested were the Fujichrome Films, showing an “objectionable amount of change” after 5 hours and 20 minutes of cumulative exposure when projected in 30-second intervals. Wilhelm’s tests also demonstrated the reciprocity failure of reversal color films: more fading was caused by short intermittent periods than long, continuous projection times.

Using a projector causes progressive and irreversible fading; therefore, each exhibition requires the creation of duplicate sets to preserve the original master set. Since the discontinuity of the last duplicate film stock in 2010, conservators and film experts have focused on developing a suitable technology to duplicate chromogenic films. Using a LVT (Light Valve Technology) film recorder, we can now digitize film masters and print new copies on regular color film to obtain a satisfactory duplicate set for exhibition.

However, the question of how often to replace the copies still needs to be answered. Should the exhibition set be used for the entire exhibition? For multiple venues? Should the set be replaced by a new one after a certain number of weeks or months? Who decides when the film is too faded that it no longer represents the artist’s intent? These decisions depend on many variables.

For this experiment, we created color slide duplicates that were subjected to the projector light in exhibition conditions. Weekly color measurements were collected and compared after 25 weeks to document the evolution of fading and staining. The goal was to initiate a discussion with curatorial colleagues and the artist about the progressive fading of the slides and attempt to determine a “too faded” exposure threshold, after which the duplicate slides should be replaced, taking into account this particular artwork's conceptual and aesthetic aspects.

"From the earliest era of photography, there was a desire to record and receive photographic images instantly. Edwin Land fulfilled this with his significant invention – Polaroid photography.

Edwin Land did extensive experimentation to come up with a successful instant photograph. In 2006 Baker Library at the Harvard Business School received the business archives of the Polaroid Corporation. A highlight of the archives are the research and development records, complete with experimental prints and documentation.

Weissman Preservation Center (WPC) photograph conservators and Baker Library staff have worked collaboratively on the preservation of this important collection. The experimental prints often have unknown compositions and vulnerabilities and there are important ethical considerations for conservation intervention and instrumental analysis. This presentation will provide an overview of some of the lessons learned over almost 20 years of working with this collection and will highlight exhibition planning for the recently opened exhibition, “From Concept to Product: Meroë Morse and Polaroid’s Culture of Art and Innovation, 1945–1969”, on display at the Baker Library through Spring 2025."

An untitled platinum print from 1904 signed by Clarence Hudson White (1871-1925), an American photographer of the Photo-Secession movement, was the subject of examination and conservation treatment in the art conservation department at SUNY Buffalo State University. The print depicts three young boys, likely White’s sons, playing near a creek. The rough surface texture and warm image tone, supported by analysis with x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, confirm its identification as a mercury toned platinum print. The process of making a platinum print allows for the photographer’s artistic manipulation of the surface and tonality of the final print and was an ideal medium for photographers of the Photo-Secession movement. This movement promoted photography as a fine art form and moved away from the view of photography as an accurate representation of the world. This Clarence White platinum print is attached to two layers of paper, which will be referred to as the secondary and tertiary supports, with eight modern plastic adhesive photo corners. The historic significance of these two paper supports, the pictorialist mount, and the stylistic intent of the photographer were investigated. Small samples were collected of each paper support layer and analyzed with polarized light microscopy. The literature consulted suggests that the Photo Secessionists used handmade papers to adhere to the values of the arts & crafts movement, which favored the work of the individual over impersonal industrial production. However, this examination found that the secondary and tertiary paper supports may be machine-made due to the presence of wood pulp in the paper furnish. Viewing White’s photographs in several collections helped to ascertain his style of pictorialist mount and the papers he chose, and demonstrated how various institutions have mounted his prints for display and storage. The mount papers were determined to be components of the original mount created by Clarence White for this platinum print.

The photograph and its two mount papers were treated as a group to structurally stabilize and unify all three layers for display and safe return to the client. A treatment approach was chosen to address surface dirt, reduce adhesive residue, mend punctures and tears, and fill losses in all layers. The benefits and risks of washing the secondary and tertiary papers were thoroughly considered. However, ultimately the decision was made not to wash the papers because they were still joined in their original orientation, which was determined to outweigh the potential aesthetic benefits of washing. The photograph was remounted onto the repaired mount papers to preserve its authenticity and inherent meaning.

"In 2021, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, in collaboration with the Studio Museum in Harlem, acquired the James Van Der Zee Archive, consisting of roughly 20,000 prints and 30,000 negatives, studio equipment, and ephemera. James Van Der Zee (1886 – 1983) was an African American artist best known for his portraits of Black New Yorkers and documentation of life during the Harlem Renaissance and for decades after. His popular studio was renowned for thoughtful compositions, skillful retouching, hand-coloring, and combination printing, all with the goal of depicting subjects in the best possible light. Negative retouching was a common service offered by photograph studios at the time and involved adding and/or subtracting density from the negative to improve the subject’s appearance. Van Der Zee’s photographs not only exhibit these techniques regularly but are charming in the way in which his sitters were enhanced and creatively embellished.

The cellulose acetate film negatives from the Archive are currently being digitized by Chicago Albumen Works for increased accessibility and research. Less than one-third of the negatives are deteriorated, resulting in a channeled negative that will not produce a satisfactory digital capture. In these cases, the negatives are separated from their plastic supports, according to a well-established procedure laid out in Doug Munson’s 1997 publication, The Pellicular Burlesque, then imaged, and the gelatin pellicle housed for return to The Met along with the digital files.

Because of the extensive graphite retouching and underlying retouching varnish observed on many Van Der Zee negatives, the Department of Photograph Conservation was concerned what impact the solvents and mechanical actions involved in the stripping process might have. A test was carried out on a negative from our study collection to assess these potential effects and get a sense of how the artist’s negatives in the Archive would fare. The exact varnishes that Van Der Zee’s studio used are not known, so historic commercial varnishes from the time were procured, and varnish recipes detailed in historical literature were prepared. Graphite retouching was then applied to these varnish layers, following historic instructions as closely as possible. Each test area was documented both overall and under magnification before and after the stripping treatment. Following these tests, similar documentation was carried out on a selection of Van Der Zee’s negatives, before and after stripping. The results of these two investigative approaches were quite different, leading to an analysis and comparison of the testing methods. This project will contribute novel findings about the relationship between these retouching materials and the stripping treatment, as well as reflect on the benefits and limitations of experimental studies such as this. This research has impact on the long-term preservation of the large archive of one of America’s significant Black photographers, James Van Der Zee, but may also inform future treatment of other negative collections."

"Over the past decades, the quality of cultural heritage preservation in Slovakia have seen significant improvements. We can confirm this process by looking at the increased number of professional employees in museums, galleries and archives, new investments in storage and exhibition areas, not only in the capital, but also in other regions. However, due to the long neglected conditions, there are many examples of strikingly damaged photographic heritage in both the public and private sectors. Despite numerous efforts to improve the condition, it is not possible to make the changes immediately and the long-term absence of photograph conservators in Slovakia has resulted in several deficits in the care of photographic material. Photographs on a paper support, especially gelatine silver prints, form a significant part of those collections and funds. In the case of framed gelatin silver prints, we often face a complex conservation issues, such as the problem of emulsion layer swelling and glass adhesion or other tricky challenges, that lead us to find the most appropriate conservation treatment.

Under the incorrect storage or display conditions, these photographs have tendency to adhere to glass of a frame or other nearby material, resulting in deterioration of their fragile image layer. The main cause of these undesirable changes is the presence of water and increased humidity, but the damage is also caused by their inherent structure. The two primary layers – the paper support and the gelatin emulsion – expand and contract relatively in response to changes in storage conditions. This can lead to swelling of the emulsion layer and increased adhesion to the adjacent surface – such as the glass in the frame. Removing these photographs from the glass causing further damage to the image layer present a major challenge for conservators and requires a degree of creativity needed in the decision-making process. How does the object condition influence the choice of treatment methods? And is it even possible to treat these photographs without causing any image loss?

The purpose of this presentation is to describe the challenges and strategies used in the conservation treatments of two objects adhered to a glass frame – a large format photographic board of photographic portraits from a museum collection and an abstract glossy silver gelatin print, Ecce Homo, from a private collection. We will present and discuss the most effective, thought somewhat risky, methods of removing of photographs stuck to glass – the use of direct humidification and mechanical separation, and when to use them or when not to use them. By sharing our insights and experiences from these case studies, we aim to answer many questions appearing. This issue is related to a PhD research project at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Bratislava focused on the cleaning, stabilisation and conservation of photographs on a paper support."

Tips Session

Show and Tell Lightning Round

Closing Remarks and Thanks