AIC-PMG Winter Meeting 2025

“All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence that you know.' So finally I would write one true sentence, and then go on from there."

Ernest Hemingway, A Moveable Feast

In April and September 2024, the "Taller de Conservación y Preservación de Fotografía" at Finca Vigía, Cuba, marked the latest in a series of trainings, following previous efforts by Monque Fisher and Walter Newman of the Northeast Document Conservation Center (NEDCC).

Finca Vigía, Ernest Hemingway's residence in Cuba, attracts over 100,000 visitors annually, making it one of the most popular cultural sites in the country. The estate serves as an important diplomatic bridge between the United States and Cuba, fostering collaboration in preservation efforts and cultural exchange. Through initiatives led by the Finca Vigía Foundation, a Boston based organization dedicated to preserving Hemingway's legacy, the site has become a symbol of shared heritage and a platform for building mutual understanding between the two nations. Under the guidance of NEDCC, the Foundation has built a state-of-the-art conservation lab that is however faced with significant challenges, including the country’s frequent electricity and water limitations. The lab commonly has at least one conservator on staff.

Sponsored by the US Embassy in Havana and made possible by the Finca Vigía Foundation, spearheaded by Executive Director Mary-Jo Adams, this two-session workshop focused on hands-on, practical conservation techniques, conducted in the participants’ native Spanish to maximize engagement and effectiveness. All workshop materials, including a specially developed conservation kit, had to be hand-carried after obtaining export permission from the Department of Commerce and other US government agencies as well as cleared through stringent Cuban customs checks, underscoring the logistical hurdles. There is a severe limitation of access to conservation supplies in the country. The level of knowledge in photograph conservation of participants could not be anticipated although it was understood that they would be mostly trained conservators. These hands-on sessions covered essential topics such as the evolution of photographic processes, emergency preparedness, and interventive treatments, requiring participants to engage directly with the tools and techniques provided.

The workshops are part of the ongoing efforts of the Finca Vigía Foundation to preserve Ernest Hemingway’s legacy.

This presentation will focus on the pedagogical strategies and materials developed for these workshops, emphasizing the innovative solutions required to overcome the unique challenges of training in Cuba.