AIC-PMG Winter Meeting 2025

Light Continental Breakfast Available

Fifty years is a long time in the relatively short history of photograph conservation. This presentation begins with the rediscovery of the matte collodion process and the then current belief that most issues seen in photograph prints were caused by poor fixing or washing. Since then, much has been experienced; and this will be this conservator’s focus – which immersion techniques have gone well, when have there been issues, and how can potential problems be identified ahead of time. While gelatin photographs make up the majority of examples, other processes will be included other processes will be included as well.

“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.

Photograph collections connect humanity. These holdings are universal and treasured across geographic, religious, and societal divides.

As nations worldwide struggle with escalating natural disasters, armed conflict, economic collapse, illiteracy, and other crises, the need to work together to preserve our world’s photographic heritage is clear and immediate. While we vigilantly document, treat, and care for these collections, photograph conservators must also lead, collaborate, transform, advocate, and fundraise……

Individuals seeking support for new and existing photographic preservation initiatives must be alert to changes in the philanthropic environment. We must pay attention to the aims of funders and develop pioneering proposals that connect to their mission. While foundations are guided by educational goals and vision, individuals give to causes they feel passionate about – or institutions to which they are closely connected. And for our private practitioners, we must pursue for-profit/non-profit partnerships or sponsored opportunities that enable financial access to 501(c)3 entities.

We must find resonance and connect our work to global societal concerns. We should connect with established regional partners and not operate in isolation

In doing so, each of us must build our skills and refine our vision. AIC-PMG members offer experience in national and global outreach and collaborative initiatives.

Our message must be unified and consistent. And our work, collaborative.

We must highlight our stories, preservation challenges and solutions, celebrate success and keep donors engaged. As we work to preserve photographic collections we must emphasize the central role of arts and culture in inspiring change and promoting unity.

This presentation will center on the lessons learned in fundraising for the preservation of photographic materials and the education and training of emerging conservators and collection care professionals globally.

In doing so, the author will provide practical guidelines learned following decades of rewarding work in institutional advancement / development – relevant for both institutions and sole proprietors and connected to outcomes from Held in Trust.

The following topics will be addressed:

Documenting Need, Relevance. and Addressing WHY?

Connecting to Funders Goals and Opportunities

Funding Sources and Strategies

• Government grants (local and national)
• Global or local foundations
• Corporations
• Professional organizations
• Established programs for collections preservation
• Online platforms
• Advanced research fellowships & partnerships
• Special events
• Individual donors
• Project Specifics and Proposal Guidelines & Tips

Lessons Learned in Aggregate

• Identify a spectrum of funding needs. Pursue many.
• Build a culture of philanthropy.
• Tell stories.
• Seek spendable and endowment funding. And matching support too.
• Inform and involve decision makers regularly. Share success.
• Involve the public. Engage communities broadly. Seek volunteers.
• Be a part of the solution.
• Collaborate globally. Connect to societal needs.
• Share your passion; it is contagious.
• Take risks. Do not be shy.
• Ask for support with enthusiasm and conviction.
• Lead.
• Prepare clear/transparent budgets.
• Pursue multi-phased preservation initiatives with pilot projects based on collection assessment and need.
• Celebrate accomplishments and clearly articulate next steps.

Lunch will be a light buffet served at the venue

PMG officers will lead a business meeting for members.

The M+ Museum is striving to establish new guidelines to direct the decision-making process for the conservation of photographs during acquisitions and throughout the conservation of legacy works, with a particular emphasis on reproduction awareness.

The goal is to fully comprehend each photograph as a unique work of art while taking into account the opinions of various museum stakeholders. It also aims to provide advice and negotiate on the best long-term collection care strategies for the museum and whether reproduction could aid in preservation.

This presentation will draw attention to certain crucial areas: The first step is to establish descriptive terminology for different types of reproductions that acknowledge stakeholders, nomenclature, and budgets. Second, diligent work on setting up a procedure for evaluating the collection's values and allocating stakeholders to those attributions, including the combination of the museum's artist questionnaire with the photographic information record. Thirdly, incorporating this work into the museum's overall guidelines, procedures, policies, and standards.

In order to comprehend the collection and recommend the best conservation measures, the work is being developed in cooperation with the registration, curatorial, and collections database teams under the (color) photographic committee. This presentation will provide an overview of the work done over the past two years, our starting point, preliminary case studies, and ongoing work.

The Wayside, a historic home in Concord, Massachusetts, is renowned for being the residence of several prominent 19th-century authors, including Louisa May Alcott, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Margaret Sidney (Harriet Lothrop). In 1965, the house became part of Minute Man National Historical Park, marking the first literary site acquired by the National Park Service.

This presentation will focus on the ongoing efforts to preserve and conserve the collection of photographs permanently displayed in the house.

The walls of The Wayside are adorned with artwork, documents, and family photographs, many of which have been on display since their original placement by the owners. In 2023, a project was launched to address the conservation of framed paper artifacts on display. A team of paper and photograph conservator, along with object conservators, working through CCI Industrial Services, LLC, was contracted by the National Park Service for this task. The conservation work took place at the Historic Architecture, Conservation, and Engineering Center in Lowell, MA.

This presentation will delve into the decision-making processes behind the conservation efforts, considering the unique qualities of the artwork, its contextual significance, and the specific requirements of preserving it within a historic house setting. The collaborative efforts between conservators, curators, and National Park Service Project Inspectors will be a key focus.

The aim of the talk is to introduce the collection and highlight the factors specific to The Wayside that influenced the conservation approach. The presentation will be accompanied by images of the house and examples of the treatments undertaken.

Break

In May 1839, Mungo Ponton, a Scotsman, reported on the light sensitivity of dichromate salts and described a photographic method based on dichromate salts, stating that the process offered a cheap substitution for silver. There are very few examples of his process that exist. There was almost no discussion of Ponton’s process, until Alphonse Poitevan and others began using dichromates in carbon printing and photomechanical printing. Indeed some histories erroneously cite Ponton as the an inventor of photomechanical printing. This paper is a discussion of Ponton’s process with an example of his process from 1840 and a discussion of why examples are rare. It includes analysis of photogenic drawings made using Ponton’s method, as well as a consideration of what might appear as fading is actually a transition to stability.

This study explores the impact of two major technological innovations from the late 1830s - electrotyping and photography - on the development of reproduction processes. Electrotyping, invented by German physicist Moritz Hermann von Jacobi in 1838 (1), revolutionized the production and reproduction of printing plates. One year later, in 1839, Louis Jacques Daguerre's pioneering photographic process, based on the photosensitivity of halides on silver-coated copper plates, marked the birth of photography (2). This research is significant as it explores how the relatively not so well known combination of electrotyping and photography contributed to the development of photomechanical and photochemical reproduction processes. Vienna, in particular, holds a special place in this narrative due to the pioneering efforts of Joseph Berres and other local photography enthusiasts in the early 1840s. Their work was instrumental in advancing these techniques, which enabled the production of prints from daguerreotypes. Despite its limited application at the time, this innovative approach marked a critical moment in the evolution of photographic reproduction.

This study is part of the Heritage Science project PHELETYPIA (3), which focuses on the surface morphology and elemental composition of historical daguerreotypes. Analytical techniques, including scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDX) and micro-X-ray fluorescence (µXRF) scanning, were employed to study the ageing and corrosion features of daguerreotypes. These techniques also provided insights into how nanoparticles store image information. Moreover, the research included the production of new daguerreotypes under controlled conditions, allowing for a comparison of historical and contemporary samples. This comparative analysis aims to better interpret the aging and light-damaged characteristics of historical daguerreotypes.

Moreover, we conducted chemical and electrochemical etching experiments on the daguerreotypes we produced according to historical procedures. Two electrochemical techniques were used: the potentiostatic three-electrode method and the galvanostatic two-electrode method. These techniques allowed precise etching of daguerreotype plates, which we subsequently used for printing. The durability and mechanical properties of the etched plates, as well as the quality of the prints they produced, were thoroughly investigated.

The results demonstrate that the combination of electrotyping and photography laid the foundation for modern reproduction techniques, and that comparative studies of historical and contemporary daguerreotypes can provide valuable insights into early photographic processes. The research has contemporary relevance, offering valuable information for conservators and historians working with early photographic objects. This study should make it easier and more accurate to identify prints made from etched daguerreotypes or their electroformed copies.

Additionally, this study contributes to the ongoing development of conservation practices, helping to refine methods for identifying and preserving early photographic objects. By contextualising the historical importance of these innovations and providing new analytical data, this research enhances our knowledge of early photographic processes and their specifics. The collaboration between the Academy of Fine Arts in Bratislava, Slovakia and TU Wien, Austria further underscores the significance of this research, as it highlights the interdisciplinary effort to revive these historical processes, bridging expertise and resources across institutions.



References:

1. Jacobi MH von. Die Galvanoplastik : oder das Verfahren cohärentes Kupfer in Platten oder nach sonst gegebenen Formen, unmittelbar aus Kupferauflösungen, auf galvanischem Wege zu produciren ; nach dem auf Befehl des Gouvernements in russischer Sprache bekannt gemachten Originale. Petersburg [u.a.]: Eggers [u.a.]; 1840.

2. Daguerre LJM. Historique et Description des Procedes du Daguerreotype et du Diormama. Frères S, editor. Paris: Delloye Libraire; 1839. 79 p.

3. Ljubic Tobisch V, Artaker A, Kautek W. PHELETYPIA. Project PHELETYPIA “The impact of early photography and electrotyping media on the creation of images and contemporary art" (Heritage 2020-060 PHELETYPIA) by the Heritage Science Austria grant program of the Austrian Academy of Sciences. 2023.

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