Good quality storage materials are important. Mr. Albright stressed the need to always use high quality archival quality storage materials. Paper must be acid free and must pass the photographic activity test (PAT). Plastics such as polyester, polypropylene and polyethylene are good. Acetates or PVC materials are not good for photograph storage. He outlined the problems caused by different types of adhesives, and even archival adhesives should be avoided whenever possible.
Exhibition is one of the greatest dangers for photographs. Framed photgraphs become stuck to glass if not properly mounted, adhesives often come into play, and light and handling cause more rapid deterioration. Exposure to dampness or high heat will severely curtail the useful exhibition life of photographs. Mr. Albright recommended making high quality copies for exhibition purposes and carefully storing the originals.
Mr. Albright outlined the issues surrounding digitized prints, and the need to keep hardware and software current so as not to lose photographs. His advice was that only photographs used regularly should be kept in digital form because you will be forced to update hardware and software to maintain accessibility.
Mr. Albright provided helpful aids to all attendees. Useful resources for additional information include:
Handouts included a bibliography of photograph preservation works; Preservation of Scrapbooks and Albums issued by the National Cooperative Information Project; A Consumer Guide to the Recovery of Water-Damaged Traditional and Digital Prints and A Consumer Guide to Traditional and Digital Print Stabilty issued by the Image Permanence Institute; and three publications issued by the Northeast Document Conservation Center: A Short Guide to Film Base Photographic Materials: Identification, Care, and Duplication; Care of Photographs; and Creating Long-Lasting Inkjet Prints.
In his breakout session, Mr. Albright showed examples and reviewed the different albums and ways that photographs have been displayed over the past century and a half. By recognzing the type of album and the materials used in the album, the age of the photographs contained therein can often be narrowed down to within a decade. The purpose of albums has changed over the years from the earliest days when individuals seldom prepared their own albums, but bought albums already made to document an event or occasion. Mr. Albright bemoaned the lack of research into the history of albums and encouraged anyone interested in albums to pursue the topic.
Gary Albright is a conservator of paper and photographs in private practice. He graduated from the Winterthur Museum/University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation in 1978. From 1980 to 1999 he was senior paper and photograph conservator at the Northeast Document Conservation Center, Andover, Massachusetts. In 1999 Mr. Albright became conservator at the George Eastman House in Rochester, New York where he taught treatment of photographs to the fellows in the Advanced Residency Program for Photograph Conservators.
Since starting his own practice in 2003, Mr. Albright has been a visiting professor for the Art Conservation Departments at the State University of Buffalo and the Unviersity of Delaware. During his career he has treated a diverse array of objects, incluing the Emancipation Proclamation, a Honus Wagner baseball card, Ansel Adams' photographs, and working drafts of the Constitution of the United States. Mr. Albright lives and works in Honeoye Falls, New York.
Paper Conservator, Intermuseum Conservation Association
Emily Helwig, Paper Conservator for the Intermuseum Conservation Association, discussed “Photograph Cleaning.” Helwig joked that her goal was to “scare” participants by impressing upon them the complexity of issues surrounding treatment of photographs, issues that are not straight-forward even to a trained conservator. The first and most critical step that must be made before any cleaning action is taken is to carefully examine the image and determine exactly what type of photograph it is. Only when one understands the chemical and physical components of a photograph can one make appropriate decisions about cleaning. Ms. Helwig provided an overview of various mechanical and solvent surface cleaning methods but added that one should always ask, “Do the risks of what I am doing outweigh its potential benefits?” Whenever in doubt about how—if at all—to clean a photograph, consult a professional.
Ms. Helwig holds a B.S. in Chemistry from Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia, and a Master of Art Conservation specializing in Paper Conservation from Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada. She has held a number of interesting internships and positions in the conservation field, including Conservation Intern for Kathryn Myatt Carey and Associates, Temporary Phased Conservator for the Library of Congress, Paper Conservation Intern for the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Paper Conservation Intern for the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, and Getty Sponsored Advanced Paper Conservation Intern for the Intermuseum Conservation Association.
Charles Eiben
Associate Preparator, Intermuseum Conservation Association
Associate Preparator, Intermuseum Conservation Association
Charles Eiben, Associate Preparator at the Intermuseum Conservation Association, explained, “Preservation Framing of Photographs.” Prior to joining the ICA, Mr. Eiben was Preparator of Prints and Drawings at the Cleveland Museum of Art and the sole preservationist for their 30,000 piece collection. Mr. Eiben began by describing some of the negative consequences of older framing methods, including the acidic transfer that we call “acid burn” or “mat burn.” Using cut-away models, he explained his process of matting and framing, using only the highest-quality and most chemically stable products currently available. These products include glazing (both glass and acrylic), 100% cotton rag mat board, Marvelseal® 360 barrier, and virgin fluted polypropylene used as backing board. Mr. Eiben concluded that a properly framed and sealed print can minimize the risks associated with exhibiting original photographs.
In his role at ICA, Mr. Eiben gives attention to paper, paintings, and three-dimensional objects, and assists in overseeing the transport, installation, and safe storage of artworks. Prior to joining the staff at ICA, Mr. Eiben was Preparator of Prints and Drawings for the Cleveland Museum of Art. Mr. Eiben holds a B.F.A. from the Cleveland Institute of Art, where he studied printmaking, painting, and sculpture and has continued his education and training through various symposia on paper conservation and picture framing from institutions such as New York University and the British Museum of Art.
Elizabeth Bardossy
Senior Preservation Technician - Cleveland Public Library Preservation Office
Senior Preservation Technician - Cleveland Public Library Preservation Office
Ms. Bardossy demonstrated how easily, and inexpensively, a humidification chamber can be created using an under bed storage box, blotter, egg crate and a sheet of 100% polyester, non-woven Hollytex. She explained how to prepare the chamber for use, and noted that regular tap water works well for many types of materials, but that when working with photographs it is better to use distilled or deionized water to protect fragile photographs from damage by impurities in tap water. Ms. Bardossy then demonstrated how to place material in the chamber and explained how frequently to check the item. The chamber and the materials can be reused numerous times. The second half of the presentation was devoted to enclosures. Examples of different types of board, paper, polyester and plastic storage materials were shown, with a summary of the advantages and disadvantages of each, depending on the item size and type being stored. An excellent supply source and bibliography for additional information was distributed.
Ms. Bardossy is a specialist in flat paper conservation. She has treated maps, newspapers, architectural plans, posters, journals, photographs, books and manuscripts. In addition to attending introductory workshops on book repair and bookbinding, Ms. Bardossy has attended special classes presented by the Intermuseum Conservation Association and the Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts. She received extensive training in paper preservation from paper conservator Janet English Heller. Ms. Bardossy has given presentations for the Ohio Library Council, Ohio Preservation Council, Society of Ohio Archivists, Lakeland Community College, and the Friends of the Cleveland Public Library.
About the authors - Contributors to this issue were:
Nichole Hayes, Field Services Officer, Intermuseum Conservation Association, Cleveland, Ohio
George W. S. Hays, Consultant and OPC Chair 2004-05
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