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COMMUNITY
ON THE ]OB
Mallory Taylor
POSITION: Curatorial collections processor, on staff since 2013
ASSIGNMENT: Reinforce knowledge of collections management and photographic-process identification
The Collection’s photographic holdings comprise tens of thousands of photographic objects, prints, and negatives, and as cura-torial-collections processor, I am responsible for cataloging and preserving them. Some of my main duties include identifying the photographic process behind each image in order to create an accurate catalog record, as well as providing notes about the proper care and housing of the object. I have a background in photographic preservation and collections management, as well as extensive related experience, but, like any good specialist, I aim to regularly reinforce and expand these skills.
In December, I attended a four-dav workshop here at The Collection, led by private conservator Gawain Weaver, on identifying and comprehending the science behind different photographic processes throughout history. Weaver began the workshop by passing around various photographic prints from his collection, and then we viewed several examples from THNOC’s recently departed exhibition Daguerreotype to Digital: A Presentation of Photographic Processes. We compared and contrasted their visual elements: a Jay Dearborn Edwards salted-paper print had a dull surface, with dark purple hues and an overall slight fading of the image, while a gelatin-silver print, by Peter Sekaer, showed a glossy surface with dark blacks in the shadows and no visible image fading.
Weaver explained that each process yields unique traits that can be seen under magnification. Attributes such as image surface (whether glossy or matte), visible paper
fibers, and image color are several clues that can help to identify a specific process. To better understand this notion, each participant was given a handheld microscope (60x-100x) to view an assortment of prints. Once magnified, the photographs clearly displayed their processes of origin.
For example, a salted-paper print exhibits a matte surface with visible paper fibers, fading of the image, and purplish-brown hues, whereas a gelatin-silver print shows a reflective/glossy surface and neutral black color, with occasional silver mirroring (a common deterioration problem caused by various environmental conditions) and no visible paper fibers. In addition to identifying the processes, we discussed best practices for enclosures, handling procedures, and environmental conditions such as temperature and humidity.
In late March I attended a similar, two-day workshop, also here at THNOC,
hosted by the Philadelphia-based Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts (CCAHA). In a lecture on photographic preservation, private conservator Gary E. Albright discussed the challenges museums face when environmentally unstable objects enter a collection. He gave an example of a museum that acquired a collection of film-still prints, each of which had the film credits attached to the back using non-archival adhesive.
The museum staff could not remove the adhesive without damaging the print or leaving behind residue, so the solution was to place the prints back-to-back and face-to-face, which prevented the non-archival adhesive from coming into contact with the surface of the images. Albright also stressed the importance of organizing and cataloging a collection as soon as possible, thereby reducing handling and increasing the life of the object.
I thoroughly enjoyed each workshop, and both proved to be excellent refresher courses. Hearing from leading professionals in the field about new concepts and developments concerning photographic collections, as well as exchanging ideas and discussing challenges with other workshop participants from various institutions, inspired me. I’ve begun working on a proposal to rehouse our collection of cased photographic objects, based on some of the best practices covered in the workshops, in the hope of preserving these important images and providing better accessibility for our staff and patrons. — MALLORY TAYLOR
Conservator Gawain Weaver leads a workshop at THNOC on photographic-process identification.
Summer 2014	13