Photo Conservation Examples
Photograph conservators specialize in the preservation, stabilization, and restoration of photographic materials, from historic prints and negatives to modern digital prints. They can assess condition, recommend proper storage and handling, perform conservation treatments to repair damage, and help ensure the long-term survival of photographs.
Here are some examples of Katharine’s conservation treatments.
Abraham Lincoln Glass Plate Interpositive
This Abraham Lincoln interpositive, made in 1901 by George Ayres from an original negative by Alexander Hesler, arrived at the George Eastman Museum in 26 shattered pieces with several missing areas. Due to the non-flat nature of historic glass, traditional flat-surface reconstruction methods were inappropriate, leading Katharine and her colleagues to pioneer a vertical assembly technique. After much careful planning, the fragments were successfully reassembled, preserving a rare and powerful image of Lincoln that he once praised as the most accurate likeness of himself.
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Ansel Adams Gelatin Silver Print
This original Ansel Adams photograph was damaged when water was dripped on the surface and someone wiped it away, removing the image layer. The treatment involved building up the lost image material and inpainting the fills to reintegrate the areas.
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Ansel Adams Gelatin Silver Print (detail)
This detail shows the areas where Katharine built up the lost image material and inpainted to match the surrounding image.
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Ambrotype
This passepartout housed ambrotype required treatment for heavy surface soil, backing material loss, and housing repair. The ambrotype and cover glass were cleaned, and the backing material was consolidated. Additional backing material was added, and the plate was rehoused in the original passepartout frame, which was repaired and in-painted.
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Glass Plate Negative repair
This 4 x 5-inch gelatin silver glass plate negative was shattered into many pieces. The plate was cleaned and repaired and the losses to the image were in-painted.
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Gelatin Silver Photo Strip
This photo strip was a precious object of the owner’s that had seen a lot of wear. There were creases, folds, cracked emulsion, image loss and surface soil (dirt). The treatment involved surface cleaning, flattening of the creases, consolidation of lifting emulsion and inpainting of image losses.
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Daguerreotype portrait
This one-of-a-kind Daguerreotype required treatment to remove a white haze that disfigured the image surface, and rehousing. The image plate was removed from its case and washed to remove the haze. After drying, the plate was resealed, and rehoused in its original case.
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Ambrotype portrait
This ambrotype was broken into two pieces and had suffered image loss along the broken edge. The treatment involved surface cleaning, repair of the broken glass support, and in-painting of the lost image areas. The stabilized image was then rehoused in its original brass mat and sealed with toned paper tape.
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Ambrotype portrait
This ambrotype was brought to the lab with severe surface soil and glass deterioration of the cover glass. The plate package was opened, and the image plate and cover glass cleaned. The plate was then rehoused in its original case.
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Ambrotype portrait
This ambrotype was dirty and had a broken cover glass. The image plate and brass mat were cleaned, and it was decided to replace the broken cover glass with more stable, modern glass. There was no original case, so a modern, archival case was constructed for the piece.
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