[spcollig] Workshop on the Care and Identification of Photographs in central Illinois

[Huot, Andrew]

Care and Identification of Photographs
Milner Library, Illinois State University
Normal, IL
September 12 - 15, 2011
This 4-day workshop is an introduction to the history, identification, and preservation of photographic materials. Participants will acquire hands-on identification skills and learn practical photograph preservation techniques. Using handheld 60x microscopes and a large set of photographic and photomechanical samples, they will learn how a variety of processes were created, why they look the way they do, and how they deteriorate. Knowledge about photographic processes is essential to their preservation and leads to a greater appreciation of the aesthetics and history of photographic prints.
Preservation topics include enclosures, handling guidelines, environmental monitoring, the effects of temperature and relative humidity on collections, and the importance of cold storage for certain photographic materials.
Processes examined in detail include but are not limited to the following: daguerreotype, albumen, collodion and gelatin printing-out processes (POP), matte collodion, gelatin silver, photogravure, offset litho, letterpress halftone, collotype, chromogenic color, inkjet, and dye sublimation. Group ID sessions, using a digital microscope and screen projection, will allow participants to practice their identification skills in a guided setting.

Instructor: Gawain Weaver received B.A. degrees in art history and chemistry (2001) from Sonoma State University, and an M.A. in art history and diploma in conservation (2005) from the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University. Over the course of his academic career, he interned at the City Parks Foundation and the Getty Museum, as well as in the photograph conservation departments of the Amon Carter Museum, Library and Archives Canada, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Northeast Document Conservation Center. He also spent a summer studying with José Orraca, a photograph conservator in private practice.
In 2007, he completed a two-year fellowship in the Advanced Residency Program in Photograph Conservation at the George Eastman House and Image Permanence Institute in Rochester, NY, followed by a year as a researcher at the Image Permanence Institute. In 2008, he returned home to Northern California where he lives today, working as a photograph conservator, teacher, and consultant. In addition to regular workshops, Gawain teaches photograph preservation in the San Jose State University School of Library and Information Science.
Gawain is a Professional Associate of the American Institute for Conservation and abides by the AIC Code of Ethics.
For more information or to register, visit his website at http://gawainweaver.com/workshop/care-id-photos-2011-normal/


Andrew Huot
Conservator
Milner Library, Illinois State University
Campus Box 8900
Normal, Illinois
61790-8900
309-438-3450