‘Larger Than Life’- Edwin Forrest Mammoth Daguerreotype Conservation Challenges
Speaker: Elena Bulat
Abstract: This presentation focuses on the conservation challenges and opportunities presented by a mammoth plate daguerreotype of American stage actor Edwin Forrest from the Theatre Collection at Houghton Library, Harvard University. Although mammoth daguerreotypes are very rare, the Theatre Collection has two of these photographs, both depicting the same person- the famous American actor Edwin Forrest.
The daguerreotypes have no attribution or clear provenance. Both Imperial photographs have similar housing styles, which include a frame and window mat with velvet and metal decorative elements. The size, decorative style, and the image aesthetic suggest that they were made by the same photographer possibly just a few years apart. Who created these two mammoth daguerreotypes of Edwin Forrest? How did they come to Harvard? Why is there no information about such important objects?
Mammoth daguerreotypes pose conservation challenges not just because of their size, but also because they usually do not have a standard housing. Framed daguerreotypes often have the plate pasted directly to a mat or other housing elements with animal or starch based glue. If the adhesion fails, the plate ends up floating loosely inside of the housing package making it vulnerable to damage. This was the case with one of the Edwin Forrest’s daguerreotypes. This daguerreotype also came to the Weissman Preservation Center with severe glass deterioration which dramatically obscured the image. Also the plate sat loosely under a water damaged and moldy window mat. To provide a proper housing for such a large format daguerreotype plate and also keep the historic appearance required some level of engineering and creative thinking. The author will give a report on the techniques used for preserving one of these daguerreotypes and will share some thoughts from the investigation into its attribution.
Gardner’s Photographic Sketch Book of the War: A case study for the manufacture and deterioration of photographic albums
Speaker: Laura Panadero
Abstract: Alexander Gardner published Gardner’s Photographic Sketch Book of the War in 1866, immediately following the end of the American Civil War. The two-volume book contained 100 albumen photographs, each mounted to a lithographically printed mount page, and preceded by a page with letterpress text describing the image. Gardner’s Washington D.C. studio printed the photographs using negatives from eleven photographers. Gardner is thought to have produced approximately 150 copies of the Sketch Book, of which 67 extant copies have been identified.The copy of the Sketch Book at the Harvard Art Museums was frequently in demand for exhibition and study. An in-depth technical study was prompted by concern over the light stability of the photographs, and an interest in several unexplained condition issues. The albumen photographs were dramatically faded in patterns which appeared to be a result of interactions between the photographs and the lithographically printed elements of the book. The photographs themselves seemed to have caused degradation in the paper of facing album leaves. Comparison of HAM’s copy with several other copies in North American collections further defined patterns of deterioration present across copies of the Sketch Book.
Close examination and analysis of the photographs and printed pages provided some insight into the nature of the interactions between the photographic and non-photographic elements of the book. Analysis included XRF of the photographic image material and lithographic inks, FTIR of coatings and adhesives, and fiber analysis of text and photographic mount papers. The light stability of the photographs was also directly measured with microfade testing, followed by spectrophotometry before and after exhibition. The results of this analysis will be presented along with possible explanations for some of the unusual patterns of deterioration observed in the Sketch Book. Albumen photographs were extremely common in photographic albums and books of the 19th century. Much scholarship has been devoted to the manufacture and aging of albumen photographs, and some to the binding structures and mounting methods used in photographic albums. However, the material interactions between albumen prints and other components of photographically illustrated books and albums are less well documented. This research on the Sketch Book is a step towards a better understanding of the photographic book as a whole object. This type of technical research is common to photograph conservation in a museum setting. Research undertaken not in service of eventual treatment, but rather to prevent further deterioration that might result from exhibition and handling. Although less immediate than physical treatment, this technical historical work has a lasting impact on the preservation of photographic heritage.
LOCATION:Lamont Library Forum Room, 3rd Floor STATUS:CONFIRMED DTSTART:20190509T180000Z DTEND:20190509T193000Z END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR