12. the Handling, Presentation, and Conservation Matting of Photographs
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393 The Permanence and Care of Color Photographs Chapter 12 12. The Handling, Presentation, and Conservation Matting of Photographs By Carol Brower Introduction The survival of original photographs requires a solid sentation of Photographic Prints” (see Appendix 12.1). appreciation of their value. This begins with the photo- Although many outside references are cited, this chapter graphic manufacturers, who must produce inherently stable draws chiefly on this author’s experience during the past color and black-and-white materials. It is then the photo- 21 years in providing conservation matting for a colorful grapher’s responsibility to select the most stable materials segment of the photographic art community centered in available and to process them correctly. Thereafter, proper New York City.1 display and storage, and careful handling, will be required throughout a photograph’s existence to prevent otherwise Section One: Attitudes and Practices inevitable damage and deterioration. Regarding the Care of Photographs Making top-quality photographic prints is an exacting process. This chapter is concerned with the intimate physical To a great extent, the value of an object, whether artis- care of such prints: It tells why it is necessary to provide tic or historical, depends on its physical condition. Obvi- individual physical protection for valued photographs and ously, historical photographs are more valuable when in illustrates how conservation matting can make an impor- perfect condition, but it is usually possible to obtain from tant contribution to both their preservation and presenta- them the desired information despite cracked emulsions, tion. The text is divided into four sections which deal with scratches, or fingerprints. With a work of art, however, “Attitudes and Practices,” “Aesthetic Considerations,” deterioration changes its very essence, and defects of con- “Mount Boards,” and “Mat Construction.” dition cannot be overlooked. Although general recommendations can be made for This author’s experiences with fine art photographers, the handling, mounting, display, and storage of artistic and curators, collectors, and dealers have, with some excep- historical works on any type of paper, photographic papers tions, revealed a high level of concern about the physical require special consideration because of their unique physical condition of photographic prints and their proper care. More characteristics. For example, most photographs cannot be than three out of four respondents to this author’s survey flexed without risking damage to the emulsion, and finger- said that print condition is usually very important when prints leave their mark more readily on photographs than they are purchasing photographs; another 20% replied that on most other kinds of paper. Photographic images are it is very important “sometimes.” Only 3 individuals (less very sensitive to contamination by certain kinds of chemi- than 5%) wrote that it is not very important; those 3 were cals; therefore, the materials that will come into contact photographers. Writing in the June 1986 issue of American with photographs, or will be used in their vicinity, must be Photographer, Bonnie Barrett Stretch noted the connec- selected very carefully. tion between rising prices, print “connoisseurship,” and Photographic conservation is a relatively new field, and increased concern regarding photographic preservation in because of the many unanswered questions about the in- the photography art market: “Top dealers are no longer teractions between the various types of photographic ma- satisfied to get a great image; they want a print to be terials and mount boards, papers, adhesives, tapes, polyes- exceptionally well made, in excellent condition.”2 ters, and so forth, few absolute statements can be made as In response to another survey question, a significant to which materials and practices are best. Sufficient infor- majority felt that all people who are involved with histori- mation is available, however, to allow certain recommen- cal and artistic photographs have a responsibility for their dations which, when followed with an ever-vigilant attitude preservation. About 10% said that collectors and museums of care and caution, can contribute much to preserving alone should bear this responsibility. Peter MacGill, Di- This document originated at <www.wilhelm-research.com> on June 6, 2003 under file name: <HW_Book_12_of_20_HiRes_v1.pdf> photographs. rector of the Pace/MacGill Gallery in New York City and a This chapter is addressed to a wide range of people dealer with experience in many areas related to fine art active in fine art, historical, and professional photography photography, said, “Each time a photograph changes hands, fields; this includes the manufacturers and distributors of the responsibility for its preservation is passed along with the many products used by photographers and those who it. All of our photographs receive the best possible care, collect and care for photographs. Unless otherwise noted, and every major photograph we sell is accompanied by a quotes are taken from among the 65 individuals who re- written evaluation of its condition, prepared for us by one sponded in full to this author’s survey, “The Care and Pre- of the foremost experts in paper conservation, Betty Fiske. Important works must be preserved, otherwise we’re not See page 441 for Recommendations doing our jobs.”3 Unfortunately, the eventual importance of a photograph Photographs in this chapter were taken or other artwork is usually not evident when it is made. by Carol Brower, except where noted. Artist Peter Wilsey commented, “In Leonardo’s case, he The Handling, Presentation, and Conservation Matting of Photographs Chapter 12 394 July 1987 People of all ages, walks of life, and nationalities visit The Edward Steichen Photography Center at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. The exhibition above, William Rau and the Railroad, was on view from July 2 to September 29, 1987. As was the case with this exhibit, most photographs displayed in museums are conservation matted and framed under glass or Plexiglas acrylic sheet. probably didn’t know that people would still be amazed by phers have become aware that among available color print The Last Supper 500 years after his death. [Also,] materials some products are much longer lasting than oth- sometimes things which were created casually become im- ers and that there are significant differences in light fading portant later on.” and dark fading stability. For example, it is well documented that color photographs printed on Kodak Ektacolor 74 RC Growing Concern About the Conservation Paper can fade perceptibly if displayed under common con- of Photographs ditions in as little as 3 or 4 years; worse, they suffer signifi- cant cyan dye loss and start to shift toward red in less than Photographers alive today benefit from the fact that 10 years even when stored in the dark at room tempera- many people, including photographic manufacturers, are tures. (Ektacolor 74 RC Paper was replaced in 1985 with This document originated at <www.wilhelm-research.com> on June 6, 2003 under file name: <HW_Book_12_of_20_HiRes_v1.pdf> showing increased concern for the stability and preserva- Ektacolor Professional Paper, a product that has signifi- tion of photographs. Museums have become aware of the cantly better stability in dark storage, but only marginally special procedures necessary to preserve color photographs improved light fading stability — see Chapters 3 and 5.) and some farsighted institutions, including the John F. Ken- It has also been noted that Polaroid Spectra instant nedy Library, the Jimmy Carter Library, the Art Institute prints (called Image prints in Europe), SX-70 prints, Pola- of Chicago, the Historic New Orleans Collection, the Mu- color 2, and Polacolor ER prints have comparatively poor seum of Modern Art in New York City, and the National image stability when exposed to light on display. Gallery of Canada, have installed cold storage facilities to In recent years many articles in the photographic press assure the long-term survival of the ever-increasing num- have helped publicize the previously little-known fact that bers of color photographs in their collections. Cibachrome (renamed Ilfochrome in 1991) and Kodak Dye For the first time in history, significant information is Transfer prints are essentially permanent in room-tem- now available regarding the long-term stability character- perature dark storage, and that it is not true, as some istics of most photographic materials, and many photogra- people think, that “all color photographs fade.” UltraStable 395 The Permanence and Care of Color Photographs Chapter 12 Permanent Color Prints and Polaroid Permanent-Color and to store, conserve, and present his or her Prints, both of which employ extremely stable pigments prints in the most protective manner possible. instead of the organic dyes used in most other color pro- If the artist takes these concerns seriously, prob- cesses, may be displayed for hundreds of years under typi- ably his dealer and possibly his collectors will. cal conditions without noticeable fading. It has been my experience that many collec- When individuals were asked in the survey, “In general, tors are more concerned with edition size than do you feel that a photographer should be informed in ad- with the permanence of the image while more vance about the stability aspects of the materials he or she recently more (or at least a few)