Conservation and Restoration of Photography

General characterization

Prerequisites

Attendance (with approval) of the UC "Diagnosis and Conservation of Photography and Other Records".

Bibliography

• Lavédrine, B., La Conservation des Photographies, Presses du CNRS, Paris, 1990.
• Norris, D. H., Gutierrez, J. J., Issues in the Conservation of Photographs, Getty Publications, 2010.
• Pavão, L., Conservação de Colecções de Fotografia, Dinalivro, Lisboa, 1997..
• Pénichon, S., Twentieth-Century Colour Photographs: The Complete Guide to Processes, Identification and Preservation, Thames and Hudson, London, 2013.
• Lavédrine, B., Fournier, A., Martin, G. (eds). POPART: Preservation of Plastic Artefacts in Museum Collections. Paris: Comité Des Travaux Historiques Et Scientifiques (CTHS), 2012.
• Down, J., Adhesive Compendium for Conservation. Canada: Canadian Conservation Institute, 2015.
• Shashoua, Y., Inhibiting the inevitable; current approaches to slowing the deterioration of plastics. In Macromolecular symposia, 238 (1) 2006, 67-77.
• Thomson, G., The Museum Environment, Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford, 1986.

Teaching method

The program of this curricular unit is developed in the laboratory through the realization of conservation and restoration interventions in photographs. At the beginning of the semester the practical classes will have a theoretical-practical introduction about the intervention methods and materials available to the conservator of photographs, already taking a critical approach on the benefits and disadvantages of the various materials.

The evaluation includes the test (25%) + diagnostic report and intervention proposal (25%) + intervention report and presentation and discussion of the intervention (50%). The final classification results from the weighted average of these evaluation elements.

Evaluation method

The programme of this curricular unit is developed in the laboratory through the realisation of conservation and restoration interventions in photography. At the beginning of the semester, the practical classes will have a theoretical-practical introduction on the intervention methods and materials available to the photography conservator, already making a critical approach on the benefits and disadvantages of the various materials.

This UC has frequency, that is, a set of conditions to be met by the student to have access to the exam; The student will have access to the Appeal Exam as long as he does not miss more than 1/3 of the practical classes (condition for obtaining the frequency).

This UC has 2 components of continuous assessment: a test of Theoretical-Practical Assessment (TP), and four of Practical Assessment (P).To pass the UC it is necessary to have a minimum of 9.5 values in both components (Theoretical-Practical and Practical).

The assessment includes:

TP

Test: 25%

P

-2 Preparatory work for the development of conservation and restoration practice (monograph on cleaning and on (10%))

-Diagnosis Report & Intervention Proposal + Intervention Report: 25%,

-Final Presentation and Discussion: 20%,

-Participation and "Hands on": 20%.

 

Evaluation criteria for written work:

-Correct nomenclature

-Solid historical context

-Identification of pathologies (all identified and explained, mastery of terminology)

-Scale of criteria for assessing C&R status

-Justification and discussion of proposals (with critical reflection)

-Clarity of writing

-Articulation of content between the various parts of the report

-Quality of images and mappings

-Critical thinking

- Use of appropriate bibliographic sources and clarity in identifying them.

 

Assessment Criteria Oral Presentations

Presentation - 50%

Content, organisation, clarity of presentation of content, justification of proposals

Articulation of content between the various parts of the presentation

Adequacy of the topics presented

Use of appropriate bibliographic sources and clarity in identifying them

Use of appropriate and correct terminology

Time management

Discussion - 50%

Initiative in response

Quality of response

Use of appropriate and correct terminology

Clarity and justification of discussion (logical and organised flow of ideas)

Demonstration of assimilation and correlation of content

 

Evaluation of Participation and "Hands On" ability includes:

- Attendance and punctuality;

- Conservation and restoration laboratory notebook;

- Preparation and organisation of the table / workspace;

- Tidying up the workspace at the end of the day;

- Careful handling of objects;

- Fine motor skills in carrying out C&R procedures;

- Promotion of self-criticism and group evaluation in relation to the proposals and interventions carried out.

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Final Grade= (TP*0.25)+(P*0.75)

T= test grade or appeal exam grade.

P= includes 2 Preparatory Work for the development of conservation and restoration practice (10%) + Diagnostic Report & Intervention Proposal + Intervention Report: 25%, Final Presentation and Discussion: 20%, Participation and "Hands on": 20%.

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We remind you that, according to the FCT NOVA Evaluation Regulation:

Article 9 "Plagiarism and Fraud": 3. When fraud or plagiarism is proven to exist in any of the assessment elements of a UC, the students directly involved are preliminarily failed in the UC, without prejudice to possible disciplinary or civil proceedings, and the occurrence is reported to the FCT Director by the UC Manager.

Subject matter

• From analogue photography to digital photography. The historical evolution of photographic materials, their degradation and conservation.
• Introduction to the conservation and restoration of photographic materials.
• The relevance of documentation in the condition assessment, treatment proposal and intervention report.
• Elaboration of comprehensive condition assessment files, able to include distinct types of photographs.
• Introduction to archivists practical and museological methodologies used for the organization, accessibility, and management of photography collections.
• Cleaning: principles of cleaning, mechanical cleaning (dry), wet cleaning (direct and indirect), dirt, solvents, surfactants, detergents, pH.
• Adherence and consolidation: principles of adhesion and consolidation, reversibility and retractability, effectiveness and safety, different types of adhesives and consolidators.
• Physical stabilization: local stabilization with natural or synthetic paper and adhesive reinforcements, full stabilization (lining), sealing methods for stabilization.
• Restoration: filing of gaps, chromatic reintegration (mimetic, tratteggio and pointillism), selection of materials for filling and chromatic reintegration.
• Preventive conservation: environmental conditions (T, RH, light), packaging, exhibition packaging, storage conditioning, anoxia, cold storage, acid-free indicator strips, HR indicators, risk control, planning and implementation of actions preservation for small and large collections, etc.

Programs

Programs where the course is taught: