Photography & NegativesAmy DelPo, Elise Blas, Kristin

Mammel, Paul Mascareñas

Photography andNegatives

Definitions of PhotographyThe science of capturing light onto a piece of film.

And…

The art of recording an image.

Oracle Education Foundation

A photograph is created when light, or another form ofradiant energy, falls on a light sensitive area such as photographic film or an electronic imager and an image is created.

School Curriculum for Photography

Definitions of a Negative

A reversed light/dark image formed on film that may be used to make prints.

Milwaukee Museum of Art

A negative is created when camera film is exposedto light. The negative is then used in the darkroomto print a photograph (positive) onto light-sensitivepaper.

Malane Newman

History of PhotographyJoseph Nicephore Niepce

Created the first permanently captured image in 1827

“View from the Window at Le Gras”

Louis Daguerre

“Boulevard du Temple”First photograph of a person

Daguerreotype

Image is exposed directly onto a mirror-polished surface of silver bearing a coating of silver halide particles deposited by iodine vapor.

Edgar Allan Poe 1848

Abraham Lincoln 1846

Daguerreotype Camera

1839French government bought rights and the photographic process became public

In the same year, Sir John Herschel first coined the term “photography”when addressingThe Royal Society of London

Created “Daguerreomania”

William Henry Fox Talbot

Created the “Calotype” circa. 1839

The calotype essentially infused paper with silver nitrate or silver chloride. This process produced a “negative” from which anunlimited number of positive prints could be made.

“The Footman” 1840

Frederick Scott Archer 1851Wet-Collodion exposureprocess and Ambrotype

The collodion process required that the coating, exposureAnd development of the image should be done while the plate was still wet.The Ambrotype process created a direct positive.

AmbrotypeWet Collodion process

Dr. Richard Maddox

1871Created dry plate process using gelatin as the basis for the photographic plate. This did away with the need for darkroom tents.

1889George Eastman introduced the box camera with the slogan “You push the button and we do the rest” thus openingthe world of photography to the masses.

1924Oskar Barnack invented the first 35 mm camera

Physical Structure

Photos are composed of three layers:

1.Support Layer2.Binder Element3.Final Image Material

Support Layer

Can be made up of:PaperResin-coated paperPlastic filmGlass

Binder Element

Usually made of gelatinBut…Could also be composed of:Albumen or collodion

(This layer holds the image-forming substanceor final image material to the support layer)

Final Image Material

This layer is made of:Color dyesSilverPigment particles

(Typically suspended in the binder or emulsion layer)

Means of IdentificationIn the past, optical microscopy has typically beenThe main tool used for identification of photos.However, there are some newer forms of photo identification:

XRF- X Ray Fluorescence

ATR-FTIR Spectrometer(Attenuated Total Reflection Fourier Transform Infrared)

ICP-MS(Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry)

Arrrrrggggh!

Salvaging your photos when disaster strikes

Caveat

• Always contact a conservator first.

• They have fancy methods for salvaging photos.

Flood

Floods Happen

• River overflow• Hurricanes• Tornados• Storms• Leaking pipes

• Photos must be treated within the first 24 to 72 hours (estimates vary).

• Call a conservator.• If you can’t treat, freeze.• Otherwise:

• Mold grows within 48 hours.• Photographic emulsions and binder layers may soften and

dissolve• Stacked photographs and/or photographs in albums may

permanently adhere to each other.

Step One: Act Fast

Step Two: Prioritize• Black-and-white prints are more resistant to

damage than color.• Photographic film-based negatives can survive

longer than prints.• Some photographic materials (such as salted

paper, albumen, platinum, cyanotype, and most photomechanical processes) can survive water immersion for 48 hours.

• So: Salvage prints prior to negatives and color materials prior to black-and-white.

Step Three: Deal With the Conditions

• Increase air circulation.

• Decrease humidity.

• Turn off heat.

• Open windows and doors.

• Use fans and dehumidifiers.

Step Four: Rinse and Clean

• Remove mud and debris from photos by rinsing them gently in a bath of cold water.

• Hold photos on the edge.• Change water frequently to keep it clean.• Gently pull-apart photos from each other or

from albums.• Do not try to rub dirt off.

Step Five: Dry

Two basic options:

Air drying

Vacuum freeze drying

Air Drying

• Works for small numbers of damp photos.• Most gentle and least damaging of the drying

methods.• Labor and space intensive.• The process:

• Place each photo on a clean absorbent paper, face up.

• Replace paper every hour.

• Use a fan to speed up the process.

Vacuum Freeze Drying

• Good method for large collections of negatives.• This process may actually damage photos, but

won’t affect a negative’s ability to make a photo.

• The process:• Place materials in a vacuum chamber.• Dry photos at temperatures below freezing.• This may take several weeks.• Re-humidify to prevent embrittlement.

Fire

Fire Damage Includes:

• Plastic supports and frames become deformed.• Photographic emulsion becomes embrittled.• Paper supports get stained by soot and smoke.• Plastic enclosures melt and adhere to the

photos.• Everything gets water damaged.

What to Do:

• Call a conservator.

• Put aside photos that are dry but damaged by soot. You can deal with them later.

• Follow “Flood” instructions for photos that are water damaged.

For Dry Photos

• Use a soft brush (such as a Hake brush) to brush loose debris off photos into a vacuum cleaner nozzle.

• Tip: Put gauze over the nozzle and open the vent to reduce suction.

• Pick soot off the photos by rolling a kneadable eraser across them.

PreservingNegatives & Photographs

Negatives

• Cellulose Acetate

• Cellulose Nitrate

• Glass Plate

Wyoming State Archives

Storage

• Sleeves

• Acid Free Box

• Away From Photographs

Wyoming State Archives

Handling Negatives

• White Gloves

• Support the Negative

• Minimize Exposure to Light

Photographs Storage

• Sleeves

• Archival Boxes

• Hard Anodized Metal Shelving

• Map Cases

Wyoming State Archives

Wyoming State Archives

Storing Photographs& Negatives

• Store Photographs and Negatives Separately

• Environmental Control

• Monitor Humidity and Temperature

Wyoming State Archives

Personal Collection

• Take Photographs Out of Basement

• Acid Free Boxes

• Keep Negatives Apart from Pictures

Causes of Deterioration

The Photo• Composite of several different layers

– Support– Binder– An image forming component

• Each one reacts different to the immediate environment and in some cases to each other

The Photo Cont…• The “support” of a photograph

– ceramic, glass, metal, paper, plastic, wood, or a variety of other media.

• The “binder” carries the image. – gelatin, gum Arabic, albumen, collodion, or starch.

• The image– based on organic dyes or silver-sensitive salts.

– organic dyes are susceptible to a wide range of pollutants and prone to chemical degradation.

Photo Deterioration

• A chemical reaction - off gassing

• poorly stored photos

• residual processing chemicals

• Acid migration • sulfur interacts with

silver compounds which forms silver sulfide causing the image to turn brownish yellow.

Chemical Reaction

Handling Photos• May cause scratches, tears, creases, broken

images. • Oils and chemicals from the human skin can

cause permanent damage by way of residual effects.

• Improper handling • at the corners rather than supporting the photo

underneath.

• crack the emulsion

Exposure to Light

• Ultra Violet Rays cause photos to fade. • light intensity multiplied by time.

• Displayed photos are more susceptible to damage and fading by light levels and exposure time than temperature and humidity.

Light Exposure

Inadequate Washing

Temperature & Humidity

• Temperature should not exceed 70 degrees • Increase the rate of chemical reactions

• Temperature should not fall below 60 degrees• e.g., plastic enclosures may trap moisture and

cause ferrotyping, which means “sticking resulting in shiny areas.” This is due to areas of high-humidity or in water-related disasters.

Temperature & Humidity

• Relative humidity in excess of 60 percent can cause more damage to a photo than heat.

• High relative humidity and heat are more damaging together than alone.• Mold and fungus• Decay of mounting boards

Storage• Wooden shelves, cabinets and drawers

• plywood, • pressboard, or • chipboard

• wood contains lignin, peroxide, and formic acid, which could leach out in interact with the chemicals in your photos.

• Wood also absorbs and retains moisture which causes swelling, warping, and mildew.

• Photographs stored near or around overhead steam or water pipes, or other sources of water may risk exposure to these harmful elements.

Storage damage

Other Threats

• Fire

• Flood

• Earthquakes

• Bugs

• War

• Vandalism

References

• Badger, G. (2003). Collecting Photography. London: Mitchell Beazley.

• DePew, J.N. (1991). A library, media, and archival preservation handbook. California: ABC-CLIO, Inc.

• Eaton, G. (1970). Preservation, deterioration, restoration of photographic images. In H. W. Winger & R. D. Smith (Eds.), Deterioration and preservation of library materials (pp. 85-98). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

• Films for the Humanities and Sciences (1995). Preserving works of art. VHS, 23 minutes.

References• Interview with Roger Joyce at Wyoming State

Archive, March 7, 2008• Kodak. (1979). Preservation of Photographs.

New York: Eastman Kodak Company.• Taylor, M.A. (2001). Preserving your family

photographs: How to organize, present and restore precious family images. Cincinnati, Ohio: Betterway Book.

• Tuttle, C.A. (1995). An ounce of prevention: A guide to the care of papers and photographs. Denver: Rainbow Books, Inc.

References• http://www.naa.gov.au/services/family-

historians/looking-after/fire.aspx#section5• http://www.ccaha.org/pdf/salvage%20photos--

SMALL.pdf• http://www.loc.gov/loc/lcib/0105/

conservation_corner.html• http://www.restorationsos.com/education/water-

damage/recovering-from-water-damage/cleaning-repairing-and-disinfecting/clean-dry-repair-and-disinfect-paper/photos.asp