Issues of image permanence, particularly image fading and highlight staining, were a concern for serious albumen printers in the 19th Century. In particular John Spiller and Matthew Carey Lea examined the chemical causes for these characteristic defects in some depth. Their insightful work forms the basis of much of our contemporary understanding on the permanence of silver-based images. Other useful articles present tips for avoiding the more common pitfalls encountered by photographers when printing on albumen paper.
20th Century authors dealing with stability of albumen photographs look at both chemical degradation (fading and staining) but also physical deterioration. A well-known physical attribute of albumen prints is the overall pattern of cracking found in the albumen layer, usually apparent under low magnification. Several conservation-related articles explain the origins of these cracks and describe the impact of conservation treatment on albumen cracking.