Call for participants: Collaborative Workshops in Photograph Conservation

The Andrew W. Mellon series of Collaborative Workshops in Photograph
Conservation were initiated in 1997 by Nora Kennedy and Debbie Hess
Norris. Nineteen workshops during a 12-year period provided
continuing professional development for approximately 147
conservators and other conservation professionals representing 29
countries internationally. These workshops produced large binders of
relevant articles for the participants, samples sets of digital
prints for purchase, as well as sets of paper negatives and
collodion negatives for North American graduate training programs.

The series has promoted collaboration and research between allied
professionals in conservation, art history, science, art, and
industry. The book "Coatings on Photographs," edited by Constance
McCabe, is a direct outcome of the workshop "Finishing Photographs."
Perhaps best of all, these workshops have fostered close working and
personal relationships between colleagues around the world,
promoting collaboration and exchange.

To the good fortune of the field, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
has endowed this workshop series with a $1 million grant to the
Foundation of the American Institute for Conservation. We are all
grateful to the FAIC and Eric Pourchot for taking the lead in
supporting this endeavor and its commitment to raising the matching
funds required by the Mellon Foundation.

As stipulated by the grant, Debbie Norris and Nora Kennedy will
serve as advisers to the workshop series in conjunction with a
committee elected from the Photographic Materials Group
membership--Sylvie Penichon (chair), Martin Jurgens, and Paul
Messier. The committee also includes ex-officio members Karen
Pavelka as the AIC Board Liaison, Barbara Brown as the current PMG
Chair, and Eric Pourchot and Lisa Avent who represent the FAIC.
Colleagues who coordinate specific workshops will also contribute to
committee meetings, as appropriate.

The first two workshop topics have been finalized. The
Characterization of Gelatin Silver Prints is planned for fall of
2010. It will be coordinated by Erin Murphy and hosted by the New
York Public Library. A workshop on Removal of Pressure-sensitive
Tapes on Silver-Based Photographic Prints will be coordinated by
Adrienne Lundgren and is scheduled for 2011.

Future topics under consideration include photographic negatives,
glass in photography, digital print materials, and compensation for
loss. We invite and welcome your suggestions on future workshop
topics.

In the weeks ahead our organizing committee will be finalizing the
dates and content for our 2010 two-day workshop/symposium on the
characterization of silver gelatin prints. In doing so, we aim to
present a comprehensive overview of current scholarship.

Please contact Erin Murphy at erin_murphy<-at->nypl<.>org by October 5,
2009 to share your current research related to silver gelatin print
materials for possible inclusion in the final program.

We look forward to the commencement of this FAIC-sponsored workshop
series. This series is for you and by you. It will be enriched and
strengthened by your participation in the planning, organizing as
well as the participation phases.

The Committee:

    Sylvie Penichon (chair)
    Martin Juergens
    Paul Messier
    Nora Kennedy
    Debbie Hess Norris

Sylvie Penichon
Conservator of Photographs
Amon Carter Museum


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 23:9
               Distributed: Thursday, September 24, 2009
                        Message Id: cdl-23-9-005
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