FAMILY PHOTOGRAPH

Treatment completed May 2023

Description

This photograph is a glossy silver gelatin photograph printed on a smooth photographic paper. The photograph is comprised of a silver image, gelatin binder, and a baryta paper support and is unmounted. The image depicts the owner’s grandparents. Back paper remnants on the verso suggest that the print was once adhered into an album.

Condition Assessment

The photograph is in fair condition overall. The print exhibits significant overall image fading and discoloration, most drastically in the top half of the print where considerable image detail has been lost. There is a minor fold and skinning on the top right corner, and additional areas of skinning on bottom right corner, and bottom left corner. There are scattered moderate crescent creases, most significantly in the center of the print with associated lost and flaking emulsion. The print exhibits overall moderate surface grime and a moderate number of scattered accretions including adhesive residue in the top left corner and black accretions at upper center (on the sitters faces).

On the verso of the print, there is overall surface grime, yellowing along the top edge, and scattered yellow accretions on the lower right edge and upper left edge. There are also large black paper fiber accretions from a previous mount on all four corners.

Treatment 

1. Reduced surface soil on the recto and verso of the print using polyurethane cosmetic sponges, vinyl block erasers, and water and ethanol mixtures applied with cotton swabs.
2. Consolidated lifting and cracking emulsion and loose paper fibers using a solution of 2% photographic grade gelatin in deionized water.
3. Reduced paper remnants on the verso using mechanical action with methylcellulose poultices to ease removal. 
4. Digitally enhanced a separate copy of the recto image to improve contrast overall.

Before Treatment Photography

After Treatment Photography

Digitally Enhanced Photograph