GRADUATE SCHOOL COURSEWORK

Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation
Fall 2021 — Present

My second year at the Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation (WUDPAC) was dedicated to further exploring photograph conservation through treatment, scientific research, an independent study, and a preventive conservation project.

See Index of Treatment Projects︎︎︎

SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH
Salted Paper DOP Prints

Fall 2022 to Spring 2023 scientific research project supervised by Dr. Jocelyn Alcantara-Garcia. 

Abstract: My research on the developed-out (DOP) salted paper print process intends to offer a more nuanced understanding of DOP salted paper prints in three ways: (1) By finding better ways to identify this process, (2) helping contribute to DOP scholarship, and (3) demonstrating wider use of DOP beyond France, as it is currently assumed. This research is relevant because of the limited knowledge of the DOP process and hence all new information is valuable to both to the field of photograph conservation and photograph history. This research will use the samples I prepared to both broaden my knowledge of historical printmaking, and to use instrumental analysis techniques on non-historical samples, for ethical reasons. Combined, analyses will enable better understanding of the capabilities and limitations of XRF, FTIR-ATR, SEM-EDS, as well as their usefulness when approaching salted paper prints. Of particular interest is to gain insight into the collection of salted paper prints in Captain Montgomery Cunningham Meigs “Plans for Heating & Ventilating the Capital of the United States, the General Post Office, and the University of Virginia”, a copy of which lives in the Winterthur Library.

︎︎︎ Research Proposal

INDEPENDENT STUDY
Color Photography  

Fall 2022 course supervised by Zachary Long. The course included readings on color photography and a survey of 300+ autochromes in the Winterthur’s Archive. 

About Winterthur’s Autochrome Collection: The autochrome collection in the Winterthur Archives features various scenes of the Winterthur gardens and grounds taken between 1910 and 1921. The photographs in the collection include views of flowers, garden pathways, close up on flowers, trees, leaves, scenes near the house, the reflecting pool, garden retreats, etc. Henry Francis du Pont was an early adopter of this early color photographic process which was first marketed in 1907. The autochrome produced naturalistic color images which would have intrigued du Pont to be able to capture the wide colors of his grounds and estate.

︎︎︎ Annotated Bibliography
︎︎︎ Autochrome Collection Survey

ELECTIVE 
Preventive Conservation Research and Applications (PCRA)

Spring 2023 course led by Anisha Gupta. PCRA provides structured coursework, lectures, and demonstrates within which students build a research community and carry out independent projects focused either on preventive conservation research or application. My research project focus on fire damaged photographs and will explore different ways the public can protect their photographs. 

︎︎︎ Research Proposal