Conservation of Photographs and Photograph Collections for Countries of Central, Southern and Eastern Europe. Paul Getty Museum

Conservation Institute Home Education Current Projects Conservation of Photographs and Photograph Collections for Countries of Central, Southern and Eastern Europe

Project Objectives
Conservation of Photographs and Photograph Collections for Countries of Central, Southern and Eastern Europe is a multi-year project organized by the Getty Conservation Institute (GCI), in partnership with two institutions in Slovakia—the Academy of Fine Art and Design (AFAD) in Bratislava, and the Slovak National Library (SNL) in Martin. This project is organized in collaboration with the GCI Science department and draws upon that department's research on the conservation of photographs. The goal of the project is the development of the field of photograph conservation in the region. In support of this goal, GCI has the following objectives:
• to provide theoretical and practical knowledge of photograph conservation through a series of summer schools and distance-learning activities;
• to establish a foundation for an enduring regional network of professionals in photograph conservation;
• to adapt, translate, or produce learning materials and tools where gaps exist in the existing body of literature and didactic resources;
• to widely disseminate the results of the training and related activities.

Project Overview:
Acquiring knowledge and skill in a field as complex as photograph conservation requires a long-term process of learning and practice. For this reason, this initiative developed a three-year course entitled Fundamentals of the Conservation of Photographs. The course combines traditional classroom instruction with distance-learning activities, designed to develop professional capacity over time and extend opportunities for learning.

Each year—or module—of the Fundamentals of the Conservation of Photographs course consists of a three-week summer school followed by an eight-month period of distance learning. The summer school of each module focuses on formal classroom-based instruction, which includes theoretical and laboratory sessions held at AFAD in Bratislava. This work is complemented by practical sessions at SNL in Martin, during which time participants work with photographic material from the SNL photograph collection, under the supervision of course instructors.

Each summer school is followed by an eight-month program of mentored capacity-building activities that participants pursue within their own institutions, applying the ideas and skills acquired during the summer school. The course instructors (or mentors) provide support throughout the distance mentoring phase of the course by reviewing periodic assignments submitted by participants via a course Web site and by answering questions and engaging in group discussions with participants. The distance-mentoring phase of the course allows participants to meet their professional obligations, while building expertise in the various topic areas covered by the course. Module 1 of the course began in July 2008.
The combination of traditional classroom instruction with distance learning has many potential benefits. Extending learning from the classroom to the workplace allows participants to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the subject and to better develop their practical skills and confidence within a framework of problem-solving and supportive communication. This model also permits participants to become comfortable making decisions and applying newly gained skills within the context of their own collections. Also important is the opportunity for participants to communicate conservation concerns and ideas to their colleagues. Lastly, the course format and the course Web site provide a forum and stimulus for communication between participants that hopefully will help establish lasting networks of professionals within the region.

The first two modules of the Fundamentals of the Conservation of Photographs course focus on the identification of photographic materials and processes, their history, deterioration characteristics, and the preventive conservation, documentation, and collection management strategies that can safeguard collections. The third module of the course addresses conservation treatment options for specific types of deteriorated photographic materials for participants who are conservators. In combination, the three modules of the course will provide a strong foundation for understanding and managing large photograph collections.
Course instructors are leaders in the field of photograph conservation education. Besides teaching during the summer schools and the distance-mentoring phases of the course, instructors are working to develop a body of teaching material for the course, much of which will be made available to the larger community of conservators and educators.
Participants in the course are drawn from museums, libraries, and archives in central, southern, and eastern Europe and are mid-career conservators or cultural heritage specialists who are responsible for photograph collections.