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Copyright of Journal of Paper Conservation is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) more...

Copyright of Conservar Património is the property of Associacao Profissional de Conservadores-Restauradores de Portugal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) more...

Albumen prints are the most important photographic prints of the late 19th century. It is basically composed of two layers: the first layer is the paper support (i.e. cellulose), and the second layer is the image layer (i.e. image silver particles embedded in an albumen binder layer). There are several factors threatening the permanence of albumen prints (e.g., fluctuating temperatures and relative humidity, frequent handling, air pollution, light, and improper storage and display). Unlike other paper objects, photographs have special conservation requirements due to their complex and unique nature. A private collection was selected for this study. The collection consists of three albumen prints from Francis Amen's photo collection, which originally belonged to the Elhagar family. Francis Amin is a well-known photo collector in Egypt. The prints date back to 1890. The photographs were characterised and studied by visual inspection, digital microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). Microbiological studies were carried out in the microbiology laboratory at the Faculty of Archaeology at Cairo University. Results revealed that the albumen layer suffers from cracks and chemical degradation, and the secondary supports suffer from both oxidation and hydrolysis. Based on the obtained results, the following conservation procedures were selected and carried out: disinfection, dry cleaning, tear mending and compensating for losses, remounting, retouching, and rehousing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

In the early period, even though professional photographers worked with similar techniques and products, their artistic and commercial aims determined different choices and led them to follow different, often personal, recipes. For this reason, identification of the techniques through date and name of the photographer or through some visual features like colour, tonality and surface of the image layer, often needs further investigation to be proved. Chemical characterization, carried out in a non or micro destructive way, can be crucial to provide useful information about the original composition, degradation process, realization technique, in obtaining an indirect dating of the photograph and/or to choose the most correct conservation treatment. In our case, x-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis was used to confirm the chemical composition of eleven historical photographs dated between the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th, shot in Palermo (Sicily) by a renowned photographer of the time, and pasted on their original cardboards. The elemental identification, obtained with a non destructive approach, provided important information to distinguish among different photographic techniques in terms of distribution and characterization of chemical elements markers in the photographic surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Fungi are a common problem in the photographic collection, so the aim of this study focused on isolating and molecular identification of fungi from old albumen prints dating to an archive of Dr. Francis and belonging to the Al-Hagar Family and dating back to 1880–1890. The isolated fungi were identified according to their morphological traits and PCR sequencing. The ability of these isolates to cause deterioration was evaluated on model samples (2 × 2 cm) of albumen silver prints. The effect of these fungi on the morphology and structure of the tested samples were examined by SEM, ATR-FTIR, and chromatic alternations. Four fungal species Aspergillus sydowii , A. flavus , Talaromyces atroroseus , and Penicillium chrysogenum were identified. All isolates were able to grow on the surface of the model Albumen silver print and were capable of causing damage to the binder and able to extend their growth to the paper fibers. A. sydowii , A. flavus , and P. chrysogenum caused hydrolysis and oxidation to the albumen prints, while no significant chemical damage to the albumen was detected for the photographic sample infected with T. atroroseus. All the inoculated samples were significantly affected in terms of color change and the high-light areas have become darker. ATR-FTIR spectra showed the degradation of the protein content in Albumen silver prints inoculated with A. sydowii , A. flavus , and P. chrysogenum. [Display omitted] • Isolation and molecular identification of fungi from old albumen prints. • A. sydowii , A. flavus , T. atroroseus , and P. chrysogenum were identified. • A. sydowii , A. flavus , and P. chrysogenum caused hydrolysis and oxidation of albumen prints. • Model albumen prints affected significantly in color changes. • A. sydowii , A. flavus , and P. chrysogenum caused degradation of the protein content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

This article offers a case study of the process that shaped popular understanding of photographic practice, technology and images in early Meiji (1868-88) Japan. Specifically, I argue that the neighbourhood of Asakusa - a space already codified as one of transformation and performance, of 'play and prayer' - lent itself to the business of photographic studios and provided a rich backdrop to the dynamic production and consumption of photographic objects that were unlike those found elsewhere in the new capital of Tokyo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...