NEDCC Resources on Photograph Conservation and Preservation

World Photography Day on August 19th celebrates the art, craft, science, and history of photography. In the case of photograph conservation, understanding the history and science of photography are key components to increasing the stability of inherently unstable materials.

NEDCC Senior Photograph Conservator Monique Fischer has specialized in the conservation of photographic materials since 1994. Her expertise spans from the earliest photographic materials of the 1840s to modern digital prints, as well as film base materials.

“Any collection presents a series of complex challenges, ranging from identification to storage to duplication,” says Monique. “Caring for photographic collections should rest on a solid foundation of accurate identification of photographic materials, a good understanding of the collection's present and future uses, and maintenance of proper storage and environment.”

Monique teaches, lectures, and writes extensively on photograph conservation in the US and abroad, and below is a selection of her work both in conservation and collection assessments. This article also includes a listing of additional resources, related videos, and upcoming training related to photograph preservation.

Photograph Conservation Stories

	2015 Looking at the Big Picture: Preserving the Unique Photograph Collections at the Appalachian Mountain Club Senior Photograph Conservator Monique Fischer
	2017 Ghost Signs Before They Were Ghosts: Preserving a Rare 1913-1914 Photograph Album for the Coca-Cola Archives Senior Photograph Conservator Monique Fischer Senior Collections Photographer David Joyall
	2018 Finding a Balance: Conservation of the Dolley Madison Cased Image from the Greensboro History Museum  Senior Photograph Conservator Monique Fischer Assistant Book Conservator Terra Huber

Videos on Photograph Conservation

Behind the Scenes in NEDCC's Photograph Conservation Lab Conserving Coca-Cola Wall Sign Photography How A 90-Year-Old Photograph Is Professionally Conserved, Insider

Upcoming Preservation Training Online

Visit the Current Training Programs page for descriptions and registration.

Preservation Resources

- Emergency Salvage of Wet Photographs

- Preservation Leaflets – Section 5: Photographs

1 A Short Guide to Film Base Photographic Materials: Identification, Care, and Duplication 2020 HTML PDF
2.1 Types of Photographs, part 1: 19th and Early 20th Century 2018 HTML PDF
2.2 Types of Photographs, part 2: Color 2020 HTML PDF
2.3 Types of Photographs, part 3: Digital Output Media 2019 HTML PDF
3 Care of Photographs 2019 HTML PDF
4 Creating Long-Lasting Inkjet Prints 2020 HTML PDF
5 Storage Enclosures for Photographic Materials 2018 HTML PDF

Published 2022