Template for interviews, version 4
Institutions
Could you please tell me your name, job title and affiliation?
When was this conservation lab established and for how long have you been working here?
I.
-My next question relates to need for treatment. Considering that in an institutional reality, not all deteriorated photographs or not all photographs that present problems, can be treated or are treated, how do you select and prioritize the photographs that are going to be treated? What factors determine the need for treatment? [Potential answers: Exhibition/loan; established treatment plan/program; specific projects]
-If you had more resources would you propose the establishment a regular treatment program for the collection? (based on priorities)
-Broadly speaking what types of photographs are treated most frequently?
[Paper based photographs (traditional processes: salt prints, albumen prints, silver gelatin, platinum prints, pigment processes, cyanotypes), daguerreotypes, other early cased photographs, modern and contemporary processes (color prints, digital prints), negatives, albums, other photographs]
-In a general sense, what is the aim of the treatments performed, stabilization or restitution of the aesthetical qualities of the objects? (Or both?)
-What treatments types are performed most commonly?
[Cleaning, consolidation, flattening, structural repair, compensation for loss (including inpainting)]
- Do you consider mounting and rehousing as conservation treatments as well?
- In terms of extent, do you consider that the treatments performed in this institution can be considered minor interventions, moderate or major interventions?
- In your observation of the work that has been done and that is currently performed in this lab, what are the major changes that you perceive in the way treatments are approached and performed?
- Do you consider that a greater understanding and recognition of the values and characteristics of a photograph has lead to less interventive treatment procedures?
- Do you consider that a greater awareness of the potential treatment risks or effects in the characteristics of a photograph has lead to less interventive treatment procedures?
- Do you consider that the perception of how a photograph should look, in terms of its condition, has changed through time? Do you think users perceive or relate certain deterioration as inherent to photographs?
-Do you think this happens outside of a museum environment?
-What is your observation of the work performed in other institutions and in private practice in relation to the work performed here? Do you consider that the use and context of the photographs define their treatment requirements (and extents)?
- Do you consider that market (value/trends) influence treatment decision-making and performance?
Issues in treatment,
-Daguerreotype cleaning. The cleaning of daguerreotypes is one of the first restoration treatments performed on photographs. It was historically performed by photographers, dealers, collectors, curators and later by conservators. There has being a clear transformation in the methodologies and materials used for this treatment. What is your stand on the performance of this treatment?
-Chemical treatment. The use of chemical treatments to restore or enhance the appearance of photographs (that involve photographic chemistry, like bleach and redevelopment) has also been recurrently used through time. A considerable amount of research has been developed in this subject to determine its viability and applicability in the different materials like developed out gelatin silver prints and negatives and print out processes like salt prints.
Do you consider the use of this type of chemical treatments should be performed?
What restricts its performance? Material or philosophical restrains?
Other ideas: Fading, color shift, tarnishing removal, silver mirroring removal
Reprocessing: re-fixing and washing
-Un-mounting/remounting of photographs (including dis-assemblage of albums). The un-mounting and remounting of photographs has been considered a needed treatment in different contexts through time. For instance, it has been considered necessary to promote the stability of photographs, or required to allow their individual display in the case of photographs belonging to albums. In what circumstances do you consider these practices can be justified? What do you consider are the allowable reasons to proceed? Do you think they are still performed as regular procedures in certain institutions or private practice?
-Contemporary photography. How do you foresee that
Digital photographs, tendency for bigger formats, new mounting systems
[in progress]
In the topic of treatment experience and training,
- Do you consider that treatment proficiency is central to the competences of a photograph conservator? Why?
- How do you think we can gain treatment proficiency?
- In terms of treatment, what are the major challenges that the field faces?
I deeply appreciate your time and interest to perform this interview and to receive me here in [name of the place].
Private practice
Could you please tell me your name, job title and affiliation?
When was this conservation lab established and for how long have you been working here?
II.
-My next question relates to need for treatment, but in order to understand the context of the treatments performed in this lab, could you tell me what type of institutions and individuals comprise your clientele? (request treatments)
-Considering that, in practice, not all deteriorated photographs or not all photographs that present problems, can be treated or are treated, in your observation, what determines the need or request for treatment?
Could you please tell me your name, job title and affiliation?
When was this conservation lab established and for how long have you been working here?
I.
-My next question relates to need for treatment. Considering that in an institutional reality, not all deteriorated photographs or not all photographs that present problems, can be treated or are treated, how do you select and prioritize the photographs that are going to be treated? What factors determine the need for treatment? [Potential answers: Exhibition/loan; established treatment plan/program; specific projects]
-If you had more resources would you propose the establishment a regular treatment program for the collection? (based on priorities)
-Broadly speaking what types of photographs are treated most frequently?
[Paper based photographs (traditional processes: salt prints, albumen prints, silver gelatin, platinum prints, pigment processes, cyanotypes), daguerreotypes, other early cased photographs, modern and contemporary processes (color prints, digital prints), negatives, albums, other photographs]
-In a general sense, what is the aim of the treatments performed, stabilization or restitution of the aesthetical qualities of the objects? (Or both?)
-What treatments types are performed most commonly?
[Cleaning, consolidation, flattening, structural repair, compensation for loss (including inpainting)]
- Do you consider mounting and rehousing as conservation treatments as well?
- In terms of extent, do you consider that the treatments performed in this institution can be considered minor interventions, moderate or major interventions?
- In your observation of the work that has been done and that is currently performed in this lab, what are the major changes that you perceive in the way treatments are approached and performed?
- Do you consider that a greater understanding and recognition of the values and characteristics of a photograph has lead to less interventive treatment procedures?
- Do you consider that a greater awareness of the potential treatment risks or effects in the characteristics of a photograph has lead to less interventive treatment procedures?
- Do you consider that the perception of how a photograph should look, in terms of its condition, has changed through time? Do you think users perceive or relate certain deterioration as inherent to photographs?
-Do you think this happens outside of a museum environment?
-What is your observation of the work performed in other institutions and in private practice in relation to the work performed here? Do you consider that the use and context of the photographs define their treatment requirements (and extents)?
- Do you consider that market (value/trends) influence treatment decision-making and performance?
Issues in treatment,
-Daguerreotype cleaning. The cleaning of daguerreotypes is one of the first restoration treatments performed on photographs. It was historically performed by photographers, dealers, collectors, curators and later by conservators. There has being a clear transformation in the methodologies and materials used for this treatment. What is your stand on the performance of this treatment?
-Chemical treatment. The use of chemical treatments to restore or enhance the appearance of photographs (that involve photographic chemistry, like bleach and redevelopment) has also been recurrently used through time. A considerable amount of research has been developed in this subject to determine its viability and applicability in the different materials like developed out gelatin silver prints and negatives and print out processes like salt prints.
Do you consider the use of this type of chemical treatments should be performed?
What restricts its performance? Material or philosophical restrains?
Other ideas: Fading, color shift, tarnishing removal, silver mirroring removal
Reprocessing: re-fixing and washing
-Un-mounting/remounting of photographs (including dis-assemblage of albums). The un-mounting and remounting of photographs has been considered a needed treatment in different contexts through time. For instance, it has been considered necessary to promote the stability of photographs, or required to allow their individual display in the case of photographs belonging to albums. In what circumstances do you consider these practices can be justified? What do you consider are the allowable reasons to proceed? Do you think they are still performed as regular procedures in certain institutions or private practice?
-Contemporary photography. How do you foresee that
Digital photographs, tendency for bigger formats, new mounting systems
[in progress]
In the topic of treatment experience and training,
- Do you consider that treatment proficiency is central to the competences of a photograph conservator? Why?
- How do you think we can gain treatment proficiency?
- In terms of treatment, what are the major challenges that the field faces?
I deeply appreciate your time and interest to perform this interview and to receive me here in [name of the place].
Private practice
Could you please tell me your name, job title and affiliation?
When was this conservation lab established and for how long have you been working here?
II.
-My next question relates to need for treatment, but in order to understand the context of the treatments performed in this lab, could you tell me what type of institutions and individuals comprise your clientele? (request treatments)
-Considering that, in practice, not all deteriorated photographs or not all photographs that present problems, can be treated or are treated, in your observation, what determines the need or request for treatment?
