PROJECTS & RESEARCH
|
|
|
A Guide to Fiber-Base Gelatin Silver Print Condition and Deterioration by Gawain Weaver Introduction The fiber-base gelatin silver print, or black and white print as it is commonly called, was the classic form of 20th century fine art photography, and their condition and deterioration are a vital aspect of their appreciation and care. These prints are present in large numbers not only in fine art collections, but also in archives, historical societies, and family photograph collections. From the snapshot to the exhibition print, they are the single most prevalent form of 20th century photography. The condition of a gelatin silver print can be described in many different ways. Some of the common words used are warm-toned, mirroring, or patina. But what do we mean when we use these words? What kind of aging process or deterioration are we really describing? What is their cause? What do they say about the history of a print? And perhaps more importantly, what do they tell us about the future of a print? The purpose of this guide is to answer these questions, and to make the examination of a black and white print a more informative and rewarding activity. This guide begins with brief explanations on the physical nature of gelatin silver prints and a history of their processing in relation to stability. But at the heart of this guide is a deterioration flowchart, intended to aid in the understanding of the various kinds of print deterioration, and to identify their cause on any print being examined. Understanding how a print deteriorates and the visual clues that indicate its various causes can be very useful in the evaluation of a print’s condition, authenticity, and material history. |
|||||
 |
|
