Photographic Degradation Course

Photographic Degradation

To understand how to correctly identify and preserve photographs, we must first understand how they degrade and decay. A full understanding of the factors and processes which cause damage and loss to photographic objects is critical to the essential cause of photographic preservation, and underpins both preventive and interventive conservation.

This course works through essential foundational material, and then examines from both theoretical and practical standpoints the science of photographic degradation.

Course Trailer

Not just another webinar

We’re in an age of webinars now, and that’s excellent. However, we didn’t set out to teach you something you can learn in an hour. Photographic conservation and preservation are expansive topics in a field where comprehensive training opportunities are few and far between.

That’s why we have invested in working towards a deep training program with relevance to vocational work in the heritage sector.

Watch our latest trailer and see the course outline below.

Course Structure

Foundations

- Primers to aid understanding

An Introduction
Meet the team and hear what's in store throughout the rest of the course.

Definition of a Photograph
What in essence is a photograph? A precise historic understanding of what a photograph is richly informs our study of and work with them.

Composition of a Photograph
What forms the substance of a photograph? Understand the different parts of a photograph and see the enormous variety of materials used in their historic production.

Image Silver Forms
What's the chemical basis for silver-based photography, and what supporting processes lie behind this prevalent area of photography?

Paper and Photography
With paper being the predominant base material for positive photographic images, a basic understanding of its history, varieties, manufacture and photographic stability can help us greatly.

Glass and Photography
Varying types, qualities and colours of glass have been used to produce both photographic negatives and positives and to act as supporting and presentation materials – discover a brief history of glass and its use in photography.

Plastic and Photography
Whether Collodion or Parkesine, Nitrate, Acetate or Polyester, plastic base materials have played a key role in the history of photography. Understanding these materials and how they degrade is key.

Specialised Vocabulary of Degradation
Unlike the other primers here, this reference episode contains supporting explanations for the diverse and nuanced terminology used in the discussion of degradation.

Theory of Degradation

- Study of key concepts

The Fading Committee
A brief introductory review of the first investigations into image stability and photographic deterioration, and how those findings are still relevant today.

Physical Degradation
A brief summary of additional factors that affect historic photographic objects, beyond simply the images they carry.

Light
While essential to the production of a photograph, discover how light retains an almost equal potential for destruction if left unchecked.

Temperature
Explore 4 ways in which environmental temperature and temperature fluctuations can have a dramatic effect on photographic degradation.

Relative Humidity
Water is a simple but potentially devastating substance in the endeavour of photographic preservation. Understand the effects of environmental RH on photographic materials.

Air Quality
The presence of gaseous pollutants, whether in the wider environment or a localised space, can greatly harm historic photographs. Understand the source, nature and effect of these substances.

Biological Attack
Explore the 3 main categories of biological agent which stand to damage and degrade photographs, and the many constituent actors which you might encounter.

Residual Processing Chemistry
Understand the retention of chemical substances following the production of a photograph, and how these substances can be active or inert with regard to the stability of the image.

Enclosure Materials
A diverse range of enclosure materials exist and have been used to store and protect photographs. Explore the variety, design, efficacy and risks of these enclosures.

Mounting Materials
Briefly explore the range of different mounts and mounting materials which have been used historically, and the nature and stability of these materials.

Adhesives
Adhesives are often an invisible and overlooked material substance involved in the preparation and presentation of photographs, but their degradative effects on object and image stability can be very visible. Discover how the adhesive materials and manner of attachment used are factors which can inform the identification, dating and preservation of our photographs.

Benign Neglect
A look at some real life stories which exemplify how easily even very significant historic photographs can fall subject to benign neglect, and some of the different forms this can take.

Examples of Degradation

- Practical reference library

Motivation for Examples of Degradation
Introducing the importance of comparators and the value of a broad range of reference objects, as well as the need to be able to correctly interpret evidence from multiple overlapping modes of degradation.

Case Study 1
A detailed study of the history and nature of an 1860's topographical print, looking closely at the identifying factors and evidence of degradation present.

Case Study 2
A detailed look at a 1930's silver gelatine bromide print both before and after interventive treatments were applied, and the combination of degradative factors at work.

Case Study 3
Explore this large format print by Herbert George Ponting, and the identifying and degradative factors it presents.

Case Study 4
Look in detail at these two Daguerreotypes from the mid-1800's, and the various forms of deterioriation that they have sustained.

Examples of light degradation
A collection of reference comparators and the specific impact of light-based environmental degradation which they display.

Examples of temperature degradation
A collection of reference comparators and the specific impact of temperature-influenced degradation which they exhibit.

Examples of RH degradation
A collection of reference comparators and the specific impact of degradation from relative humidity which they display.

Examples of air quality degradation
A collection of reference comparators and the specific impact of air quality degradation they show.

Examples of biological attack
A collection of reference comparators and the specific impact of degradation from biological attack which they present.

Examples of residual processing chemistry degradation
A collection of reference comparators and the specific impact of degradation from residual processing chemistry which they display.

Examples of enclosure materials degradation
A collection of reference comparators and the specific impact of enclosure materials degradation which they show.

Examples of mounting materials degradation
A collection of reference comparators and the specific impact of mounting materials degradation which they exhibit.

Examples of adhesives degradation
A collection of reference comparators and the specific impact of adhesive-related degradation which they display.

Examples of benign neglect degradation
A collection of reference comparators and the specific impact of degradation from benign neglect which they present.

Conclusion
Closing words to conclude the course.

Course Pricing

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Our earlybird offer hasn’t sold out – yet!

Grab your earlybird pass below while you still can.

£ 450

Instant access to foundations primers
Instant access to theory lessons
New reference examples added weekly
Life-time access - all lectures yours to keep, forever
25% discount
Exclusive to our earlybird customers

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£ 600

Instant access to foundations primers
Instant access to theory lessons
New reference examples added weekly
60 day access to course lectures
Life-time access to reference examples
Available to all

Right-place right-time special offer

Still some available!

You’re here at a very special time – our first online video course has just launched!

We’re offering an earlybird discount to the first 50 individuals to register for the course.

If you enrol before these limited places sell out, you’ll get a 25% discount now and you’ll get discounted pricing any future courses and products we release.

We’re also offering 10 site-license earlybird discounts to organisations and institutions – please contact us via the contact form for pricing.

Photographic Degradation Course