Preventing Destruction: Preserving Our Irreplaceable Photographic Heritage (original) (raw)

The history of photography is brief, yet its impact on mankind is immeasurable. Today, significant photography collections exist worldwide, from Boston to Bogotá and Beirut. These collections-historic and contemporary-are irreplaceable resources that visually document our history, values, achievements, disappointments, creative expression, and ways of life. The international community of photograph conservation strives to protect and preserve this photographic heritage from deterioration, loss, and destruction. Many of the archetypal silver gelatin and color photographic processes of the twentieth century are nearing or have already faced obsolescence. They are being replaced by an astonishing number of electronic images created, viewed, and disseminated on electronic devices. These "born-digital" materials require thoughtful preservation planning to address dramatically different challenges than those posed by their nineteenth-and twentieth-century predecessors. A comprehensive survey of the preservation needs represented by the diversity of photographic processes introduced since 1839 is outside the scope of this brief essay, as is an attempt to address the range of challenges related to context, access demands, and collecting habits in institutions as diverse as archives, historical societies, libraries, and art museums. Instead, we will focus on twentieth-century analog photographic materials, their inherent vices, prevalent forms of deterioration, and preservation. Common dilemmas associated with artist intent, emergency preparedness, and global needs are also addressed.