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A conservator of photographs holds up two tall glass tubes with autochrome samples.

Research Projects

Research into the technical history and materiality of photographs advances an understanding of artists' working methods, informs preservation policies, and guides exhibition and storage parameters.

Side view of metal back photo book hinge

How A Book Moves

Get an up-close view and understanding of a variety of photograph album structures documented during an ambitious item-level preventive conservation survey of the over a thousand photograph albums and photographically illustrated books held in the Department of Photographs.

The conservator, Louisa Smieska, adjusts a large piece of scanning equipment in front of a mounted photograph by Julia Margaret Cameron

A Hidden Photograph by Julia Margaret Cameron

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has appreciated Julia Margaret Cameron’s work since 1933, when the first acquisitions of her photographs were made. Only recently was it discovered that a second Cameron was hidden beneath Beatrice, a masterwork created by the artist in 1866. 151 years years later, the hidden portrait was revealed by cross-departmental colleagues at The Met.

Conservator reaching in under plastic dome, examining sealed packages for autochromes.

Display of Alfred Stieglitz and Edward Steichen Autochrome Plates: Anoxic Sealed Package and Lighting Conditions

Autochromes by Alfred Stieglitz and Edward Steichen were displayed in near-anoxic conditions for one week in 2011. Presented here is the design and assembly of the sealed package that maintained these conditions.

Tall glass tubes with autochrome samples placed around the perimeter of a bin, with light tubes in the center, as part of an experiment.

Effects of Low-Oxygen Environments in the Light Fading of Six Dyes Present in the Autochrome Color Screen

The dyes present in autochrome color screens are extremely sensitive to light, so these early color photographs are commonly not displayed. The authors investigated the effectiveness of low-oxygen environments in delaying the fading of dyes used in the autochrome process.

An image of an oversized purple-hued diazotype print rolled out on the floor, with a conservator seated at the top right, on the floor, next to the print.

Technical Investigation of the Effects of Light and Humidity on Diazotypes

Diazotypes are known to exhibit color change over time, presenting concerns for prints that may be exhibited. This article presents research investigating the effects of light exposure and climate.

 

Keep Exploring

Projects View from over the shoulder of a conservator holding a small rectangular painting in blue rubber gloves; the painting is rendered in short brush strokes that form a kenetic image of a dark, silhouetted tree trunk in the foreground and lone silhouetted figure standing and leaning against a solid, waist-high wall overlooking a faint building in the distance.

Conservation at The Met

The Metropolitan Museum houses a world-renowned complex of scientific research and conservation facilities, each of which serves as a training ground for conservators across a variety of specializations from around the world. This project list provides a small sample of conservation research activities across the Museum.