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Photography: Processes, Preservation, and Conservation
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Description
The great American painter Thomas Eakins was devoted to the study of the human figure and used his students at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts as models. Photography provided Eakins with the perfect means of increasing the naturalism of his paintings. He valued his photographs not only as studies for paintings, however, but also as autonomous works, and he carefully printed the best images on platinum paper.
Platinum prints are relatively permanent, but if not well cleared and washed during processing, the paper can eventually darken and become brittle. This print is one such example; it was recently conserved. Prior to treatment, the photograph was documented in written and photographic form. A transparent plastic overlay was created to mark the location of all fragments and tears.
Some losses to the corners and edges had occurred before the photograph came to the Metropolitan Museum in 1943, and at some point the print had been backed with silk to secure the remaining image fragments. In order to fully treat the photograph, the conservator removed this silk, releasing fragments that were retained for reinsertion.
Residual adhesive was humidified and gently scraped off the back of the photograph. The print was then gently bathed in water to reduce the discoloration of the paper support.
After drying, all fragments were aligned and secured on the back with a lightweight Japanese paper and wheat starch paste. New paper, toned with watercolor to match the image area, was tailored to fill the remaining losses and was secured in place with wheat starch paste.
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