[alt-photo] Re: ARCHIVALITY

[Loris Medici]

Judy, it's not (only) about "lasting more than your physiological presence
and/or taking your part in history" but also there are the facts:

1. If you sell prints, you need a certain longevity rating and,
2. People (buyers) often ask about longevity (probably because photography
has been already stigmatized for not being an overly stable medium) and it's
not neat to shrug and say "I don't know" or simply lie.

In short; you have to give buyers some figures (according to display/storage
conditions) that reflect reality, I mean if you want to keep your
credibility. Plus, as an *extra* selling point, those figures has to be
better than (or at least equal to) what is currently effective for ordinary
/ mainstream digital prints.

Regards,
Loris.

-----Original Message-----
From: alt-photo-process-list-bounces at lists.altphotolist.org On Behalf Of
Judy Seigel
Sent: Monday, February 22, 2010 9:27 PM
To: The alternative photographic processes mailing list
Subject: [alt-photo] Re: ARCHIVALITY

...

But outbreaks of anxiety (and this is admittedly personal opinion) continue
from time to time, seeming (to me) to worry: will this work of art last til
the end of time, after I'm gone, unto the next millenium and beyond ?

Here, guys, is the answer (& send me a letter from heaven if I'm wrong): 
If you're nobody, or even not SOMEBODY, when you die your heirs, if they
don't have a private archive or other connection, and you haven't made
provisions in your lifetime, or have some special material in your work, as
for instance a complete record of flying saucers, steam engines, Marilyn
Monroe, or 2-headed calfs, will sweep the contents of your studio into a
cardboard box and leave them on the sidewalk (as indeed occasional reports
tell of great finds from that location).

If you are SOMEBODY, odds are some archive or collection, foundation or
other preserve will gladly take your relics -- and THEY will, guaranteed. 
have EXPERTS on hand who will know (especially by then) far more about
archiving, preservation, restoration and related topics than we do and will
not only know heaps more about fixing and saving than we do, but will even
have special worms to fill up old wormholes -- and MORE, MUCH MORE! 
(Not to mention that a slight look of aging may add a delicious patina.) So
relax.