cheers
-steve
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FYI -
The current issue of The Journal of The American Institute for
Conservation, Spring 1995, 34:1, ISSN 0197-1360, contains two articles
that might be of interest to members of this group. I have not read
either yet, so I am passing them on without comment.
** Severson, Douglas G. "Alfred Stieglitz's Palladium Photographs and
Their Treatment by Edward Steichen."
ABSTRACT - The majority of Alfred Stieglitz's palladium photographs
were treated after his death by fellow photographer Edward Steichen.
The exact nature of the treatment is uncertain, but now, decades
later, it may be having an adverse impact on the photographs. This
paper summarizes historical and experimental investigations undertaken
to clarify this issue. The platinum-palladium process is briefly
described, as is a chronology of Stieglitz's use of particular
processes and techniques. Events of 1946-51 are related, including
the examination and distribution by Georgia O'Keeffe of Stieglitz's
lifework and the treatment of more than 230 of his palladium prints by
Steichen. Densitometric studies of treated palladium prints in the
collection of the Art Institute of Chicago are summarized. The
observed effects of the treatments are described, and the possible
nature of Steichen's procedures is hypothesized.
** Gottlieb, Adam. "Chemistry and Conservation of Platinum and Palladium
Photographs."
ABSTRACT - The Stieglitz Colloquy in May 1993 drew attention to the
deterioration of platinum and palladium photographs, even though the
former is considered to be among the most "permanent" photographic
techniques. The chemical composition of the two types of photographs
is clarified to aid the conservator in distinguishing the prints and
determining the types of deterioration they might be subjected to in
the future. The prints are chemically characterized by three means:
by searching the available literature for references to processes,
beginning in the 1850's; by recreating the processes according to the
recipes; and by developing a method using energy dispersive x-ray
spectroscopy to carry out elemental analysis of the metals used in the
processes, thus allowing the chemical compounds that might have
originally supplied the raw materials for the processes to be
inferred.
JAIC is published by the American Institute for Conservation of
Historic and Artistic Works, 1717 K Street N.W., Suite 301, Washington
D.C. 20006, U.S.A.; (202) 452-9545; fax: (202) 452-9328.
>===for PGP Key finger Greg Schmitz <gws1@cunix.cc.columbia.edu>===
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