332
record in the originating country and which in that
case probably would be lost and/or which are supple-
mentary tot the original collection;- preserve a historical document which formed a part
of the cultural-historic memory, not only of the own
country, but also of the rest of the world: - bring forward and emphasize the photo historic value,
which during the days as company archives hardly
played a role.
Keeping the collection together as a whole has in-
creased the value of the photographs, which goes beyond
the value of the individual photo. The collection is a
source of information on mass culture in the nineteenth
and 20th century as seen by well-known photographers
as well as an even greater number of anonymous photog-
raphers. This enables future generations to understand
how people saw at their surroundings. Such collections
have been preserved and can now be accessed and used
in quite different ways than originally intended. The ver-
satility of such collections allows photography to expand
its application than in the days the photos originally were
published and shown. Institutions and museum use their
collections as a source of inspiration for many.
The conservation of the photographs has developed
from not existing to the present standard of being
critically needed due to the cooperation of experts and
photographic conservationists. This conservation runs
parallel to the increase in knowledge of photo-conserva-
tion in the past decades. It is also due to our culture’s
vast interest in these the collections, which have required
specifi c solutions for conservation on a mass scale.
During recent years initiatives like the ICOM-con-
ference has made an important contributions to the
preservation of the photographic memory. The ICOM
committee for conservation held the 14th Triennial
Meeting in 2005 in The Hague (the Netherlands).With-
out its vast collections and many unique photographs
the photographic collection of the world would be less
saturated. In response to the regional need for training
professionals in the fi eld of photographic conserva-
tion, a series of mid-career photographic conservation
training workshops were organized in Australia. These
workshops were funded by the Getty Grant Program and
organized by PHOTON, the photographic special inter-
est group of the Australian Institute for Conservation of
Cultural Materials (AICCM). These workshops targeted
conservationists and cultural heritage professionals in
Australia and the surrounding region.
Archives, museum and institutions are contributing to
make the public aware of the values of the photographic
memory to the community. Its collections are not only
of interest to (photo)historians, but are used to stimulate
students, artists, designers and serve educational pur-
poses. With this in mind more and more conservationists
and restorers are working together with researchers in
the fi eld of photo history and with culture, state, and
municipal archives, as well as with other institutions,
professional and amateur photographers, social orga-
nizations, the business community, designers artists
and teachers.
Many archives consider the production of tempo-
rary exhibitions as an important part of its activities. It
enables the public to see photography from constantly
changing perspectives. This may range from creating
a feeling of recognition of portraits of landscapes, to
public debates about the use of photography and its
impact as well.
By making photographic collection available in so
many ways, institutes have made archives into dynamic
experiences. By the daily use and growth of digital
photography, reproductions have been easily made in
recent years for (photo)historic research, exhibitions,
and publications like books, newspapers, magazines, cd-
roms, DVDs, commercials and advertisements, school
materials, television and fi lm, and the institute’s wide
and various audience. The expansive use of archives
makes nineteenth and twentieth century photographs
part of the twenty-fi rst century. The collections also
contain international pictures, help establishing an in-
ternational concept of the world in earlier centuries.
In 1992 a conference on photographic conserva-
tion was held at Windemere, Cumbria, England. More
than 150 delegates representing 15 different countries
from all over the world attended the Conference The
Imperfect Image—Photographs, their Past, Present and
Future. It was organized by the Centre for Photographic
Conservation based in London and directed by Angela
and Ian Moor, two of the most infl uential conservators
in the fi eld.
This Conference 92 was divided into fi ve sections,
and there was an accompanying poster exhibit. Section
one was Photographic history, processes and applica-
tions; section two was Photographic collection man-
agement; section three: preservation and conservation
research; section four: conservation and restoration and
section fi ve: photographic conservation training. This
conference was an important meeting for scholars that
celebrated surviving images while drawing attention to
the degradation of countless others.
Many institutes, archives and their researchers/restor-
ers as well as artists have contributed to the proliferation
of knowledge about photographic conservation and
preservation. Members of these institutions share their
experiences with other conservationists, allowing free
exchange of information. Focused on as well are the
great number of photographs that stimulate the debate
about more effi cient ways of conservation. These institu-
tions cooperate with the scientifi c centers also concerned