Workshops

Workshops are offered across the United States on an on-going basis, and online registration is available below. Upcoming workshops will be announced here as soon as their details are confirmed. Workshops offered regularly by institutions or other instructors are also listed below. The 4-day Care and ID workshops often fill to capacity in a short time, so register early to ensure a place.

The Care and Identification of Photographic Materials

Can't thank you enough, Gawain! Your knowledge, and the presentation of it, far exceeded expectations.

--Jean Marie Smart, Visual Resources Curator, University of Arizona

This workshop is an intensive 4-day introduction to the history and technology of photographic materials. It is a practical approach to the identification and preservation of photographs from the daguerreotype to the inkjet print. The combination of small class size (no more than 12 students) and the 4-day course length makes this a unique course which gives the students the time and instruction necessary to gain a practical working knowledge of photographic identification and care. Registration Includes:

4-day workshop
280-page color notebook
60x LED handheld microscope
OPTIONAL: Basic Photographic Sample Set

2010 Workshop Dates:

Click on an event date for full details and to register online. Register for the September NYC workshop at METRO's website, do not register on this site.

Updates:

2011 Workshops being planned: New York City, San Francisco, Santa Fe, Tucson (Center for Creative Photography), Los Angeles (Huntington Library), Boston (MIT Museum), Central Illinois (Illinois State University)

Online Courses

For those who cannot attend a workshop in person, the online course Care of Photographs is offered twice per year through the Northern States Conservation Center. These online classes run for 10 weeks and are an excellent introduction to the history and technology of photographic materials.

MS 222: Care of Photographs

Upcoming Dates:

October 4 - December 3, 2010

Class Description: Photographic materials cover a diverse range, everything from the daguerreotypes and wet plate negatives of the 19th century to the gelatin silver, chromogenic and inkjet prints of the 20th and now 21st century. Care of Photographs offers a broad introduction to the history, technology, identification, and care of these and other photographic materials. Topics include environmental monitoring, the effects of temperature and relative humidity, and the importance of cold storage for certain photographic materials. It is intended to help those caring for photographic materials to gain a better understanding of their collections and how to care for them.

The Basic Photographic Sample Set is an integral part of this course and is purchased separately via the online store at the NSCC student price of $25

For more information or to register visit their website.

Custom Workshops

Customized workshops for your institution can be arranged for any length of time and on a wide variety of topics relating to the care, conservation, and technical history of photographic materials. Past workshops have focused on an in-depth understanding of the history, nature, and deterioration of the gelatin silver print, and the care and identification of color photography from the 19th century to today's inkjet prints. An extensive collection of sample prints from the entire history of photography is used to illustrate and provide hands-on experience for students in the identification and understanding of photographic and photomechanical processes. Please contact Gawain Weaver directly to discuss how a customized workshop can be planned to meet your needs.

Other Workshops in the United States

Photography Workshops at George Eastman House (Rochester, NY)

George Eastman House has begun a series of workshops taught by process historian Mark Osterman and others. Some of these workshops offer hands-on instruction in the creation of historic photographic processes combined with the viewing of historic prints from the George Eastman House collection. Mark has a remarkably deep hands-on knowledge of these processes and these workshops offer a unique opportunity to gain an in-depth understanding of specific processes.

For registration and further information see the following websites:

http://www.collodion.org/EastmanHouseWorkshops.html

http://www.eastmanhouse.org/Main/events/series/photo-workshops

Campbell Center for Historic Preservation Studies (Mount Carroll, IL)

A series of three courses, Care of Photographic Collections I-III, is taught on an annual rotating basis at the Campbell Center for Historic Preservation Studies by long-time photograph conservator Gary Albright. Each course is 3 days, and the courses build on each other. Up-to-date course schedule info and online registration is available at the Campbell Center website. Course fee: $735/3-day course, however room and most meals are included as part of the tuition!

Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artificacts

Focusing on Photographs: Identification and Preservation: This two-day program will help cultural institutions to develop the strategies needed to establish safe storage environments and handling procedures, and to select appropriate reformatting options. Gawain Weaver will be one of several photograph conservators featured in the program.

This program is intended for staff who are involved in collections care activities or have responsibility for photograph collections, such as librarians, archivists, curators, collections managers, stewards of historic house museums, and records managers. This program has been held twice so far, in Philadelphia in 2009, and Baltimore in 2010. It may be held again in 2012 in the Southeastern US.