SGGL Staff Attends HBCU Photographic Preservatioin Workshop at Bowie

Lynn Waller, archivist, and Michael Janakis, intern, attended the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Photographic Preservation Workshop at Bowie State University on July 31st-August 2nd. This conference was a 3 day workshop which allowed both Lynn and Michael to gain hands-on experience and much knowledge in photographic preservation techniques.

On July 31st, the first day of the conference, Lynn and Michael learned about different archives-quality housings (housings are the storage units in which photos are "housed," including envelopes, sleeves, folders, and boxes). They were also able to learn how to create various housings, such as tuxedo boxes, folders for panoramic photographs, and other archives- quality folders from archives-approved cardstock and other materials.

On August 1st, Lynn and Michael constructed book cradles, which are used in archives facilities to protect and support fragile books while researchers examine them. In the afternoon, Lynn and Michael were treated to lectures and slide shows about digitization techniques, including tips on how to determine the best situations in which to digitize photographs, and the best ways to grant access to digitized prints.

On August 2nd, the final day of the conference, Lynn and Michael were given lectures on cold storage techniques. Cold storage is used for extended preservation of fragile or unstable graphics, such as color photographs (all color photographs are very suceptible to fading). They were also able to practice packing photographic housings for cold storage, because cold storage necessitates special wrappings in order to control humidity. In the afternoon of the final day, Lynn and Michael were allowed to practice removing old photographs from their frames, in preparation for preservation.

The HBCU Photographic Preservation Workshop was a lot of fun, and very informative. Lynn and Michael were both able to learn lots of new information and techniques from the workshops, and were allowed to keep everything they made. The conference brought together conservators, preservationists, archivists, librarians, and historians, all of whom shared information and learned together.