Touching up areas of loss on a chromogenic print. © Estelle Poulalion, 2014
Rainbow effect on the edge of a 19th century plate, due to humidity and pollutants
A diagram of the condition at the time of treatment is stored with the object, so conservators can check later on if things have gotten worse, or if they’ve effectively prevented further decay
The microscopic colored starch grains of an autochrome, viewed through a microscope
Conservator Ragounathe Coridon’s workspace
The ARCP team at work in the lab
Unmounting a daguerreotype: after humidification with the application of gellan gum, a band of kraft paper from an earlier restoration is removed. © ARCP / Mairie de Paris / Constance Asseman, 2016
To restore a torn photograph, the first step is to remove dust…
After joining the torn fibers back together, a band of Japanese paper and conservation adhesive is used to fix the tear. The support is then doubled and flattened.
The photograph after treatment: Anonymous, Portail d’entrée, s.d. Tirage sur papier albuminé, Collection didactique de l’ARCP, n° inv. ARCP0704. © ARCP / Mairie de Paris / Jean-Philippe Boiteux