Project Objectives
Conservation of Photographs and Photograph Collections for Countries of Central, Southern and Eastern Europe is a multi-year project organized by the Getty Conservation Institute (GCI), in partnership with the Academy of Fine Art and Design (AFAD) in Bratislava and the Slovak National Library (SNL) in Martin. This project is organized in collaboration with the Science department at the Getty Conservation Institute and draws upon that department's work on the conservation of photographs. The goal of the project is the development of the field of photograph conservation in the region. In support of this goal, GCI will pursue the following objectives:
- to provide theoretical and practical knowledge of photograph conservation through a series of summer schools and distance learning activities;
- to establish the foundation for an enduring regional network of professionals in photograph conservation;
- to adapt, translate or produce learning materials and tools where gaps exist in the existing body of literature and didactic resources;
- to disseminate the results of the training and related activities widely.
Project Overview
Acquiring knowledge and skill in a field as complex as photograph conservation requires a long-term process of learning and practice. For this reason, Conservation of Photographs and Photograph Collections for Countries of Central, Southern and Eastern Europe is based upon an educational model that combines traditional classroom instruction with distance learning and mentoring, designed to develop professional capacity over an extended period of time.
The project will begin with a course entitled Fundamentals of the Conservation of Photographs. The course will consist of formal classroom-based instruction carried out over three summer schools, each of approximately three-to-four weeks in duration. Over the course of three years, the summer school will include a theoretical and laboratory session held at AFAD in Bratislava, complemented by a practical session at the SNL in Martin, during which time participants will work with photographic material from the SNL photograph collection.
Each summer school will be followed by an approximately eight-month program of mentored capacity-building activities that participants will pursue within their own institutions, applying the ideas and skills acquired during the summer school. The mentored learning phase of the course allows participants to pursue their other job responsibilities, while building expertise in the various topic areas covered by the course. The first summer school will begin in July 2008.
The combination of traditional classroom instruction with distance mentoring and learning has many potential benefits. Extending learning from the classroom to the workplace allows participants to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the subject and to better develop their practical skills and confidence within a framework of problem-solving and supportive communication. This model will also allow participants to become comfortable making decisions and applying newly gained skills within the context of their own collections. Equally important will be the opportunity for participants to communicate conservation concerns and ideas to their colleagues within their institutions. Lastly, the educational model provides a forum and stimulus for communication between participants which will hopefully help to establish longer lasting networks within the region. Many of the teaching resources developed during the project will be made available to the larger community of educators.
Instructors for the course are leaders in the field of photograph conservation education. Participants in the course will be drawn from museums, libraries, and archives in central, southern, and eastern Europe. Participants will be mid-career conservators or cultural heritage specialists who have some degree of responsibility for photograph collections in large museums, libraries, archives, and/or privately held collections.
Additional information regarding the course, including application procedures, will be available shortly on this Webpage.
Last updated: April 2008
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