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Cold Storage?

How it Affects Face- and Back-mounted Chromogenic Prints as Composites
  • Franziska Leidig , Kristina Blaschke-Walther , Ute Henniges and Irene Brückle
Published/Copyright: December 23, 2022
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Rundbrief Fotografie
From the journal Rundbrief Fotografie Volume 29 Issue 3-4

Abstract

Six face- and back-mounted chromogenic print samples (each 120 × 160 cm) and one pre-damaged original photograph (120 × 120 cm) were exposed to alternating temperature conditions. Cold storage was set at 8 °C with a slightly fluctuating relative humidity at an average of 55 % in a cooling chamber; room temperature storage occurred at 19 to 27 °C depending on the prevailing weather conditions. The samples were exposed alternatingly to these setups in a 24-hour rotation over five weeks to assess the effect of strong and rapid fluctuations on the stability of the composite. After about one week under the extreme, stress-intensive testing conditions, irreversible deformation, and a local loss of translucency occurred. Further local delamination was observed on the pre-damaged original artwork. Exceeding the dew point temperature, which occurred in our experimental setup and should be avoided, resulted in condensation on the acrylic surface and led to extensive streaks and, in combination with the electrostatic charge, to extreme dust deposits. These findings suggest that cold storage cannot be recommended for face- and back-mounted chromogenic prints.

Abstract

Sechs Probestücke (je 120 × 160 cm) und ein vorgeschädigtes Original (120 × 120 cm), alle chromogen entwickelt und bild- und rückseitig kaschiert, wurden wechselndem Umgebungsklima ausgesetzt. Die Kaltlagerung erfolgte in einer Kühlkammer bei 8 °C mit einer leicht schwankenden relativen Luftfeuchte von durchschnittlich 55 %, die Lagerung bei Raumtemperatur je nach herrschender Witterung zwischen 19 und 27 °C. Um die Auswirkungen schneller und starker Schwankungen auf die Verbundmaterialien zu beurteilen, wurden die Proben den Bedingungen fünf Wochen lang wechselnd in 24-Stunden-Zyklen ausgesetzt. Nach etwa einer Woche unter diesen extrem belastungsintensiven Testbedingungen zeigte sich sowohl eine irreversible Deformation als auch stellenweise farbliche Veränderung des Materials. Weiterhin kam es beim vorgeschädigten Original zu stellenweiser Delamination. Die Überschreitung der Taupunkttemperatur, zu der es während des Experiments kam, die aber grundsätzlich vermieden werden sollte, führte zu Kondensation auf der Acryloberfläche und großflächigen Schlieren. In Kombination mit der resultierenden elektrostatischen Aufladung kam es zu extremer Staubablagerung. Diese Ergebnisse legen nahe, dass eine Kaltlagerung für bild- und rückseitig kaschierte chromogene Farbabzüge nicht empfehlenswert ist.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Lisa Behrens, Lisa Beyer, Esther Hannemann, Philipp Mattausch, Philine Schneider, Miyon Schultka, Sarah Simon, and Irina Vorat – all from the Stuttgart State Academy of Art and Design – for their support in moving the samples. Both companies Grieger GmbH in Düsseldorf and recom ART in Berlin were very accommodating in the production of the samples and therefore ensured that sufficient material could be included in the study. Many thanks to Mario Röhrle, Stuttgart State Academy of Art and Design, for his help with the photographic documentation of the samples.

Notes

[1] Martin C. Jürgens: Silicone Rubber Face-mounting of Photographs to Poly(methyl Methacrylate). Process, Structure, Materials, and Long-term Dark Stability, a report submitted to the Department of Art in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Master of Art Conservation, Kingston, ON: Queen’s University 2001 (abridged version: appendices IV and V omitted); Erin Murphy: “Basic Care of Face-mounted Photographs at the Museum of Modern Art”, in: Topics in Photographic Preservation, vol. 12 (2007), pp. 160–174; Bill Wei: “International Research on the Conservation and Restoration of Face-mounted Photographs”, in: ICOM CC 15th Triennial Meeting, proceedings, New Delhi, September 22–26, vol. 2 (2008), pp. 709– 715.Search in Google Scholar

[2] Sylvie Pénichon and Martin Jürgens: “Two Finishing Techniques for Contemporary Photographs”, in: Topics in Photographic Preservation, vol. 9 (2001), pp. 85–96; Jürgens 2001 (as note 1); Murphy 2007 (as note 1); Wei 2008 (as note 1).Search in Google Scholar

[3] Henry Wilhelm with contributing author Carol Brower: The Permanence and Care of Color Photographs. Traditional and Digital Color Prints, Color Negatives, Slides, and Motion Pictures, Grinnell, IA: Preservation Publishing Company 1993.Search in Google Scholar

[4] Sylvie Pénichon: Twentieth Century Colour Photographs. The Complete Guide to Processes, Identification and Preservation, Los Angeles, CA: Getty Publications 2013.Search in Google Scholar

[5] Yvonne Shashoua: “Modern Plastics. Do They Suffer From the Cold?”, in: Studies in Conservation, vol. 49 (2004), supplement 2 (“Modern Art, New Museums”, Contributions to the Bilbao Congress, September 13–17, 2004), pp. 91–95.10.1179/sic.2004.49.s2.020Search in Google Scholar

[6] Julia Fenn and R. Scott Williams: Caring for Plastics and Rubbers, series: Preventive Conservation Guidelines for Collections, ed. by the Canadian Conservation Institute (CCI), Ottawa: Canadian Conservation Institute 2018, <https://www.canada.ca/en/conservation-institute/services/preventive-conservation/guidelines-collections/caring-plastics-rubbers.html> (last accessed May 20, 2022).Search in Google Scholar

[7] Betrand Lavédrine: A Guide to the Preventive Conservation of Photograph Collections, Los Angeles, CA: Getty Conservation Institute 2003; Jürgens 2001 (as note 1); Murphy 2007 (as note 1); Wei 2008 (as note 1).Search in Google Scholar

[8] Carl Bigras, Mylène Choquette and Jeremy Powell: Lightning Methods for Photographing Museum Objects, Ottawa: CCI 2010.Search in Google Scholar

[9] For the used line light see: <https://www.polytec.com/fileadmin/website/machine-vision/faseroptische-beleuchtung/pdf/datasheet_1-3-2-2-24_lightline_linear_polarizer_kits.pdf> (last accessed November 10, 2022).Search in Google Scholar

[10] For the used cooling chamber see: <https://chs-containergroup.de/de/container/kuehlzellen> (last accessed May 23, 2022).Search in Google Scholar

[11] Georg Menges: Werkstoffkunde Kunststoffe, Munich and ­ Vienna: Hanser 1990.Search in Google Scholar

[12] Fenn and Williams 2018 (as note 6).Search in Google Scholar

[13] For the relevant part of ISO 18910:2000 see: <https://www.iso.org/obp/ui/#iso:std:iso:18910:ed-1:v1:en> (last accessed November 10, 2022).Search in Google Scholar

[14] Jürgens 2001 (as note 1).Search in Google Scholar

[15] For the used microfibre cloth see: <https://www.hjm-reinraum.de/reinraumtuecher/711d.html?q=sm%20711> (last accessed May 20, 2022).Search in Google Scholar

[16] Franziska Leidig, Nina Quabeck, Ute Henniges and Irene Brückle: “Do’s and Don’ts. Cleaning the Acrylic Surface of Facemounted Photographic Prints”, in: Rundbrief Fotografie, vol. 29 (2022), no. 2, N.F. 114, pp. 29–36.10.1515/rbf-2022-2005Search in Google Scholar
Published Online: 2022-12-23
Published in Print: 2022-12-16

© 2022 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Editorial
  2. Werkstattberichte
  3. Frontmatter
  4. Ein Bild
  5. Eine Kamera und ein Bier
  6. Mediengeschichte
  7. „Deeper Sommertage“ und Bauhausjahre
  8. Color Galore in the French Colonial Empire
  9. Digitalisierung
  10. Fotografien aus dem Untergrund
  11. Bestände
  12. Ankunft im Museum
  13. Bekanntes Unbekanntes
  14. Materialität
  15. Cold Storage?
  16. Netzwerk Cellulosenitrat
  17. Forschung
  18. Visuelle Autoethnografie
  19. Literatur
  20. Rezensionen
  21. Kunst und Fotografie oder Kunstfotografie?
  22. Neu Eingegangen
  23. Zeitschriftenauswertung
  24. Personalia
  25. Personalia
  26. Mitteilungen
  27. Mitteilung
  28. Fortbildung
  29. Ankündigung
https://doi.org/10.1515/rbf-2022-3008

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Editorial
  2. Werkstattberichte
  3. Frontmatter
  4. Ein Bild
  5. Eine Kamera und ein Bier
  6. Mediengeschichte
  7. „Deeper Sommertage“ und Bauhausjahre
  8. Color Galore in the French Colonial Empire
  9. Digitalisierung
  10. Fotografien aus dem Untergrund
  11. Bestände
  12. Ankunft im Museum
  13. Bekanntes Unbekanntes
  14. Materialität
  15. Cold Storage?
  16. Netzwerk Cellulosenitrat
  17. Forschung
  18. Visuelle Autoethnografie
  19. Literatur
  20. Rezensionen
  21. Kunst und Fotografie oder Kunstfotografie?
  22. Neu Eingegangen
  23. Zeitschriftenauswertung
  24. Personalia
  25. Personalia
  26. Mitteilungen
  27. Mitteilung
  28. Fortbildung
  29. Ankündigung
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