A Six-Step Guide to Caring for Photos

NEW YORK—The packing instructions on your newest art acquisition read: “Handle with Care.” But how much do you really know about how to maintain and preserve your personal collection?

“I certainly think custodians of works of art, artifacts and material of historic or cultural value should do what they can, given their particular resources,” said Lee Ann Daffner, conservator of photography at New York’s Museum of Modern Art.

Yet for collectors of photography and other new media, the challenge of conservation is compounded by the ever-evolving nature of the medium, which can surpass even most preservationists’ understanding.

To that end, ArtInfo offers this six-step instruction guide with valuable information gathered from two of the leading experts in the field of photo conservation. Not only will these tips help maximize the longevity of your artwork, but also protect its appearance for future generations.

---------------

Step 1: Get Informed

Photography may be a popular choice for emerging collectors, but the mistake many newcomers make is not knowing what they are getting, warned Nora Kennedy, conservator of photographs at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

“Large contemporary color photographs are often treated like paintings, which they are not,” she said. “Most color images are made from dyes which are inherently unstable, often both in the light and dark. This does not mean that they will disappear in a matter of weeks or months, but it does mean that a greater awareness is required to preserve [them] into the future.”

So before making a purchase, obtain all the details possible about the work. A dealer should have access to the specifics: the type of work, whether a chromogenic photograph, inkjet print, or other; the manufacturer of the materials; the conditions under which the work is expected to last; and the name of the person researched the specifications.

And to take your research even further, Kennedy suggests going straight to the source.

“[The Met] also asks the artist for their view on the preservation of their work,” she said. “This information will be instructive over the short term, but should also travel with the work into the future, as it will be critical to its long-term preservation as well.”

---------------

Step 2: Seek Smart Storage

“The storage facility and storage enclosures are really important,” said MoMA’s Daffner. “Cool and dry are the best conditions.”

Both MoMA and the Met have special temperature-controlled storage rooms for photography (MoMA maintains a “cool” room at 50 degrees Fahrenheit with 40 percent relative humidity, and a “cold” room at 32-34 degrees Fahrenheit with 35 percent relative humidity).

“Obviously, cold storage is not an option yet for many private collectors,” Kennedy said. “This will be a solution that the private sector turns to increasingly in the future, just as museums internationally have done.”

She recommends instead using a special storage facility outside the home. (But before handing over your artwork, request temperature and humidity records covering at least a year and check those to make sure proper levels are being maintained.)

But for collectors who want to keep works in their home, there are still options, offered Daffner. “With temperature, go as low as you can go. If you can only cool a room with an air conditioner, certainly that’s better than room temperature.” And never store photographs an area that might get damp or moldy, such as a basement, she cautioned.

Collectors should also look for products that have been subjected to a photographic activity test (PAT), and, when in doubt, consult with an expert at an archival supply store.

---------------

Step 3: Go Easy on the Light

Most collectors don’t store their photographs 100 percent of the time—after all, half the fun of acquiring them is showing them off. But the more light the photographs see, the more they will deteriorate.

“They are sensitive to light and they will change over time; there’s no getting around that,” Daffner said. “Direct light is the death toll of photography.”