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NEDCC Trains Eastern European Conservators on the Care and Preservation of Photographs

November 2005

They came from Slovakia, Hungary, and the Czech Republic to learn how to preserve their nations’ historic photographs. Four experienced paper conservators from Eastern Europe recently visited the Northeast Document Conservation Center (NEDCC) in Andover to participate in an intensive four-week training institute on care and conservation of photographs: Zuzana Madericova and Nina Mrafkova from the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Bratislava, Slovakia; Theodora Popova from the Fine Art Academy in Prague, Czech Republic; and Dorottya Szlabey of the National Archives in Budapest, Hungary.

In the former Soviet Bloc countries, there are vast collections of culturally important photographs in museums, libraries, and archives. Currently there is no one in the region who has been professionally trained in the conservation of photographs. Nina Mfafkova learned skills that she can use to help treat a collection of 10,000 photographs at the National Museum in Bratislava ranging from the 19th century to contemporary photographs, including portraits and scenes of historic events. Theodora Popova has had experience treating paintings and works of art on paper at the Fine Art Academy in Prague, but this was her first real training on photographs conservation. She brought photographs from a large collection damaged in the 2002 flood in Prague to use as examples during the hands-on sessions of the institute.

The participants learned about the history, identification, and preservation of different types of historic photographs and negatives. The Institute gave them a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience in examination, identification, and basic treatment of photographs that they will share with colleagues on their return home. NEDCC’s Institute was the first in a three-year series that will bring a different group of Central and Eastern European conservators to Andover. This important training program will have an immediate impact on the preservation of the region’s valuable photograph collections.

The project is supported by the Getty Foundation, the Trust for Mutual Understanding, and the Kress Foundation.