International Training Programs — Central and Eastern Europe

We are pleased to announce a call for applications for the Spring 2024 Advanced Photograph Conservation Internship at the Northeast Document Conservation Center in Andover, Massachusetts, USA. The internship is specifically open to qualified conservators from Central or Eastern Europe. We wish to express our deep gratitude to the Trust for Mutual Understanding for their ongoing support of this invaluable training program.

PROGRAM DETAILS

The 55-day training program includes an intensive study of photograph identification and hands-on practice of photograph conservation treatment techniques under the supervision of NEDCC's Senior Photograph Conservator Monique Fischer. The participant will refine bench skills and learn new conservation techniques; observe ongoing conservation treatments in the NEDCC lab; learn the use of proper nomenclature to describe photographs and treatments; and practice written and photographic documentation of conservation treatments.

The program will also include 10 days of travel to New York and Washington DC to visit other conservation laboratories and view important photograph collections at museums and archives. 

There is NO cost for participating in the training program. It is funded by a generous grant from the Trust for Mutual Understanding. ALL expenses for international and U.S. travel will be paid, as well as housing, insurance, and a daily stipend. 

APPLICATION GUIDELINES

The training program acceptance will be awarded on a competitive application basis. Applicants should submit a letter of interest, not to exceed two pages; a brief curriculum vitae; and two letters of recommendation from professional colleagues or supervisors. The intern must be fluent in English.

The applicant's letter of interest should address the following questions:

1. Why is the training program important to your educational and professional goals?
2. How will the training help you in your day-to-day work?
3. What collections in your region can benefit from your training?
4. What experience and/or training have you had in the conservation of photographs?
5. Will you be able to share the knowledge and skills gained during the program with other conservation professionals in the region? If so, how?

DEADLINE

Applications are due by 31 October 2023 and must be submitted by email. You will receive confirmation of receipt. If you do not receive a confirmation email, please contact us. 

The completed application should be sent to Monique Fischer, [email protected].

QUESTIONS?  

Contact: Monique Fischer, [email protected]  or Ryn Marchese, [email protected].

History: Advanced Photograph Conservation Internship Program: 2010 to Present

The current phase of the Northeast Document Conservation Center's (NEDCC) training initiative for Central and Eastern European conservation professionals began in 2010 with the Center's first Photograph Conservation Internship, funded by the Trust for Mutual Understanding and the Samuel H. Kress Foundation. The internship was designed to provide advanced hands-on training for one individual in photograph conservation so that he or she could become a professional resource for consultations and further training in the region. The program responded to the need for more in-depth training and practical experience for photograph conservators in Eastern Europe.

When the NEDCC began the initiative to train Central and Eastern European conservators in photograph conservation, there wasn't a single professional in the region who had been trained in this specialized field. At the same time, important collections of photographs were coming to light, many of which had been hidden away for safety during the Soviet era.

NEDCC worked in partnership with the Academy of Fine Arts and Design (AFAD) in Bratislava, Slovakia; the Conservation Center at New York University; and the Getty Conservation Institute in Los Angeles, CA to offer a training program in photograph conservation for professors, conservators, and students in Central and Eastern Europe. The overall aim of the program has been to raise awareness among institutions about the preservation needs of the region's valuable photograph collections.

The photograph conservation training initiative began in 2000 when NEDCC Senior Paper Conservator Walter Newman, and Shelly Sass, Program Coordinator and Associate Professor at the Conservation Center, Institute of Fine Arts, New York University, visited the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Bratislava to meet with faculty of the Academy's 50 year-old conservation program to discuss possible collaborations and training opportunities. During the visit, Mr. Newman also visited two wallpaper conservation projects that were underway in Austria and Germany with Boris Kvasnica, the Academy's newly appointed Paper Conservator. Mr. Kvasnica appreciated the opportunity to exchange ideas and experiences with an American conservator. Mr. Newman was impressed by the skill of the Slovakian conservators that he met and felt that they would benefit from exposure to American approaches to conservation, especially in the area of preventive conservation.

In 2001, Boris Kvasnica was invited to participate in a week-long residency in paper conservation at NEDCC in Andover. At the end of his time at the Center, Mr. Kvasnica identified training in conservation of photographs as his region's most important need and suggested that Monique Fischer, NEDCC's Senior Photograph Conservator, teach a series of seminars at the Academy for graduate students and professionals in the region. The resulting exchange program was made possible by generous support from the Trust for Mutual Understanding, The Samuel H. Kress Foundation, the Getty Foundation, and the Tianaderrah Foundation.

International Photograph Conservation Workshop 2005–2008 at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design (AFAD), Bratislava, Slovakia

In 2003, the first week-long Photograph Conservation Workshop was held in Bratislava for a group of students of the Academy of Fine Arts and Design led by NEDCC Senior Photograph Conservator Monique Fischer. Then, each year from 2005 to 2008, week-long International Photograph Conservation Workshops were hosted by the AFAD for a group of about 20 conservators, professors, and students who were invited to attend from the surrounding countries. The workshops provided an overview of the history of photographic processes, as well as sessions on photograph identification, preservation, and conservation. Each year the workshop concentrated on a different aspect of photograph conservation.

The 2005 workshop was a general introduction to the conservation of photographs, while the 2006 workshop spotlighted preventive conservation and identification of photographic processes. The 2007 and 2008 workshops focused on specific themes such as the conservation of silver gelatin photographs and cased images. The workshops combined lectures and demonstrations with round-table discussions, student presentations, and field trips in the region. One of the unexpected benefits was a new international network of professional connections among the participants, many of whom attended all the workshops.

Participants for the international workshops came from Slovakia, Estonia, Bulgaria, Serbia and Montenegro, Poland, the Czech Republic, Russia, and Hungary.

Speakers for the four workshops included, Monique Fischer, NEDCC Senior Photographs Conservator, Dr. Dusan Stulik, Senior Scientist, Getty Conservation Institute; Boris Kvasnica, Head of the Paper Conservation Department, Academy of Fine Arts and Design; Nora Kennedy, Sherman Fairchild Conservator of Photographs, Metropolitan Museum of Art; Mia Fineman, Photograph Conservator, Metropolitan Museum of Art; Ralph Weigandt, Assistant Director of Conservation Education at the International Museum of Photography at the George Eastman House; Jana Krizanova, AFAD faculty; Barbara Burianova, AFAD faculty; Dipl. Ing. Jozef Hanus, Head, Department of Archival Preservation, Slovak National Archives; Private Collector Pavel Blazo, and Tatiana Eichler, Executive Director CEIAP, Bratislava.

Photograph Conservation Institute 2004–2008 at NEDCC, Andover, Massachusetts, USA

The first Photograph Conservation Institute took place at NEDCC in 2004. NEDCC selected participants from previous training efforts in the region for the first Institute and sought out experienced paper conservators who taught in formal academic programs or who provided mid-career training in informal settings.

Each year from 2005 to 2008, four Institute participants were chosen from the Bratislava workshop attendees to travel to NEDCC in Andover, Massachusetts, for a three-week long, intensive Photograph Conservation Institute, where they received in-depth training. The students reviewed the history of photography and the deterioration of different types of photographs. They studied the identification of different photographic processes, a crucial skill in photograph conservation. All-day sessions gave students ample opportunity for hands-on practice of treatment techniques under the close supervision of faculty members.

The students also visited conservation labs and museums in New England, including the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, the Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston, and the Weisman Preservation Center at Harvard University. The students traveled to New York City every year for a behind-the-scenes tour of the photograph conservation lab at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, hosted by Nora Kennedy, Sherman Fairchild Conservator of Photographs. Many of the students remarked that the trips were among the most valuable activities of the Institute, because they were able to see how different labs were set up and the variety of equipment used by American conservators.

Participants for the Photograph Conservation Institutes came from Bulgaria, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Russia, Hungary, Serbia, Poland, and Estonia.

Participants

2023 Elvina Karosienė is a paper restorer at the Šiauliai “Aušros” Museum in Lithuania. She is responsible for treating objects ranging from 16th-century paper to 21st-century photographs. Elvina is excited about learning advanced photograph conservation techniques and later sharing what she learns with her Lithuanian colleagues.
2022 The 2022 intern was Barbara Líznerová, a Photograph Conservator currently working at the Institute of Art History, Czech Academy of Sciences in Prague. She is also responsible for social media and other PR activities at her institute. She graduated in Conservation of Photography at the Film and TV School of Academy of Performing Arts (FAMU) in Prague in 2016. Barbara is enthusiastic about gaining new experience in photo conservation, about photography itself, popularization of science, traveling and cultural heritage. Barbara worked closely with NEDCC Senior Photograph Conservator Monique Fischer for a six-week long training during which she reviewed the history of photography and the deterioration of different types of photographs, studied identification of different photographic processes, and obtained ample opportunity for hands-on practice of treatment techniques. Here's a radio interview with Barabara about photo conservation from Czech Radio (July 25, 2022 - in Czech).
2018 Our 2018 Advanced Photograph Conservation Intern was Kristaps Latvis, Paper and Photograph Conservator at the Museum of the History of Riga and Navigation, Riga, Latvia. Kristaps’ previous experience includes conservation positions at the Latvian State Archives of Audiovisual Documents and the Swiss National Museum. His program included training at NEDCC’s conservation lab in Andover, Massachusetts, USA, where the student will study identification of photographic processes, treatment documentation, proper housing and storage for photographic materials, collection assessments, and receive hands-on training for a variety of conservation treatment techniques. Kristaps  also worked with the Center’s digitization staff to learn about the creation and preservation of digital output media.  He concluded his two-month program with trips to New York City and Washington DC to visit conservation labs at major museums and archives. Kristaps commented, "I am very grateful for the opportunity to take part in this program. In this training I have improved my theoretical knowledge about historical photographic techniques and storage of photographic collections, and also improved my hands-on skills."
2017 Anna Aseeva has worked at the ROSPHOTO State Russian Museum and Exhibition Centre in Saint Petersburg since 2005. The ROSPHOTO collection includes unique materials that present an overview of the art of Russian photography, history of art styles and aesthetics, development of photographic techniques, and the evolution of technology. Anna explains, “ROSPHOTO is just 15 years old and is still forming its collection, which comes from private collections, bookstores, and institutions, and are purchased or donated.”  ROSPHOTO cares for its own photograph collections, but also conserves collections belonging to other museums and archives, which lack the in-house expertise to treat photographs. As a result, Anna is one of the main conservators of photographs for the whole country. Like NEDCC, ROSPHOTO also provides workshops for museum archivists and conservators. Anna brought her own study collection from Russia, so she was able to practice a variety of conservation techniques using these photographs, including surface cleaning, mending, flattening, washing, inpainting losses, creating protective housings, and hinging and matting.  Working in the conservation lab alongside NEDCC conservators was a highlight of the program for Anna. She explained that the training she received and the experiences she had while at NEDCC will forever shape her work and her life going forward. One of the most important things that the interns learn while working in the NEDCC conservation labs is the importance of collaboration and the value of generous sharing of knowledge between colleagues.
2015 Anna Seweryn, the 2015 Intern, is a paper and photograph conservator at the National Archives, Krakow, Poland, and at the National Digital Archives in Warsaw. The National Archives of Poland holds a significant collection of 19th and 20th century photographs, for which Anna has been appointed conservator.  The Archives plans to establish a Centre of Conservation Competency within the next several years, and the experience and knowledge Anna has gained during the internship will be a great asset to the new program.  The Centre will conduct research and offer training devoted to the preservation and conservation of archival materials. Anna comments on the value of the internship:  “After my internship I am much more confident in my conservation decisions, and I know that I can always count on the people I met at NEDCC to offer advice. I learned conservation techniques that were new to me, and improved my knowledge about developing storage of photographic collections; preparation of photographic materials for exhibition; and preparing survey reports for photographic collections, which is extremely important in my every day work. The internship gave me an opportunity to work with new conservation materials and equipment which I will include in my future work.”
2014 The 2014 intern was Martina Bagatin, an experienced paper conservator at the Central Laboratory for Conservation and Restoration at the Croatian State Archives in Zagreb, Croatia. The NEDCC internship came at a very opportune time for Martina, since she has recently been selected to serve as the primary photograph conservator at their lab.  The Archives holds nearly 1,300,000 photographs and negatives in their collections, which range from early photography to modern digital prints. The collections potentially benefitted by Martina’s internship extend well beyond the Croatian State Archives. “The Central Laboratory for Conservation and Restoration not only fulfills the needs of the Croatian State Archives,” she explains, “but it also serves the holders/owners of written and photographic heritage in Croatia, including regional archives, libraries, museums, and other cultural organizations, as well as individuals.”
2013 Balázs Zoltán Tóth, of Szeged, Hungary, was the 2013 Photograph Conservation Intern. Balázs is a colleague at the Hungarian Museum of Photography in Kecskemét where he has had eight years of experience as a research fellow and archivist. The Hungarian Museum of Photography is one of the most important art institutes in Hungary, and its collections include over one million photographs and other objects related to the field of photography, including original negatives, cameras, and darkroom accessories, as well as books, journals, audio materials, and other archive materials. The Museum serves researchers and is a training place for university students. Balázs is dedicated to preserving Hungary’s historical photograph collections, as well as training young photographers in the skills that will ensure the preservation of the next generation’s photographs.  He has been active for several years in the ‘Studio of Young Photographers,’ a professional association of young artists dealing with photography as a medium of expression, and he plans to hold a seminar for art students on preparing current photographic art to last for the long-term.
2012 Lidija Pajevik was The Center's 2012 Photograph Conservation Intern. Lidija is the Project Manager at the Macedonian Center for Photography in Skopje, Macedonia where she is responsible for the development and maintenance of the MCP's photographic collections. The Macedonian Center for Photography is one of the major photograph collection holding institutions in the Republic of Macedonia, and houses an extensive archive of over 220,000 photographic works. The collection documents the history of Macedonia in the last century, including the late period of the Ottoman Empire, the Balkan Wars, World War II, and the period of communism. Lidija commented on the value of the program: "The internship had a very strong impact on my professional development as a conservation practitioner, enabling me to improve the knowledge and skills in photograph conservation, and helping me to better understand where I should focus my future efforts. The most valuable part of the program for me was the supervised hands-on practice in the NEDCC lab and the work with instructor Monique Fischer."
2011 NEDCC's 2011 Photograph Conservation Intern was Hrvoje Gržina, an archivist in the Department for Photograph Collections at the Croatian State Archives, in Zagreb, Croatia. His responsibilities include care and preservation of the significant photograph collections at the archives. During the internship, he concentrated on the identification of photographic processes, a skill that is essential in the treatment and preservation of the Archives' wide range of photographic materials. He also practiced conservation treatment techniques and received training in conducting surveys of photograph collections.
2010 Alexander Vatov served as NEDCC's 2010 intern. He is a conservator at the National History Museum in Sofia, Bulgaria. During his internship, Alexander observed ongoing treatments on a variety of materials in the laboratory. He visited other conservation labs and museums in the region, and had the opportunity to participate in a workshop on the Characterization of Silver Gelatin Photographs, presented in New York City by the American Institute for Conservation.

2019 - Croatian State Archives to Host NEDCC Professional Development Symposium on Photograph Conservation

A Symposium On Photograph Conservation

22-24 May, 2019
Croatian State Archives
Zagreb, Croatia
The symposium will be presented in English.

NEDCC | Northeast Document Conservation Center and the Croatian State Archives will present a three-day professional development symposium for conservators, archivists, museum professionals, administrators, and others who care for photographic materials.  The goal of the Symposium is to: create discussion on how to further the preservation of photographic materials in the region; help create more professional development opportunities; reach other professionals; and strengthen the connections between past participants in NEDCC’s training programs. This program is funded by a generous grant from the Trust for Mutual Understanding. 

The 2019 Symposium Program

The 2019 Symposium program will include short presentations by past participants in NEDCC’s Advanced Photograph Conservation Internship program; papers by local professionals who are in charge of caring for photographic collections; and a one-day workshop on care and handling, proper housings, and storage of photographs.

Martina Bagatin,  NEDCC's 2014 Advanced Intern and Senior Photograph & Paper Conservator at the Croatian State Archives will help develop the program and coordinate local arrangements. Hrvoje Gržina, NEDCC's 2011 Advanced Intern and Senior Archivist at the Croatian State Archives, will help with the organization of the symposium program.

LEARN MORE

IMPACT

Over a twelve-year period, over 40 conservators, teachers, and graduate students from eleven countries have received training in photograph conservation through the NEDCC program. As a direct result of the program, the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Bratislava has built a reputation as an international center for advanced conservation training, and has established a new degree-granting program in photograph conservation that will help train emerging photograph conservators in the region. After attending the training programs, participants have given presentations for colleagues, provided consultations for the region's cultural heritage institutions, and have begun preserving the irreplaceable photographs that document the region's rich cultural history.

This program succeeds in bringing together conservation professionals from the Central and Eastern European countries to study photograph conservation, and the value of those new-found ties cannot be underestimated. Not only has the program provided a central collaborator through which professionals were able to develop the skills they need to help preserve the vast collections of historic photographs in their cultural institutions, but it also provided a forum for these individuals to continue to share ideas, skills, and experiences, and to develop life-long collaborative relationships that will have a lasting impact on the cultural heritage collections in the region.

We are grateful to the Trust for Mutual Understanding, the Samuel H. Kress Foundation, and the Getty Foundation for their support for this program over the years.

A version of this story by Julie Martin appeared in IIC News in Conservation, International Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works, Issue 67, August 2018.