Project: Collection knowledge 2.0/Photography (2021-2023)

Posted on Mon, 07/19/2021 - 11:39
Marco van Duyvendijk, Zweefmolen, 2002 | collection Rabobank
Daan van Golden, Wales Picture, 1967 (1975) | collection Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen
Gilbert & George, Yell, 1992
This project is part of the Research Programme 20th-century Heritage carried out by the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands (RCE).
 
Project to gather knowledge about materials use and conservation in colour photography for practical application. Among museums, there is growing demand for knowledge about the conservation of both analogue and digital, and particularly colour, photographs. Knowledge about printing procedures, finishing techniques, supports and terminology. About how to store and present prints to ensure their future preservation. This project is directed at the long-term conservation of photographic artworks in Dutch museum collections so they can stay accessible to the public.
 
Results
  • Bilingual digital platform bringing together information on the most common and/or problematic analogue and digital photographic processes, supports and finishing techniques, including an identification tool and conservation guidelines.
  • A sample set of 52 reference materials.
  • Two trained photo conservation specialists.
  • Thirteen subcollections of identified and registered photographic works.
  • Dutch colour photography thesaurus and colour photograph acquisitions checklist

Participating organisations

The Photography project is being coordinated for the Cultural Heritage Agency (RCE) by the Foundation for the Conservation of Contemporary Art (SBMK) in conjunction with the University of Amsterdam (UvA). The UvA and the RCE’s National Heritage Laboratory will also be training two young heritage professionals. Funding contributors are the Gieskes-Strijbis Fonds, the Mondriaan Fund and the Wertheimer Fonds, managed by the Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds. Thirteen institutions with photography collections are partners in the project:

  • the Amsterdam Museum
  • Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen
  • Bonnefanten
  • De Domijnen
  • Frans Hals Museum
  • De Hallen
  • Het Nieuwe Instituut
  • Huis Marseille
  • Kröller-Müller Museum
  • Kunstmuseum Den Haag / Fotomuseum Den Haag
  • Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam
  • Stichting Nationaal Museum van Wereldculturen
  • Rabo Kunstcollectie
  • RCE Art Collections Department.

Supporting/advising partners are the Rijksmuseum, NICAS, National Archives of the Netherlands and Nederlands Fotomuseum.

Further information about the project

Detailed information about the Collection knowledge 2.0/Photography project can be found on the Foundation for the Conservation of Contemporary Art website.