Photograph Conservation

Conservators sometimes perform treatment on photographs that need cleaning or mending, or on rolled panoramic photographs from The Bancroft Library that need opening and flattening. These long photos, made from special cameras and dating from as early as the mid- or late-1800s, were often kept rolled because they are usually too long (up to 5 or 6 feet!) to easily store flat. After years of storage, they retain the rolled shape and become too stiff to open without damaging or cracking the emulsion.

They are gently humidified in a slow, controlled way in a humidification chamber. Over the course of a day (or longer), the panorama passively absorbs moisture from the air, softening the paper fibers and the emulsion until they are relaxed enough to open safely. They are then carefully unrolled and allowed to dry flat between blotters* and nonwoven polyester. Because the Library often obtains these items in their rolled state, the images then become viewable in their entirety for the first time in a long while!