Historical Photographic Techniques

Since 2013, the Photothek has been organizing practical seminars on the recognition of historical photographic techniques, practical application of various historical development and printing techniques as well as the restoration and storage of photographic paper prints (https://fotobjekt.hypotheses.org/892).

The next seminar in this series will also be held as part of the “Cimelia Photographica” project in collaboration with Barbara Cattaneo and Eugenia Di Rocco.

In the first part, some theoretical basics on historical photographic techniques and materials will be explained, as well as useful websites and relevant literature. Non-invasive exercises for the recognition and analysis of photographic techniques will then be carried out, considering the Photothek’s own holdings. The second part is dedicated to the demonstration of wet collodion plate process and the implementation of a historical photographic procedure.

Barbara Cattaneo is a senior conservator specializing in paper and photographs, working for the Ministry of Culture since 1999, first at Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale di Firenze, then at Opificio delle Pietre Dure. Since 2019, she is a research associate at the Institute of Applied Physics in Sesto Fiorentino, focusing on color photographic materials. She co-organizes the International Conference on Colour Photography and Film and holds degrees from the University of Florence. Currently completing a PhD at Sapienza University, her research centers on Wilhelm von Gloeden's glass plate negatives. She has extensive international training and has lectured widely in Italy and abroad. Since 2014, she presides over Fotonomia aps, a cultural association for early photographic processes.

Eugenia Di Rocco is a freelancer specializing in the restoration and study of photographic and paper materials, working between Tuscany and Friuli Venezia Giulia. She holds a BA in Technologies for Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage and is completing an MA in Audiovisual Heritage Sciences at the University of Udine. She works in preventive conservation, restoration, and exhibit setup for various institutions, including Fondazione Ragghianti, Fondazione Alinari, and the Museo del Novecento. She has taught at universities in Trieste, Udine, and Pisa, and collaborates on projects with the Museo delle Culture, Fondazione Teatro della Toscana, and Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale. She has been a Fotonomia member since 2014.