Papers by Sylvie Pénichon
Color Culture and Science Journal, 2022
Flexichrome is the commercial name for a dye imbibition process where the color image is formed b... more Flexichrome is the commercial name for a dye imbibition process where the color image is formed by hand coloring a gelatin relief with acid dyes, without the use of color separation negatives and with great creative freedom. Final prints resemble those made with other processes like carbro or hand-colored gelatin silver. The Flexichrome was first marketed by Jack Crawford as the 'Crawford Flexichrome' in the early 1940s. Kodak purchased the patent from Crawford and remarketed the product as the 'Kodak Flexichrome' from 1949 until 1961. This paper presents an overview of the Flexichrome process and, through the study of selected Flexichrome prints and historic dyes, investigates the technology and variations in the formulations available. Prints and dye samples were characterized using a complement of analytical techniques including visible and fluorescence light microscopy (VLM, FLM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and x-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy. A key goal of the study was to establish identification clues for Flexichromes, informed by results from invasive and non-invasive analytical techniques. Handheld XRF analysis showed both the absence of silver and chromium, supporting the ability to distinguish a hand colored gelatin silver print and carbro prints from the Flexichrome. Unaided visual examination and VLM provided the following visible characteristics specific to the Flexichrome: continuous tone with no misalignment or misregistration of superimposed color layers and the presence of fluid lines and visible brushstrokes depending on the skill of the colorist. A print can also exhibit differential gloss and fluorescence in the magenta colors when unobstructed by a finishing layer. FTIR analysis of multiple sets of dyes confirmed the nature of the dyes as being acid dyes as indicated in the literature. Color fading is therefore not uncommon in contrast to carbros which have a higher lightfastness.
André Kertész: Postcards from Paris, edited by Elizabeth Siegel, 49-57. Chicago: Art Institute of Chicago, 2021
Journal of the American Institute for Conservation, 2020
Known as the quintessential painter-photographer in his early career, Edward Steichen (1879–1973)... more Known as the quintessential painter-photographer in his early career, Edward Steichen (1879–1973) combined artistically renowned compositions with excellence in technique and experimentation. He often created multiple versions of a print in order to test out the subject matter, using different combinations of color and effect. Two prints of a moonlit scene by Steichen in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago demonstrate his experimental attitude. Though they appear to have been printed from the same negative, each displays unique characteristics, color palettes, orientations, and titles. To understand the individual elemental and material variations within these prints, and to compare known processes to those described by the artist in correspondence from the time, x-ray fluorescence and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were performed. Elemental analysis detected platinum, chromium, iron, and lead, with FTIR spectroscopy clearly identifying the characteristic signal for Prussian blue. One of the works also showed clear signs of an applied varnish, which was traditionally applied to paintings. This article proposes a timeline for the creation and alteration of the works, whose understanding has been significantly expanded due to the combination of material analysis and art historical research into these objects.
Leonardo, 2017
Throughout his career, László Moholy-Nagy (1895–1946) produced many photograms, a selection of wh... more Throughout his career, László Moholy-Nagy (1895–1946) produced many photograms, a selection of which was examined in European and American collections. Sheet dimensions and thickness, base color, surface gloss and texture were recorded. The analysis of the data and the results of this investigation are presented in this article. The article also explores the effectiveness of paper characterization and how it can contribute to and enhance historical research when applied to a particular body of work by one artist.
Moholy-Nagy: Future Present (Chicago: The Art Institute of Chicago), 2016
Color: American Photography Transformed (Austin, TX: University of Texas Press), 2013
Cadernos Técnicos de Conservação Fotográfica, 2010
O volume 7 dos Cadernos Técnicos de Conservação Fotográfica intitulado “Práticas de montagem de f... more O volume 7 dos Cadernos Técnicos de Conservação Fotográfica intitulado “Práticas de montagem de fotografias contemporâneas”, de autoria de Sylvie Pénichon, Martin Jürgens e Alison Murray e tradução de Louise Motta, apresenta pesquisa sobre técnicas e materiais empregados nas montagens de fotografias em grande formato e em diferentes suportes. Trata-se de conteúdo valioso para profissionais que trabalham em museus, centros culturais e na produção de exposições.
Journal of the American Institute for Conservation, 2008
In the American West was a landmark in the career of New York photographer Richard Avedon and in ... more In the American West was a landmark in the career of New York photographer Richard Avedon and in the history of photography. It consisted in a series of larger-than-life black-and-white portraits of men and women living in rural America, posing in front of an immaculate white background and gazing intently at the camera. Instead of playing to the traditional myth of the openness and grandeur of the West as the title might imply, Avedon had focused his camera on people who were the antithesis of that myth: miners, housewives, farmers, and drifters. Unveiled in 1985 at the Amon Carter Museum, which had commissioned the project, the work was acclaimed and criticized with equal fervor. This paper focuses on the materials employed and the aesthetic choices made by the artist for the printing, mounting, and display of the photographs and their impact on the long-term preservation of the work.
This paper describes reversible mounting methods devised to exhibit large-format unmounted photog... more This paper describes reversible mounting methods devised to exhibit large-format unmounted photographs by conservators from George Eastman House/International Museum of Photography and Film, Amon Carter Museum, and Atelier de Restauration et de Conservation des Photographies de la Ville de Paris. The descriptions of similar approaches devised by other conservators follow in addendum.
Studies in Conservation, 2004
Mounting substrates for contemporary oversized photographs, including wood boards, foam boards, p... more Mounting substrates for contemporary oversized photographs, including wood boards, foam boards, plastic boards, aluminum, aluminum composite materials and honeycomb panels, are described. Manufacturing processes, physical characteristics and aging properties are discussed. A comparative table shows the characteristics of some of the materials described.
Studies in Conservation, 2002
The increasingly popular finishing techniques of laminating and face-mounting photographs and the... more The increasingly popular finishing techniques of laminating and face-mounting photographs and their effect on the long-term stability of the prints have not been extensively studied. In a preliminary investigation, colour photographs (unmounted, laminated, and face-mounted) were subjected to accelerated light-and dark-aging tests. In addition, samples of both unmounted and face-mounted prints underwent quantification of acetic (ethanoic) acid off-gassing. Face-mounted photographs were more sensitive to light than unmounted ones but showed better dark stability. Laminates with ultraviolet inhibitors slowed the light-fading of the prints. Acetic acid is off-gassed by acetoxy-curing silicone rubbers used in face-mounting and escapes from the edges of the prints at a rate which is partially governed by storage temperature.
Journal of the American Institute for Conservation, 1999
Matte collodion photographs were the dominant medium used by commercial portrait photographers at... more Matte collodion photographs were the dominant medium used by commercial portrait photographers at the turn of the century. These prints usually display a black neutral tone and have a matte surface and an excellent stability. For this reason, they have often been mistakenly identified as platinum prints. The tonality of matte collodion prints can also vary from purple to brown. This article will examine the possible. factors responsible for these differences in tone. A brief history of printing processes will be given, followed by a description of the matte collodion process and the different toning protocols described in photographic treatises and journals of the period. Results of elemental analysis will also be discussed.
Topics on Photograph Prevervation, 2007
This paper describes reversible mounting methods devised to exhibit large-format
unmounted photog... more This paper describes reversible mounting methods devised to exhibit large-format
unmounted photographs by conservators from George Eastman House/International
Museum of Photography and Film, Amon Carter Museum, and Atelier de Restauration et
de Conservation des Photographies de la Ville de Paris. The descriptions of similar
approaches devised by other conservators follow in addendum.
Books by Sylvie Pénichon
This abundantly illustrated volume provides an accessible overview of the history and technology ... more This abundantly illustrated volume provides an accessible overview of the history and technology of the major traditional color photographic processes. Following an introductory chapter on color photography in the nineteenth century, seven uniformly structured chapters discuss the most commercially or historically significant processes of the twentieth century—additive color screen, pigment, dye imbibition, dye coupling, dye destruction, dye diffusion, and dye mordanting and silver toning—offering readers a user-friendly guide to materials, methods of identification, and common kinds of deterioration. A final chapter presents specific guidelines for collection management, storage, and preservation. There is also a glossary of technical terms, along with appendixes presenting detailed chronologies for Kodachrome and Ektachrome transparencies, Cibachrome/Ilfochrome printing materials, and Instant films. (this book exists in print only and is not available in electronic format)
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Papers by Sylvie Pénichon
unmounted photographs by conservators from George Eastman House/International
Museum of Photography and Film, Amon Carter Museum, and Atelier de Restauration et
de Conservation des Photographies de la Ville de Paris. The descriptions of similar
approaches devised by other conservators follow in addendum.
Books by Sylvie Pénichon
unmounted photographs by conservators from George Eastman House/International
Museum of Photography and Film, Amon Carter Museum, and Atelier de Restauration et
de Conservation des Photographies de la Ville de Paris. The descriptions of similar
approaches devised by other conservators follow in addendum.