Gary E. Albright
Paper and Photograph Conservator

Educational Seminars

Since 2003, Gary Albright has taught photograph conservation to the students at the Buffalo State College art conservation program. In 2010, he taught paper and photograph conservation for the Queen's University Art Conservation Program in Kingston, Ontario. However, the majority of his teaching has been in the form of one to four day seminars for museum professionals and the general public. These have occurred at libraries, historical societies, museums, and professional conferences. They've covered a wide range of topics - the identification and preservation of photographic prints, negatives, cased objects and color images; emergency salvage of wet photographs; surface cleaning, mending, and flattening of paper and photographic materials; and conservation treatment possibilities. Gary's teaching emphasizes the practical application of conservation principles to institutions or collections with limited budgets. He prefers to teach in small groups, so he can work with actual images from his extensive private collection. Sample agendas from two seminars are provided below. If you'd like to arrange a seminar at your institution for your staff or the public, please contact Gary at garyealbright@gmail.com or call 585-624-2612.

CARING FOR PHOTOGRAPHS
(a one-day seminar)

Morning

A short history of photography

Deterioration of photographic prints

Identification of photographic printing processes (lecture and hands-on)

Afternoon

Preservation of photograph collections

Clinic or Lecture

Clinic to examine objects provided by the participants, with corresponding questions and answers

Lecture on the conservation treatment of photographic prints

EMERGENCY SALVAGE OF WET PHOTOGRAPHS
(a two-day seminar)

Day 1: Morning (lectures)

Disaster planning

Responding to an emergency

Salvage of wet photographs

Day 1: Afternoon (hands-on)

Air drying

Freezing

Day 2: Morning

Hands-on: Salvage of frozen photographs

Discussion: Observations from the salvage experience

Lecture: Preservation treatments for dried photographs

Day 2: Afternoon

Hands-on: Surface cleaning, mending, and flattening of photographs

Discussion: Final Observations and questions

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Educational Seminars