To cultivate professionally capable restorers, the National Center of Photography is holding two "Photography Preservation Online Lectures" on Nov. 16 and Dec. 4, inviting Debra Hess Norris, chair and professor of photograph conservation at the Art Conservation Department of the University of Delaware, and Fernanda Valverde, the conservator of photographs at the Amon Carter Museum, to share their thoughts and strategies on the preservation of these cultural relics.
As the number of photographic repair and preservation professionals in Taiwan has failed to keep up with the decline of photographic assets, the Ministry of Culture launched the "National Plan for the Rescue of Photographic Assets and the Establishment of a National Center of Photography (國家攝影資產搶救及建置攝影文化中心計畫)" in 2015. Aiming to train professional restorers, restoration students, and those working in photographic collection preservation, the plan uses conferences, seminars, and workshops to strengthen training and expand the breadth and depth of professional skills in the field.
The two lecturers invited this year are internationally renowned experts and scholars who have been deeply involved in photographic restoration for many years and actively participated in international exchanges and projects. Professor Norris will share a comprehensive conservation plan and risk assessment for photographic collections in her lecture, covering each link in the process of cultural relic maintenance, including preservation staff, curators, scientists, scholars, and senior managers, to ensure each step is followed in order. The low-temperature preservation of collections of negatives is recognized as an effective way to slow down their deterioration. Fernanda Valverde will share her years of practical experience in preserving photographic negatives, introducing various low-temperature preservation practices and how to use low-cost materials and equipment for freeze-drying with limited resources.
Liang Yung-fei (梁永斐), director of the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, said this year’s lectures focus on various possibilities, enabling more people to take good care of photographic assets and keep them alive no matter where they are or what they do. Furthermore, such knowledge exchange will enhance the global vision of photographic heritage preservation in Taiwan and show the influence of laying firm roots in Taiwan with an eye to the world.