Restoration of Amundsen’s lantern slides The polar explorations between history and public lectures

Author: Pietro Librici
Pages 213 – E-book in PDF format
Isbn: 9788840404325

The book presents for the first time the restoration of Amundsen’s glass slides, one of the most beautiful collections of slides in the world. The 248 slides are the photographic testimony of three great explorations: the Northwest Passage (1903-1906), the conquest of the South Pole (1910-1912) and the Maud expedition (1918-1925). Discovered by chance in 1986, the slides were restored in 2009 by Pietro Librici at the National Library of Norway, in a continuous cooperation with the institute team.

The restoration is presented analytically in its methodological, technical, scientific and operational aspects, constituting an updated model of intervention.
Critical historical studies that accompanied the restoration and the expressive features of the slides have also led the author to identify Amundsen’s own style which lies between documentary photography and photographic documentation and make the book a particular opportunity to immerse in the charm of polar expeditions, in the first years of the 20th century when the poles were the only areas of terra incognita left on the world map.

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION
ONE – POLAR EXPLORATIONS
HORLICKS MALTED MILK!
ON THE WAY OF CONFERENCES
BIOGRAPHY
THE NORTH WEST PASSAGE EXPEDITION
THE CONQUEST OF THE SOUTH POLE
MAUD EXPEDITION

TWO – LANTERN SLIDES: MATERIALS, PROCESSES & TECHNIQUE
STRUCTURE AND COMPOSITION
Support
Binder
Photosensitive substance
– STRUCTURE OF THE CRYSTAL LATTICE
– PROPERTIES OF CRYSTALS
– PRINCIPLE OF GURNEY AND MOTT
Photographic Emulsion
Colours
Paper

PROCEDURE AND TECHNIQUE: SLIDES WITH GELATIN-SILVER SALTS
NEGATIVE
THE MAGIC LANTERN
The magic lantern as a commercial resource
The development of the magic lantern: origin and technical description
Light sources
– OIL LAMP
– LIME LIGHT
– KEROSENE OIL (COAL OIL)
– ELECTRIC LIGHT
Lantern Slides
– PAINTED SLIDES
– LITOGRAPH/DECA SLIDES
– PHOTOGRAPHIC SLIDES
Special effects slides
– SLIP SLIDES
– LEVER SLIDES
– REVOLVING SLIDES
– CHROMATROPES
– SPECIALIZED SLIDES
Iconographic repertoire

THREE – ANALYSIS AND DIAGNOSIS OF THE RESTORED MATERIAL
DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES
Digital imaging
Photographic observation
Stereomicroscope with fibre optic illuminators
Optical microscopy (OM)
Images of ultraviolet fluorescence

VISUAL ANALYSIS
Three types of slides
Previous “Conservative Operations”
Emulsion & image
Category Identification

ANALYSIS OF PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL DETERIORATION
Glass
Gelatin
Silver
– SULPHIDE
– REDOX
Paper
Colouring

CONDITION REPORT
Result

FOUR – RESTORATION
GUIDELINES
ORDERING AND INVENTORY
FIRST CLEANSING: GLASS AND PAPER ELEMENTS
PAPER ELEMENTS
Materials
Cleansing
Permanent or temporary removal of the sealing paper and labels
Adhesions, reinforcements and the joining of tears in sealing paper and labels
Replacement of sealing paper
Masking paper

COVER GLASS PLATES
Material
Cleansing
Replacement

EMULSIFIED GLASS PLATES
Reinforcements
Integration of the broken corners
Sandwich
– ADHESIVE PLASTERS
– SYNTHETIC RESINS
– TESTING OF SANDWICH
– CONSIDERATIONS ON THE VARIOUS METHODS
– CREATION OF THE SANDWICH

EMULSION
Cleansing
Pictorial touch up

FINAL NUMBERING
ENVIRONMENT FOR THE CONSERVATION
MATERIALS FOR STORAGE
International Ruling ISO 10214
Cardboard boxes
Grooves drawers
Polyvinylchloride (PVC) pockets

SOME DESCRIPTION SHEET
FIVE – PHOTOGRAPHY AND INFORMATION
PHOTOGRAPHY AS DOCUMENT
DOCUMENTARY STYLE

AMUNDSEN’S STYLE:BETWEEN PHOTOGRAPHIC DOCUMENTATION AND DOCUMENTARY PHOTOGRAPHY
ARRAYS
COLLECTION OF THE SLIDES
BIBLIOGRAPHY