Selected Publications

 

Paul Messier (see  Google Scholar and/or ResearchGate for complete and current references)
 

• Reading the Paper. (co-author w/ J.M. Sexton), 2015.

• Multiscale Anisotropic Texture Analysis and Classification of Photographic Prints: Art scholarship meets image processing algorithms.
  (co-authors), 2015.

• Photographic Paper XYZ: De Facto Standard Sizes for Silver Gelatin Paper. (co-author w/ J.M. Sexton), 2014

• White Paper: A Methodology for Surveying Photograph Collections. (co-author w/ M Banta, A Robb, B Bernier & R Burton), 2014

• Pursuing Automated Classification of Historic Photographic Papers from Raking Light Images. (co-author w/ Rick Johnson et. al.), 2014

• Pursing Automated Classification of Historic Photographic Papers from Raking Light Images (Draft), 2014

• The Application of Microfadeometric Testing to Mounted Photographs at the Indianapolis Museum of Art. (co-author w/ GD Smith & C Hoevel) 2013

• Automated Surface Texture Classification of Inkjet Photographic Media, 2013

• The Paul Messier Black and White Photographic Papers Collection, 2012

• Photographic Papers in the 20th Century: Methodologies for Authentication, Understanding and Dating, 2011

• Authenticity Scandals and Their Impact on the Fine Art Photography Marketplace. Lead article in Appraisers Association of America News, Fall 2011, Volume 1, Issue

• Correlation Between Gloss Reflectance and Surface Texture in Photographic Paper, (co-author w/ Christopher Brown and Kevin Vessot, in press), 2011

• A Technical Analysis of Le Violon D'Ingres appears in the Pace/MacGill catalog for the exhibition Long Arm of Coincidence, Apr 2009

• Impact of Authenticity Scandals on the Field of Photograph Conservation, 2009

• Automating Art Print Authentication Using Metric Learning, (co-author w/ C.Parker), 2009

• History of 20th Century Black and White Papers, 2008

• Notes on Dating Photographic Paper, 2005

• Crayon Portraits, 2006

• Optical Brightening Agents in Photographic Paper, 2005

• Preservation of Photographs: Handling, Storage, Display, Conservation & Restoration, 2005

• Authenticity Issues in Photography, 2004

• Color Photographs: a Timeline, 2002

• Dara Birnbaum's “Tiananmen Square: Break-In Transmission.” A Case Study in the Examination, Documentation and Preservation of a Video-Based Installation, 2001

• Laser Analysis and Cleaning of 19th C Daguerreotypes, 2000

• Laser Ablation Mass Spectroscopy of 19th C. Daguerreotypes (co-author w/ D.L. Hogan et al.), 1999

• Photo Conservation Training Via Video Conference: A Project Report, (co-author w/ I.Brückle), 1999

• Cleaning Color Photographs, 1998

• Assessing Digital Video as a Preservation Medium, 1996

• Effects of Aqueous Treatment on Albumen Photographs, 1994

• Physical & Mechanical Properties of Albumen Photographs, (co-author w/ T.Vitale), 1994

• Cracking in Albumen Photographs: an ESEM Investigation, 1993

• Preserving Your Collection of Film-based Photographic Negatives, 1993

• Protein Chemistry of Albumen Photographs, 1991
   

Jiuan-Jiuan Chen (Conservator at the studio from 2007 to 2012)
 

• Preservation System for Housing Bare Plate Daguerreotypes, 2011

• A Photographic Reference Plate for Conservation Documentation, 2008

• Photo-documentation of Light-Sensitive Photographs, 2006

• Treatment Options for 19th Century Negatives, 2003

• Taking the Negative Image of a Daguerreotype, 2003

• Documenting Photographs: A Sample Book, 2001

• The "Perfect" Fill for the Magnificent Tintype, 2000
   

Jennifer McGlinchey Sexton
 

• Photographic Paper XYZ: De Facto Standard Sizes for Silver Gelatin Papers, Journal of the American Institute for Conservation, 53 (4), 219-235 (co-author w/ Paul Messier), 2014

• Simple Non-Adhesive Methods for Conservation Mounting of Photographs. The Art Conservator Volume 5:2, Fall 2010

 

Karina Beeman

 

• Treatment of an American Political Tintype Badge, Case Study. Topics in Photographic Preservation Volume Thirteen. 2009
   

Photograph Conservation Presentations
 

• Sightlines: obSERVE. Harvard University Digital Futures Consortium, October 14, 2015

• ​A Photograph, a Camera and the Cultural Moment. Indianapolis Museum of Art, June 14, 2012

• A History of Silver Gelatin Papers, This presentation was part of a workshop in photograph conservation presented by The Foundation of the American Institute for Conservation of Historic & Artistic Works and The New York Public Library .pdf of the slides is here, September 30, 2010

• ​Development & Research Applications for a Reference Collection of 20th Century Photographic Paper, Library of Congress Topics in Preservation series web cast, March 2010

• Automating Historic Photographic Paper Classification from Surface-Texture-Revealing Images, American Institute for Conservation General Session May 31, 2013

• Automated Classification of Surface Texture for Photographic Paper (webcast) 3D Digital Documentation Summit, Presidio, San Francisco,
  July 10-12, 2012

• Understanding 20th Century Photographs, Getty Conservation Institute, January 24, 2006

• A Methodology for Dating Photographs Relative to 1950. Notes on talk presented at the AIPAD Symposium: Identifying Photographic Paper and Process, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, July 8, 2001. Another version from the Photographic Materials Group meeting of the American Institute for Conservation, Philadelphia, June 11, 2000

• Color Photography Timeline

• Photo Conservation Training Via Video Conference: A Project Report. Irene Brückle, Art Conservation Program, State University College at Buffalo & Paul Messier, Electronic Media Group, AIC annual meeting, June, 1999

• Color Photographs: Classification, Terminology and Identification, November 2, 1999

• Museums and Video, New England Museum Association session "Visions for the Future," Worcester, MA,  October 28, 1999

• Observations on UPF as a Conservation Medium Association of Moving Image Archivists, Miami, December 9, 1998

Abstracts from selected presentations
 

Paul Messier
 

• Revealing Affinities across Collections through the Language of the Photographic Print. AIC Photographic Materials Group, Miami, May 16, 2015

• Condition documentation and monitoring of an exhibition of daguerreotypes at the State Hermitage Museum. AIC Photographic Materials Group Meeting, May 30, 2014

• Automated classification of surface texture for photographic paper, 3D Digital Documentation Summit, San Francisco, CA, July 10-12, 2012

• A Surface Texture Library for Photographic Papers, Photographic Materials Group, American Institute for Conservation 40th Annual Meeting, Albuquerque, NM, May 11, 2012

• Surface Classification for Black and White Prints, Photographic Materials Group, Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa, 2011

• A Brief History of Silver Gelatin Papers and Updates on Optical Brighteners, New York Public Library, 2010

• Development and Research Applications for a Reference Collection of 20th Century Photographic Paper, Library of Congress, 2010

• A Model for a Cross-Repository Survey of Photograph Collections, National Archives and Records Administration, 2010

• Query and Retrieval Systems for a Texture Library of Photographic Papers, Worcester Polytechnic University, 2009

• Materials & Techniques of Man Ray's Le Violon d'Ingres, Smithsonian American Art Museum, 2009

• New Applications for Paper Fiber Analysis for the Characterization of Photographs, Photographic Materials Group, University of Arizona, 2009

• History and stylistic evolution of gelatin silver developing out paper, AIC Annual Meeting, Photographic Materials Group, Denver, 2008

• Understanding 20th Century Photographs: Techniques for Materials-based Research and Authentication, XIV Coloquio del Seminario de Estudio y Conservación del Patrimonio Oaxaca, Mexico, 2006

• Understanding 20th Century Photograph: the Baryta Layer Symposium, AIC Annual Meeting, Photographic Materials Group, Providence, 2006

• Photographic Paper Exposed: New Meaning and Possibilities for Understanding 20th Century Photographs, Getty Conservation Institute, Los Angeles, 2006

• A Timeline for Optical Brighteners in Photographic Paper, Photographic Materials Group, City of Vancouver Archives, 2005

• Too Good to be True: The Man Ray and Lewis Hine Authenticity Scandals, The Alfred Stieglitz Society, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York 2005

• Quantitative XRF Study of Baryta Coated Photographic Paper, AIC Annual Meeting, Photographic Materials Group, Portland, 2004

• Historic Wallpaper Digitally Remastered: Early Twentieth-Century Block-Printed English Wallpaper in the Yin Yu Tang House at the Peabody Essex Museum, AIC Annual Meeting, Book and Paper Group, Portland, 2004 [full paper is here and the illustrated presentation here]

• Comfort in Ambiguity: Observation on the Treatment of Photographs and Electronic Media, 28th Annual Association of North American Graduate Programs in the Conservation of Cultural Property, Harvard University Art Museums, Cambridge, 2002

Jiuan-Jiuan Chen (Conservator at the studio from 2007 to 2012)
 

• Surface Matters: Treatment Challenges to Retain the Surface Characteristics for Developing-out Silver Gelatin Photographs, Photographic Materials Group, Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa, 2011

• Reversible Mounting Techniques for the Display of Large‐Format Contemporary Photographs, Photographic Materials Group, Rochester, 2007

• Development of a Consolidation Technique for Silver Gelatin Photographs: The Conservation of Water and Mold Damaged Photographs at the Buchenwald Memorial, Rundbrief Fotografie, Vol. 14, No. 3 / N.F. 55, September 2007

Photograph Conservation Web Resources
 

• Library of 20th Century Photographic Paper Resources - an ongoing project to catalog the studio's library of secondary sources on the history and use of photographic paper

• The Conservation and Art Materials Encyclopedia Online (CAMEO) - an electronic database that compiles, defines, and disseminates technical information on the distinct collection of terms, materials, and techniques used in the fields of art conservation and historic preservation.

• Interviewed by Alejandra Mendoza - Paul Messier discusses photograph conservation theory and practice, March, 2009 (password is Messier)

• Lewis Hine Powerhouse Mechanic: Materials and Research - GEH Notes on Photographs, 2009

• Video Preservation Website - funded by the National Center for the Preservation Training and Technology and hosted by Conservation Online, administered by the Foundation of the American Institute for Conservation. August, 2007

• Backprinting on photographic paper - a compendium of manufacturer markings on photographic paper, 2007

• Conservation of Photogravures - for the Photogravure Website, 2006

• Notes on Dating Photographic Paper and Preservation of Photographs: Handling Storage, Display, Conservation and Restoration for the Association of Photographic Art Dealers website, 2005

• Albumen Photography Website, (co-authors T.Vitale, W.Henry & J.Burke), September 2000. Popular Science Magazine “Editor’s Pick,” July 2001 & D-Lib Magazine Featured Collection, May 2003

• Video Format Identification Guide, (co-author w/ S.Stauderman), November 2000