2025 - November and December - page 37
Image details
| Issue number | 404 |
|---|---|
| ISSN | 2632-7171 |
| Publication date | 1st November 2025 |
| Transcription |
Community News magazine Above and below The Camera Eye’s Archives © Ryan Gattaora proper training and guidance on the subject. Film negatives are notoriously vulnerable to their environment. Heat, humidity, light and even the position of windows can accelerate chemical breakdown in the plastic. Within the archive there are more than fifty cabinets filled with negatives from every corner of Bailey’s world, a history that needs to be preserved with care. The first stage of the project was identifying film already at risk. Some negatives are almost sixty years old, meaning there was a need to establish which required rehousing or refrigeration. Using A/B testing allowed the identification of materials that had already begun to decompose. To take this further, I developed a system creating detailed maps of the archive and building, plotting the precise location of materials against the micro-environments of each room. I called these ‘Condition Maps’. By correlating the state of the film with factors such as temperature shifts or exposure to windows, I have been able to refine our understanding of how these subtle variables shape preservation. Archiving and conservation are often thought of as a behind-the-scenes process, yet the stakes are always high. Every negative, every reel of film or sound recording, is a fragment of history that could otherwise be lost to time. For me, it has been a pleasure as much as a responsibility to work with these materials. My aim is not only to protect and preserve, but also to make the methods of film and sound archiving more approachable and adaptable for other archivists. By combining regular testing with practical tools and visual aids that help us understand the environments in which these materials are kept, it ensures that such records endure for future generations. Ryan Gattaora Archivist, Camera Eye 37 |