Presented by the Accademia di Belle Arti di Carrara and led by photograph conservator and collector Tania Barbieri, this workshop offers a theoretical and practical introduction to the origins, invention, and evolution of historical photography and its most significant photographic processes.
Beginning with the French patent of Louis Daguerre in 1839, the course explores the development of photography through the study of early photosensitive materials, photographic supports, and image-making techniques that shaped photographic production throughout the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Particular attention is devoted to unique photographic objects, photographs housed in cases, frames and albums, paper-based photographic processes, and the worldwide diffusion of the carte de visite.
Participants examine the evolution of silver-based and non-silver-based photographic prints, contact printing processes, and the transition to chemically developed papers. The workshop investigates the materials and technologies that characterize historic photography, including amalgams, photographic emulsions, binders, protective coatings, and toning processes. Special focus is placed on the principal nineteenth-century supports used for photographic production, such as glass, paper, metal, textile, and ceramic.
Original photographic objects are presented throughout the course, allowing participants to study authentic historical examples firsthand. Using magnifying lenses, portable microscopes, and identification charts, students learn to recognize the visual and material characteristics of different photographic techniques, gaining practical skills in the identification and interpretation of historic photographs.
A selection of rare and significant works from Tania Barbieri’s personal collection is made available for direct examination, offering participants the unique opportunity to handle original photographs and compare their materials, structures, and manufacturing processes. The course also introduces lesser-known photographic techniques developed in countries such as the United States, France, the United Kingdom, and Japan during the early decades of the twentieth century.
In addition to the study of photographic processes, the workshop provides an introduction to photographic collecting, conservation, and long-term preservation. Drawing on extensive professional experience in collaboration with historical archives and public and private institutions, the conservator discusses the documentation, care, and storage of photographic heritage, highlighting best practices in preventive conservation and archival preservation.
To complement the theoretical component, the workshop includes a guided visit to the Photographic Archive currently housed within the Historical Library. During the visit, Tania Barbieri presents her work on approximately 1,170 historic photographs selected for the IartNET Project, illustrating the methodologies employed in the conservation, documentation, and long-term preservation of photographic collections. Participants are introduced to archival-quality storage solutions, including protective enclosures, stable conservation materials, and purpose-built cabinets designed to ensure the safeguarding and accessibility of photographic heritage. This case study offers a valuable opportunity to observe how the principles discussed throughout the course are applied in a professional archival context.