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Eloquently expressive of their dramatic history


       NEDERLANDS FOTOMUSEUM
       BEDANKT:
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An interview with Grant Romer (Director Advanced Residency Program, George Eastman House Rochester) by Katrin Pietsch (Conservator Nederlands Fotomuseum, Rotterdam) about the conservation of the Mexican Suitcase, a project supervised by Grant Romer.

This interview can be read as a follow-up of the article about the conservation of the Mexican Suitcase as published by ICP on their website. The Dutch translation of this article can be found on this website. All the websites mentioned on this page are listed on the righthand side of this page. The Dutch readers can find information about the used jargon in the text windows that appear when hoovering with their mouse over the marked text in this article.


When you heard for the first time that maybe some lost Capa negatives were found, what came to mind, for you as a photographic conservator?
What came to mind first was the potential poor condition these negatives might be in. Negatives of all types are vulnerable to a wide variety of deterioration, unless carefully handled and properly stored. Photographic negatives of the 1930’s would most likely be on a cellulose nitrate base, notorious for its instability. Therefore, my expectation was that the negatives might be found to display deterioration ranging from base discoloration, distortion and brittleness, to image fading and gross decomposition f the physical integrity of the base plastic.

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Grant Romer (c) | Mirasol Estrada testing the PFD2 on the copystand




What was the first 'face-to-face' meeting with the Capa originals like?
Upon first encounter, I was surprised by the housing format of the negatives. Two vintage, segmented cardboard boxes of the type once commonly used to store educational film strip, containing rolls of 35mm film of differing lengths and a new ring binder with plastic sleeves holding a number of cut-lengths of 35mm film.
To my pleasant surprise, the film did not give off a strong odor of decomposition gasses. Although somewhat worn and aged, the cardboard containers were in relatively good condition, suggesting that the care and environment they had been in was happily benign. Sample rolls were selected to test their flexibility. Although the film was still flexible, the roll curl was strongly 'set', as was to be expected. The general assessment was that the negatives were in remarkably good condition. It is not unusual to find negatives of this period or older in such relatively good condition. Many variables figure in the deterioration of film, such as manufacturing differences, processing, usage, and storage.

How did you experience the enormous attention in the media for this project?
Certain photographic artifacts have and will draw enormous media attention on occasion. 'Veracity' is the common element of media concern, no matter what the other aspects of interest and emotional variables might be. Having no taste to participate in the often passionate and unpleasant debates which invariably arise around these photographs, I kept myself far from direct media contact. My service was given to ICP, whose staff has had that role. Of course, I anticipated great media attention and have followed it with interest.

War photographers very often had to work 'on the road'. How do you imagine war photographers from that time dealt with the practical problems? How would they process, print and distribute their photographs?
The availability of 35mm film for still cameras in that period and place must have presented challenges. Motion picture film was often cut down for still camera usage when still camera film was not to be had. Examples of such a practice were discovered in the 'Mexican Suitcase' rolls, as was a mixed variety of brands of still film.. Processing 'in the field' was possible, but might happen days after exposure in improvised darkrooms. The photographer might pass the film to others for development, proof printing and selection for publishing. It is quite possible that the exposed film was sent from Spain to France (Paris).

Assuming the films were processed under varying, travelling circumstances, what signs of poor processing could have been detected if any?
Poor processing would be physically manifest in chemical staining or deposits, image fading, emulsion surface irregularities, and embedded dust particles. The films showed very little evidence of such. Poor development technique would produce improper tonal range and contrast for optimal printing.

Many archives deal with the problem of film stored in rolled condition especially since this was the more efficient way to store negatives for many photographers. Which effect could there be on the long term stability and degradation process if negatives are kept in the rolled form?
Still films stored in rolls tend to develop a 'set' curl, which presents difficulties in unrolling and restraining in a flat mode for printing or copying. If improperly managed, the film can break or be otherwise physically damaged.

Was there a possibility of flattening the films discussed within this project?
The degradation of the film base may make the emulsion water soluble, which prevents humidification or wetting as a means of 'relaxing' the curl. The techniques used in motion picture preservation were not applicable in the case of the 'Mexican Suitcase' rolls because of the length of the film strips.

Duplicating the films with available scanners wasn’t an option. Why is that?
Conventional film scanners require the film to be cut in standard lengths in order to be placed in the carriers. The PFD2 was designed to be as least stressful to the curled film as possible, allowing full capture of all the film area inclusive of the edge information, and facilitate efficient. Productivity. None the less, the care and skill of the technician were essential to its successful usage.

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Grant Romer (c) | Arnold Vandenburgh during the evolution of the device




The films rolled in the cardboard boxes are in their original, 'vintage' environment. They are - together with the boxes and the inscriptions in the covers- objects which only cohesively can tell something about the working circumstances of Capa and his colleagues. How can at the same time the context be saved and the films be archived properly in the future?
The future storage of the 'Mexican Suitcase' remains a conservation challenge. The entire ensemble is a compelling artefact worthy of preservation. The location of each roll has been carefully noted. Should it be deemed appropriate to store the negatives out of the original cardboard containers, they may be repositioned for display and study. The containers, themselves, could use stabilization treatment, yet their condition is eloquently expressive of their dramatic history. These and other decisions are for the current caretakers to decide.

 
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