Caring for Photographic Negatives, Part 2

By: John Hart, Assistant Curator of Collections

For Part 1 of John's discussion of caring for photographic negatives, click here.

I’m sure you’re all used to seeing panes of glass in windows, in works of art, or in hundreds of pieces when little Jimmy’s baseball comes through your window. But did you know that in the 19^th and even into the early 20^th century glass plates had another use? Can you imagine seeing photographic negatives on glass? There’s a whole lot of science and history behind how these came into being and I’ll gladly spare you the details, but there are a few things you should know.

First, never handle the negative anywhere but on the edges because the negative can be damaged by the oils on your fingers. Second, handle them with extreme care. If they drop you’re likely to lose the image forever because it takes a skilled conservator to put the pieces back together again. And finally, if you want to scan them, it is best to not place them directly on the scanner bed. If you can, or you have a lot of glass plate negatives, it might be best to build out a wooden frame of sorts to place the negative in so that neither the scanner bed nor the top of the scanner come in contact with the negative.

The Smith-Telfer Photographic Collection is the single largest collection at Fenimore Art Museum. There are roughly 53,749 negatives in this collection from Arthur J. Telfer and Washington G. Smith. Donated in 1951, this collection documents history in and around Cooperstown and Otsego County and provides a one-of-a-kind insight into life in the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries.

D&H Locomotive and Cars, 1900, by Arthur J. Telfer, Dry Collodion negative. Smith & Telfer Photographic Collection, New York State Historical Association, 5-07216

Electric Railroad Convention at the Otesaga Hotel, 1910 by Arthur J. Telfer, Dry Collodion negative. Smith & Telfer Photographic Collection, New York State Historical Association, 8-00570

Smalley's Theatre, Main Street, 1933 by Arthur J. Telfer, Dry Collodion negative. Smith & Telfer Photographic Collection, New York State Historical Association, 8-00152

It would be exceedingly difficult for me to show you what a glass plate negative looks like – they’re very difficult to photograph - but if you ever see one you’ll know. And if you ever happen to find any glass plate negatives and have questions about them, Doug Kendall, Curator of Collections, and I are always available as a resource. You can also check this out for more information.