Specialists from the U.S. Getty Conservation Institute has recently developed a new method of dating photos

specialists from the U.S. Getty Conservation Institute has recently developed a new method of dating photographs. Researchers Stulik Dusan (Dusan Stulik) and Art Caplan (Art Kaplan), as well as a specialist in the conservation of photographs in Trem (Tram Vo) found that the age of many images, made in the XX century, it is possible not only by the study under the microscope, but and through recognition of the hidden features, which are typical for a chemical process.

In the long-term study examined thousands of photographs made using the reactions of different metals: silver, gold, platinum, iron, barium, strontium, and some others. Specialists carefully measured the metal content, and came to very interesting conclusions. The most productive were the results of tests of barium and strontium. These two elements are used in coatings photo for quite some time: from the end of XIX century until the 1970's. However, their concentration varies depending on the manufacturer of paper and the time of its manufacture. This allows to determine the date of photography.

This development is likely, very pleased many collectors, curators, conservation specialists and historians. It was first used in Paris. In collaboration with several French organizations, including the Foundation Henri Cartier-Bresson, Dusan Stulik and Art Caplan did a chemical analysis of original photographs of Cartier-Bresson. This - the first steps towards the creation of the archival database of the master. The results obtained will form the basis for comparative dating of the other pictures the author, as well as helping to identify the forgery.

material produced Catherine Onuchin

Sources: latimes.com , artinvestment.ru