Workshop: Disaster Recovery of Photographic Collections

This course will be primarily practical. The first, theoretical section will introduce key concepts related to the procedures and criteria for the prevention, management, and recovery of photographic collections affected by flooding. It will also address disaster preparedness, the development of emergency plans, and the measures needed to reduce risks and improve response capacity in an emergency situation.

The remaining practical session will include a simulated flood and the hands-on salvage of wet photographs. Participants will have the opportunity to practise key stages of an emergency response, including assessment, documentation, triage, salvage, and stabilization. This hands-on approach reflects established disaster-recovery training practices for water-damaged collections.

This central part of the course draws on the direct experience of the instructor as coordinator of one of the field laboratories at the Museu Comarcal de l’Horta Sud in Torrent (Valencia, Spain), within the framework of the Salvem les Fotos project.

Based on two years of experience rescuing family photographs affected by the 2024 DANA floods, we will share the lessons learned, decision-making criteria, and practical solutions developed throughout the recovery process.
Real cases and examples will be presented, and a simulated flood using low-value photographs will allow participants to experience the different stages of the salvage process in a controlled environment.

Participants will have the opportunity to learn and practise procedures for washing, surface cleaning, and mould treatment, as well as drying and flattening techniques and other interventions required to stabilize and recover water-damaged photographic materials. These procedures are consistent with established emergency recovery practices for wet photographic collections.