The history of photography includes almost 200 years of generating objects that have many similar visual characteristics, but that were made using a wide range of different technologies and materials. When examining a photograph, viewers must evaluate the clues that the physical object itself presents to properly identify the photographic process(es) used to create the photograph. This skill—which is described in shorthand as ‘process identification’—is something that each new generation of scholars and collections stewards must develop for itself. This workshop will teach participants the tools and skills necessary for successful photographic process identification using a structured methodology and controlled vocabulary for organizing visual information, hands-on practice examining 19th, 20th, and 21st century processes from IPI’s study collection, and instruction on how to use www.graphicsatlas.org as a reference resource for identification.

The workshop will be limited to a maximum of 12 attendees. Registration per individual is $475 and participants are responsible for their own travel, meals, and lodging costs. Registration ends October 9, 2023 or when the workshop is full.

Audience
This workshop is designed to teach the fundamentals of photographic process identification and will appeal to a wide range of professionals who work with image collections including archivists, curators, librarians, registrars, and scholars.

Instructor
Jennifer Jae Gutierrez, Executive Director