Digitizing Snow:

This thesis looks at the current state of digital reproductions for contemporary photographic artworks—how they are made, the purposes they serve, and how they are disseminated by cultural institutions. Using four selected photographic installation artworks by Canadian artist Michael Snow, this research examines how museums pursue reproductions of artworks that are installative by design and possess elements that are not easily reproducible like sound or the use of time. The reproduction process and terminology used at the Art Gallery of Ontario and the National Gallery of Canada (two institutions with significant collections of Snow’s artworks) are both examined, as well as how digital reproduction is currently discussed and theorized by museum professionals and digital specialists. Reproductions are used for outreach, research, advertising, and conservation, but between texts and institutions alike there lacks consistent terminologies and purposes for reproductions due to the dearth of research into this type of imagery.

A Conservation Survey of Photographic Albums and Photographically Illustrated Books from the National Gallery of Canada

This applied thesis project demonstrates a methodology for a conservation survey of photographic albums and photographically illustrated books applied to the Photograph Collection of the National Gallery of Canada, in Ottawa, Ontario. The conservation survey captures basic descriptive and condition information and employs a priority classification system for treatment and housing recommendations for roughly one hundred and twenty bound structures in which there are mounted or inserted photographic prints. While the needs and requirements of conservation surveys are dependant on the history, scope and nature of individual collections, this thesis attempts to provide an example, or baseline, for the development of conservation surveys for similar collections or collections with similar needs. Additionally, this thesis presents a visual glossary that illustrates and serves as a reference for the identification of the leaf and binding structures of photographic albums and photographically illustrated books occurring most frequently in museum collections.

Digitizing Snow:

This thesis looks at the current state of digital reproductions for contemporary photographic artworks—how they are made, the purposes they serve, and how they are disseminated by cultural institutions. Using four selected photographic installation artworks by Canadian artist Michael Snow, this research examines how museums pursue reproductions of artworks that are installative by design and possess elements that are not easily reproducible like sound or the use of time. The reproduction process and terminology used at the Art Gallery of Ontario and the National Gallery of Canada (two institutions with significant collections of Snow’s artworks) are both examined, as well as how digital reproduction is currently discussed and theorized by museum professionals and digital specialists. Reproductions are used for outreach, research, advertising, and conservation, but between texts and institutions alike there lacks consistent terminologies and purposes for reproductions due to the dearth of research into this type of imagery.

A Conservation Survey of Photographic Albums and Photographically Illustrated Books from the National Gallery of Canada

This applied thesis project demonstrates a methodology for a conservation survey of photographic albums and photographically illustrated books applied to the Photograph Collection of the National Gallery of Canada, in Ottawa, Ontario. The conservation survey captures basic descriptive and condition information and employs a priority classification system for treatment and housing recommendations for roughly one hundred and twenty bound structures in which there are mounted or inserted photographic prints. While the needs and requirements of conservation surveys are dependant on the history, scope and nature of individual collections, this thesis attempts to provide an example, or baseline, for the development of conservation surveys for similar collections or collections with similar needs. Additionally, this thesis presents a visual glossary that illustrates and serves as a reference for the identification of the leaf and binding structures of photographic albums and photographically illustrated books occurring most frequently in museum collections.

An Interview with Jeff Thomas, about “Buffalo Robe” Standing in Front of the Louvre

Jeff Tomas répond aux questions suscitées par son cliché photographique qui met en scène le découpe d’un guerrier des plaines Améridien, que le photographe nomme « Buffalo Robe », planté devant l’esplanade du Louvre. Ses expositions ont été faites aux galeries suivantes: Art Gallery of Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario; the Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, Ontario; the Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, Ontario; the Robert McLaughlin Gallery, Oshawa, Ontario; the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario. Ses travaux tendent à mettre en question la constitution des identités canadiennes et amérindiennes.

Eyeing the past: synchrotron µ-XANES and XRF imaging of tarnish distribution on 19th century daguerreotypes

Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre introduced the first successful photographic process, the daguerreotype, in 1839. Tarnished regions on daguerreotypes supplied by the National Gallery of Canada were examined using scanning electron microscopy energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and synchrotron-radiation analysis. Synchrotron X-ray fluorescence imaging visualized the distribution of sulfur and chlorine, two primary tarnish contributors, and showed that they were associated with the distribution of image particles on the surface. X-ray absorption near-edge structure spectroscopy determined the tarnish to be primarily composed of AgCl and Ag2S. Au2S, Au2SO4, HAuCl4 and HgSO4 were also observed to be minor contributors. Environmental contamination may be a source of these degradation compounds. Implications of these findings will be discussed.

Reflections on Translation Studies: Past and Present

This article is a reflection on translation studies and a suggestion for new directions in further research. The case study is that of the new labelling in the National Gallery of Canada which includes labelling in Indigenous languages.In June of 2017, the National Gallery opened newly renovated galleries with a special exhibition of Canadian and Indigenous Art. The translations which are part of this exhibition are important in redefining the identity of Canadian art.