AIC's 52nd Annual Meeting

Doug Munson's colorful presentation and article, “The Pellicular Burlesque” first shared at the AIC PMG 1997 described the procedure performed on a cellulose acetate negative to lift the emulsion from the degrading plastic support. In the fall of 2022, I performed that well-known procedure, which unexpectedly became a nightmare as it irreparably damaged the negative I was attempting to treat.

This presentation is a post-mortem, reviewing the steps taken before, during, and after the procedure was carried out. Some hypotheses on why this treatment was unsuccessful in this case will be discussed, as well as reflections on the need for a more open dialogue about failures in the field.

There is currently no definitive conclusion as to why the emulsion was not entirely lifted from the support. However, I hope this presentation will be an opportunity to encourage fellow photo conservators to share their knowledge and experiences to complete and add to the body of knowledge on this specific topic and material.