Caring For Panoramic Photographs In Small Collections

Silver gelatin panoramic photographs produced in the first half of the 20th century are commonly found in archives and collections. Many were rolled for ease of storage, and their present condition means the information in the images is inaccessible. Panoramic prints in collections, whether rolled or flat, present a challenge to archivists and collection managers in terms of their treatment, housing, digitization and storage. Working with rolled panoramic prints from a private collection as a case study, this thesis examines possible solutions to the issues of caring for panoramas in collections. Conservators and collection managers were also consulted to broaden the survey. A procedure for digitizing rolled panoramas is proposed as a solution for providing access to the image information if conservation treatment is not a viable option. Humidification and flattening treatments are discussed, and solutions are presented for the housing, storage and digitization of these oversized objects.