Lorin remembers the day he found the photograph in the early 1990s. After lunch with his parents - "at the new version of the Belden Deli" - they made their way to a garage sale in the gymnasium at Francis Parker School in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago. Lorin recalls, "We walked into the gymnasium, and I saw this photo of a ballet dancer in a ratty wooden frame. It had a $5 tag on it."
George Platt Lynes photograph before treatment
The photograph reminded him of Victor Skrebneski, a Chicago-born fashion photographer, so the photograph was purchased and came home with him that day. Some months later, while hosting a dinner party, a photographer friend opened the frame and revealed a stamp on the back - GPL - for artist George Platt Lynes. Lorin wasn't familiar with Lynes' work but had a connection to someone who was - Chicago bar owner Michelle Fire.
The photograph is stamped on the verso “George Platt Lynes 640 Madison Avenue, New York”
Michelle studied art at the University of Illinois Chicago before opening the LGBTQ bar, Big Chicks, in the Uptown neighborhood of Chicago. Big Chicks is known for its welcoming atmosphere within the walls of what can feel like a gallery, featuring paintings and photography that set it apart from other watering holes. Through Michelle's "trove of vintage photography," as Lorin puts it, "you could see the line from a GPL, Lisette Model, etc., to what would eventually influence Victor's work. At least to my eyes."
George Platt Lynes photograph before treatment under raking light
Lorin brought the Lynes' photograph of the Male Ballet Dancer along with another image by an unknown photographer. That image featured operatic singer Dusolina Giannini (1902-1986), who performed with the Chicago City Opera Company from 1938-1942, and features a dedication and autograph from the soprano. Both photographs needed treatment and fell into the care of Senior Conservator of Works on Paper Bozena Szymanski.
Photograph of Dusolina Giannini
The Lynes photograph was signed, but the ink signature had faded with age. The surface exhibited inherent age-related discoloration with water stains and rust stains on the surface. The photograph's surface was coated with a layer of surface grime and exhibited scattered accretions. There were creases and scratches throughout, with moderation distortions. As a result of the creases and distortions, the emulsion layer was delaminating, and there were areas of loss to the emulsion layer.
Detail of inscription on George Platt Lynes photograph
Bozena began treatment by carefully surface-cleaning to reduce the grime and accretions. The rust areas were mechanically reduced using a scalpel under magnification. The photograph was passively humidified in a Gortex package to address the creases and deformations. Then the work was flattened and dried between cotton blotters under weights to reduce distortion as best as possible.
The lifting media was consolidated using the appropriate conservation adhesive, and Bozena compensated the areas of loss to the emulsion layer to integrate with the surrounding area as closely as possible. Given the nature of photographic materials, areas of compensation will remain visible; however, the goal with compensation is to minimize the losses so that they do not distract from viewing the image. The creasing was supported from the reverse using Japanese tissue and conservation adhesives.
George Platt Lynes photograph after treatment
The photograph of Dusolina Giannini was adhered to a mount board with acidic qualities. Low-quality mats made from paper with heavy wood pulp content are chemically unstable and acidic. The wood pulp decomposes over time, releasing acid, which can then migrate into the absorbent paper of the artwork. The photograph's surface had creases, scratches, and indentations. This also resulted in cracks in the emulsion layer. Discolored adhesive remains were also present on the mount and at the margins of the photograph.
Detail of photograph of Dusolina Giannini
Verso of photograph of Dusolina Giannini
Bozena began treatment, this time first by carefully freeing the photograph from the acidic board using mechanical methods. Once removed, Bozena could surface clean the photograph to reduce grime and accretions. Then, the adhesive remains at the margins were removed using mechanical techniques under magnification, which allows conservators to soften stubborn adhesives in a controlled and delicate manner. The photograph was passively humidified in a Gortex package, then flattened and dried between cotton blotters under weights to minimize deformations and creases. Once flattened, the lifting emulsion was consolidated using the appropriate conservation adhesive. The creasing was supported from the reverse using Japanese tissue and conservation adhesives.
Photograph of Dusolina Giannini after treatment
Now cleaned and stabilized, the photographs were returned to Lorin to continue to enjoy. "Thank your whole team for bringing both photos back to life. I'm excited to display them at my new apartment when I move next year!" It was a pleasure to conserve these photographs, especially knowing the personal story and strong connection to our home town of Chicago!
Before treatment
After treatment
Before treatment
After treatment
