The course Alteration & Deterioration of Works of Art: Photographic Materials, through lectures and laboratory work, provides an overview of the history, fabrication, and technical developments of the major photographic processes of the nineteenth, twentieth and twenty-first centuries. The causes and prevention of deterioration mechanisms in the various imaging systems are examined, as is handling, storage, and exhibition techniques. At the advanced level, students undertake conservation treatment. Students intending to focus on photograph conservation are expected to take both introductory courses in paper conservation. Other courses of interest may be found in the Moving Image Archiving and Preservation graduate program at NYU.
