Intérieur d’une Abbaye en Ruines, one of three plates of Niépce to be discussed and displayed at the conference, from the collection of The Royal Photographic Society at the National Media Museum/Science & Society Picture Library
Conference Update
An international conference on recent
advancements in scientific, art historical, and
conservation research relating to the
photographs which Joseph Nicéphore Niépce
brought to England in 1827.
Co-organized by the National Media Museum
and the Getty Conservation Institute
13th - 14th October 2010
National Media Museum
Bradford, West Yorkshire, UK
Dear Colleague:
The National Media Museum (NMeM) and the Getty Conservation Institute (GCI) are pleased to invite
you to the Niépce in England conference, to be held at the National Media Museum, Bradford, United
Kingdom on Wednesday and Thursday, October 13-14, 2010.
Conference Objective and Goals
Niépce in England
This two-day conference will present the results of new, unpublished research and scientific
investigations, which have been undertaken during the NMeM and GCI Collaborative Research Project.
In the Royal Photographic Society Collection at the National Media Museum are three plates by
Niépce. The conference will address the research and conservation of these photographic treasures,
and will discuss future conservation measures that would provide for their long-term protection and
preservation. The reason why Niépce brought these plates to England, and their subsequent history,
will also be outlined more fully than previously published
Conference Themes and Speakers
Philippa Wright, Curator of Photographs, National Media Museum
Larry Schaaf, Independent Photo historian
Pamela Roberts, Independent Photo Historian
Grant Romer, Independent Photo Historian
Art Kaplan, Scientist, Getty Conservation Institute
Dr, Dusan Stulik, Senior Scientist, Getty Conservation Institute
Colin Harding, Curator of Photographic Technology, National Media Museum
Philip Gilhooley, Independent Fingerprint Consultant and Lecturer in Forensic Science, Liverpool John
Moores University
Peter Bower, Forensic Paper Historian
Roy Flukinger, Senior Research Curator of Photography, Harry Ransom Centre, University of Texas
Barbara Brown, Head of Photograph Conservation, Harry Ransom Center, University of Texas
Isabella Kocum, Frame Conservator, National Gallery
Susie Clark, Independent Photographic and Paper Conservator
• Joseph Nicéphore Niépce and his work
• The first six photographs brought to England by Niépce in context• Scientific investigation into the three Niépce photographs in The Royal Photographic Society
Collection at the NMeM
• Dating and conservation of the original frames
• Conservation and preservation issues related to the Niépce plates
Related Events
Conference participants will have a very unique and unprecedented opportunity (that may not be
repeated in our lifetime) to view all three Niépce plates ‘out of their frames’, enabling participants to
closely examine the surfaces and reverse of these unique photographic treasures. The plates, and
their conserved frames, will be on display throughout the conference in the Kraszna-Krausz Print
Viewing Room, in the NMeM Research Centre.
• A Conference dinner will take place on Wednesday, October 13th, 7pm – 10pm at the National Media
Museum. Tickets for the dinner need to be purchased with your conference ticket at a cost of £22.
Registration
Formal registration for the Niépce in England conference is now open. Please note that attendance to
the conference is limited. All registrations will be handled on a first-come, first-served basis. If you have
already registered initial interest in the conference you are not guaranteed a place and will still need to ring and book your place.
For further enquiries regarding the conference please email
rsvp.nmem@nationalmediamuseum.org.uk and we will respond to your enquiry accordingly
To book your conference ticket please call the museum box office on +44 (0) 870 70 10200. Please note that tickets can not be purchased online.
Ticket costs
• Full price conference ticket £90
• Concession price conference ticket £70
• Wednesday evening dinner £22
Hotel accommodation
Overnight accommodation is available locally at the Bradford Jurys Inn Hotel.
The hotel is a two minute walk from the museum and rooms can be booked either online at:http://bradfordhotels.jurysinns.com/ or by calling +44 (0) 870 4100 800.
Rates range from £55 to £80 for a double room. Early booking is advisable.
National Media Museum in Bradford opened as The National Museum of Photography, Film and
Television in 1983 and has since become one of the most visited UK museums outside London. The
Museum is devoted to photography, film, television, radio and the web and looks after the National
Photography, Photographic Technology and Cinematography Collections. The Museum is home to two
temporary exhibition spaces and, a Research Centre that hosts regular displays from its extensive
Collections. The Museum’s vibrant programme reflects all aspects of historical and contemporary
media practice and issues.
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