This is a thoroughly illustrated guide to the history and technology of autochromes with a practical guide for storage & preservation. Louis Lumiere is perhaps best known for his seminal role in the invention of cinema, but his most important contribution to the history of photography was the autochrome. Engagingly written and superbly illustrated with over 300 images, "The Lumiere Autochrome" tells the fascinating story of the first industrially produced form of colour photography. Initial chapters present the Lumiere family enterprise, set out the challenges posed by early colour photography, and recount the invention, rise, and eventual decline of the autochrome, which for the first four decades of the 20th-century was the most widely used form of commercial colour photography. The book then treats the technology of the autochrome, including the technical challenges of plate fabrication, described in step-by-step detail, and a thorough account of autochrome manufacture. A final chapter provides in-depth recommendations concerning the preservation of these vulnerable objects, including proper storage and display guidelines.

In recent years, interest in old photographs has grown significantly among a broad public, from collectors, conservators, and archivists to amateurs seeking to preserve precious family albums. Although the medium of photography is barely 150 years old, its relatively brief history has witnessed the birth of a wide range of photographic processes, each of which poses unique conservation challenges.
Photographs of the Past: Processes and Preservation provides a comprehensive introduction to the practice of photograph preservation, bringing together more information on photographic processes than any other single source. Introductory chapters cover issues of terminology; the rest of the book is divided into three parts: positives, negatives, and conservation. Each chapter focuses on a single process--daguerreotypes, albumen negatives, black-and-white prints, and so on--providing an overview of its history and materials and tracing the evolution of its technology. This book will serve as an irreplaceable reference work for conservators, curators, collectors, dealers, conservation students, and photographers, as well as those in the general public seeking information on preserving this ubiquitous form of cultural heritage.