Selection Process of Photographs


Many materials in an archive are different in form and value, which demands separate consideration through the process of appraisal/selection.  The selection or appraisal of photographs is comparably different to selecting documents for archival preservation and conservation.  Outlined in this section are the considerations of photograph selection in archives through the suggestions of author Normand Charbonneau in his article The Selection of Photographs.  First Charbonneau offers the argument that photographs are purely informational and need to be judged according with the respect des fonds, “This means that archivists cannot resort to their traditional methods when beginning an appraisal for the selection of photographs; that is to say the assessment of the evidential vale of the documents which reflects their bond with the creator of the fonds” (Charbonneau, 2005, p. 120).  Charbonneau provides an outline for archivists to follow when selecting photographs for archives.

Preparing the Archivist for the selection of Photographs

• An intimate knowledge of the provenance of the fonds and of the context of
creation of the documents under appraisal;

• An understanding of the entire fonds;

• A background in history (this does not mean that archivists must be historians;
rather, they must have an interest in history and familiarity with its
methodology) to allow a judgement of the value of the documents, their
evidential value with respect to the context of their creation, and their informational
value within the larger context of the documentary resources
available for research;

• An awareness of the needs of users who consult photographic archives for
their informational value; and

• Sufficient knowledge of the history of photography and its techniques in
order to identify the physical characteristics of the documents and their
uniqueness, the importance of the photographer, etc.
(Charbonneau, 2005, p. 121). 

Appropriate Appraisal Criteria for the Selection of Photographs

 The intelligibility of information or the quality of the medium: This refers to the quality of the photograph and if the information presented by the photographs is useable or retrievable. 

  1.     Focus of the photographs (is the photograph blurred)
  2.     Exposure to the light (is the photograph badly exposed)
  3.     Processing (was the photographic process deficient and may cause deterioration of the image)
        • User needs
The archivist must be familiar with user needs and interests.  Along with the specialization of the institution.         
        • Subject
The archivist must determine what subjects they intend to document.
        • The intentions of the participants in the creation of photographs
  1. The photographer
  2. The individual or group photographed
  3. The customer
  4. The technician
  5. The person who gathers and documents the photographs
Accompanying documentation
  1. Title
  2. Statement of responsibility
  3. Dates of Creation
  4. Scope and content
 
Uniqueness or originality of the information

Age of the medium and of the information

Aesthetic quality and significance to the history of the art and science of
photography

Accessibility/restrictions

(Charbonneau, 2005, p. 122-127).

Charbonneau, N. (2005). The selection of photographs. Archivaria, 59. Retrieved from
http://journals.sfu.ca/archivar/index.php/archivaria/article/viewPDFInterstitial/12504/13628