A collaboration of the Paul Krot Community Darkroom and the Special Collections of the Providence Public Library:
In the early months of 2010, members of the Paul Krot Community Darkroom embarked upon a visual journey through history and the evolution of the photographic process. Over the course of the next five months, we unearthed 1,250 glass photographic negatives in the Special Collections of the Providence Public Library. We saw images of local history come alive and scenes of Kennedy Plaza before mass public transportation was a part of everyday life. We saw local farms and the families who tended to them. We held in our hands the product of a now lost method of photography.
Now, through careful cataloging, we have captured these images in digital form to give you, the people of Rhode Island and beyond, a glimpse into an era that, before now, was only preserved in memories and yellowed memoirs.
Every image in this collection was taken between 1890 and 1920, the height of wet-plate collodion printing, a lost art and foundation to modern large format photography. The images are all of regional, historical significance, from scenes of pre-Depression era Newport Beach to the scenic White Mountains of New Hampshire.
While our goal to preserve and catalog this collection is now complete, with each delicate glass plate housed in acid free archival envelopes and boxes, our work is far from finished. We at the Paul Krot Community Darkroom as the only publicly accessible traditional darkroom in Rhode Island are in the unique position to make archival grade photographic prints from these antique source materials, and we want to make these special prints available to you!
This fall, we will host a pubic exhibition of select prints from this very special catalogue of images. Please join us on October 4th, 2010 from 5-7pm at Providence City Hall to see a sampling of the photographic splendor we have saved from utter obscurity through the work of our dedicated and talented Darkroom Members and our partnership with Special Collections Librarian Rick Ring and the Providence Public Library.
After the show, visit this site to browse through our extensive catalog of digital images and peruse the printing options. We can make contact prints of most negatives, and can make enlargements upon request. Details on pricing are available on this site, and our work flow specifications are explained in detail, but please feel free to direct any questions to Project Manager Krystal Grow at krystal@as220.org.
All proceeds from sales will go directly to the Providence Public Library Special Collections and the Paul Krot Community Darkroom, to ensure that important historic documents can continue to see new life, and that people everywhere will have the opportunity to learn new skills and be inspired by tradition.
Visit the PPL Special Collections here
Visit the AS220 Darkroom here
For information about ordering prints, click here
