## Efflorescence and Unruly Degradation [PDF](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1m6ZVmk05igwkog1ftGZt3VRtt8lepLCH/view?usp=sharing) >Detail: Burne Jones Cartoon, E.225-1911. V&A Images. ## Introducing Efflorescence >A thought less sure of itself than philosophical discourse? It is formal and contains objectivity but a milder, non-apodeictic or axiomatic form. It produces materiality but in the form of enjoyment (jouissance) or lived experience. In the end, photo-fiction manages the limits that humans can propose to themselves but aligns them with generic humanity rather than a narcissistic delirium of the modern individual that uses photography.^[Laruelle, François. _Photo-Fiction, a Non-Standard Aesthetics (Univocal)._ First edition. Univocal Publishing, 2012, 18.] Well established: The white chalk-like substance patterns the object’s surface, its crystalline structure shimmering as it diffracts what little light there is in the corridor. This bloom contrasts with the muted colours of the underlying images. At first glance, its spread, following the contours and outlines of figures and details, makes it seem intentionally artistic. The curious effect of the surface accretion, the mutual penetration of the watercolour over-painting and underlying matte photographic surface, make the appearance of the subject less obviously photographic (angels)? I’d often wondered what lay behind the door to the makeshift object store installed along a corridor wall leading to the public galleries beyond. The door seemed more fitting for a home than a museum. Behind it must lie something quite large, given the store's dimensions suggesting flat, two dimensional works. Waiting, we engage in small talk. Finally, the curator arrives apologetic. Assembled were conservators from various specialisations (photographs, paper, and paintings), gathered to assess the two objects within the store: stained-glass designs (cartoons) by the artist Burne Jones (E.224 and 225-1911), which hadn't been examined in a long time.^[The word cartoon in an art historical context refers to a ‘full-scale preparatory drawing for a fresco, oil painting or a tapestry. The word comes from the Italian _cartone_, which simply means a large sheet of paper or card.’ See _Royal Academy, Art History 101: what is a cartoon?_ Accessed 7 October 2022, https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/article/daniel-maclise-what-is-a-cartoon/.] As the curator unlocked the door, they delved into their history. Notably, these designs are large photographic prints over-painted with watercolour, making them materially complex and unique. The Museum’s FuturePlan project meant these works would soon need moving.^[FuturePlan is a long-term and major redevelopment project of the Museum, billed as ‘… an ambitious programme of development which is transforming the V&A’. See https://www.vam.ac.uk/info/futureplan, accessed 20 September 2019.] Given their size and delicate state, the curator is keen to get things underway. Pulling the heavy carry frame on its track revealed more of the object. The cartoon was clearly damaged and in poor condition, with significant signs of a surface deposit. The white bloom, at first thought to be an artistic touch, is actually a result of degradation known as efflorescence. In conservation, efflorescence (which means “to blossom out” in French) describes a process where certain compounds migrate to the surface of an object and crystallise. The authors of *Clarifying the Haze: Efflorescence on Works of Art*, Eugena Ordonez and John Tilley describe efflorescence as, ‘the presence of concentrated light scattering particles on the surface of fine art,’ the combination of ‘migratory process as well as end product.’^[Ordonez, Eugena, and John Twilley. *Clarifying the Haze, Efflorescence on Works of Art.* Text. Article, January 1998, accessed December 6, 2021, accessed 5 August 2022,  [https://cool.culturalheritage.org/waac/wn/wn20/wn20-1/wn20-108.html](../customXml/item1.xml).] Their analysis identifies unstable organic compounds as the primary component. The second cartoon was in marginally better condition, yet still exhibited efflorescence. There were several theories for its origin, ranging from organic materials in the paints, to external coatings, perhaps wax. Historical records hinted at potential exposure to moisture, possibly during a serious flood in the Museum’s Crypt stores in the early 1990s. Although I'm familiar with similar degradation processes like silver-mirroring, where residual silver ions surface and react with light to create a metallic bloom, efflorescence is less known to me. Silver-mirroring is common in photographs with high concentrations of silver salts, and like efflorescence, exacerbated by fluctuating climatic conditions. Considering photographs' inherent [[Conservation Lab (a relational model)#Conservation, a material creative concern|sensitivities]], understanding and countering these degradations is crucial for preservation. I carefully brush samples of the powdery substance for lab analysis by the Museum’s in-house scientists. Before leaving, we agree to make further investigations and wait for the material analysis, and then coordinate a plan of action. The efflorescence's origins remain uncertain. Most likely it arrived at the Museum with its host, somewhat below the radar, integral to the artwork’s material composition, with its surfacing perhaps triggered by climatic fluctuations. What's clear is it's causing irreversible damage. Challenges like these often lead to conservation treatment and further analysis. Our goal is understanding the processes in play, but sometimes as *Clarifying the Haze* suggests, even advanced technologies find identification challenging. As my research progressed the efflorescence stands as a totem, guiding us through lively material worlds and embodying a unique [[photospherics and the deeply felt everyday|photospherics]], far from equilibrium. ### Basement stores The building is eerily quiet. I hadn’t encountered a soul since signing in at the reception and collecting the keys. I’m on my way to address concerns about the storage conditions of a multitude of degrading photographic film. Descending a tiled staircase, I navigate the labyrinthine corridors of the Museum’s Blythe House stores. The door leading to the basement object stores, armed with an alarm system opens at the touch of my electronic key. To avoid triggering the alarm, I pass swiftly over the threshold. The door closes behind me, the familiar high-pitched screech of the electronic lock, echoing through the silence. However, this morning, the motion sensor failed to ignite the overhead lights. Utter darkness. Fruitlessly waving my arms to trigger the sensor, I surrender to the inevitable. I’m isolated, there is no means of reaching the outside world. The mechanical drone of the chiller unit in the store that houses the early negatives of the [[Activity Log 15 oC 33% RH#^f6a6a7|Raphael Cartoons]] is the only sound penetrating the darkness. Blinded, I inch forward, in search of the door, but find nothing. Disorientated, I grope my way back along the corridor’s wall until my fingers find the electronic door release. Finally, the lights spring to life. Regaining my composure takes time. The unexpected experience leaves my senses heightened. After what feels like an age, I find myself standing in front of the storeroom, next to the room with the noisy chiller unit I’d visited some months earlier — but that’s a story for another time — housing the freezers containing the degrading film negatives I’m here to inspect. ### Degrading film >The most economical way to preserve a collection in good condition is cold storage using frost-free freezer systems. Though negative duplication is a viable option, it is no substitute for proper collections care. The Image Permanence Institute predicts a ‘coming tidal wave’ of film degradation, which is likely to overwhelm existing duplication resources. The only way to avert this tidal wave is to make environmental control the top priority for film-based negative collections.^[Messier, Paul. _Preserving Your Collection of Film-Based Photographic Negatives_. 1998, accessed December 6, 2021, accessed 5 August 2022, [https://cool.culturalheritage.org/byauth/messier/negrmcc.html](settings.xml).] The instability and deterioration of both acetate and nitrate photographic film present significant challenges for the preservation and conservation of photographic material. Originating from the inherent chemical instability of the first flexible plasticised film-bases, these problems are pressing and widespread. Cellulose Nitrate, the first transparent flexible film commercially available, was used for film-based photographic materials (stills, movie, and x-ray). Produced primarily for the motion picture industry from the early 1890s, it was widely used for photographic film until the 1930s – as stocks continued to be used it is not unusual for it to still be in use up to the early 1950s. That nitrate film is flammable at just 38°C and emits extremely toxic fumes poses significant risks. In response to the dangers of nitrate film, the early 20th century saw the introduction of Cellulose acetate film, often referred to as safety film. It was developed in phases: cellulose diacetate around 1910, followed by acetate propionate and cellulose acetate butyrate in the 1930s, and finally, cellulose triacetate in the late 1940s. Despite being less flammable, acetate films brought their own set of challenges. Shortly after their introduction, degradation problems were reported. Deterioration, driven by high temperatures and/or humidity, is ‘autocatalytic,’ and left unchecked, the ‘rate of chemical activity will gain momentum.’^[Messier, _Preserving Your Collection of Film-Based Photographic Negatives_.] As cellulose and acetate degrade, they can develop bubbles, crystals and release of acetic acid leading to what's commonly known as "vinegar syndrome." The process cannot be reversed. Sub-zero storage, however, can slow down the rate of deterioration significantly, extending the life of film from mere decades to potentially over a thousand years. In the Museum's collections, tens of thousands of acetate and nitrate negatives, many in advanced stages of decay, are housed in the freezers I inspected. Recent shifts in collection policies, emphasising the acquisition of photographers' archives, have made the preservation of these film holdings a top priority. It's a massive undertaking, given the sheer volume of film-based negatives in the Museum’s diverse photographic holdings. Aside from the heat from the freezers, the room is relatively calm. There had been some suggestion that one freezer was malfunctioning, but all seems okay. Locking the door and making my way back above ground, handing in the keys and signing out, exiting the building into the mid-morning sun, still feeling the destabilising effects of the earlier plunge into darkness. ### Welcome Alien Things The material analysis of the efflorescence is now complete. The scientist’s results are inconclusive. As we learned from Ordonez and Twilley, identification is not always straightforward.^[Ordonez and Twilley, *Clarifying the Haze.*] Most likely, it is because of a constituent of the paint, a fatty acid, of some sort. As far as I know, there haven't been notable advancements concerning the efflorescence, and its intimate relationship with its host, the Burne-Jones cartoons. Yet, the seemingly relentless march of *Futureplan* underscores that this state of pause is temporary. Questions about the cartoons' condition and their future home will inevitably resurface. The intricate crystalline bloom, so integral to the appearance of the angels, challenges my conservation instincts. Any attempts to erase or diminish this material element might alter the over-painted photographs. While *Clarifying the Haze* suggests the crystalline bloom as an end product, I see efflorescence as never fully complete story, a process underway. It evokes [[Crystal Thinking Making|sugar crystals]] in the process of crystallisation. A slight shift in environmental conditions could re-activate the process of migration and accretion, allowing efflorescence to re-surface, micro-event by subtle event, weaving its narrative journey through both object and Museum. The idea of hosting and welcoming, providing sanctuary to ‘alien things,’ is deeply rooted in Alfred North Whitehead’s speculative empiricism.^[In *Science and the Modern World,* Whitehead writes: ‘Cognition’ discloses an event as being an activity, organising a real togetherness of alien things.’ Whitehead, Alfred North. 1925 [2010]. _Science and the Modern World. Lowell Lectures 1925._ [Repr.]. New York: Free Press, 155.] Such material elements, so starkly different from fixed notions of what constitutes an object in the museum. They create an imaginary that deepens our relations with the material world. For now, in absence, I continue to imagine this fugitive and alien entity with affection.