Stain Reduction Techniques for Gelatin Silver Photographs

Includes a Live In-Person Event on 12/02/2026 at 11:00 AM (EST)

December 2-4, 2026, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
Instructors: Toshiaki Koseki and Jennifer McGlinchey Sexton

This workshop offers a comprehensive exploration of stain reduction techniques for gelatin silver photographs for conservators. Photographs are sometimes affected by contact with substances that cause staining in the paper, baryta and binder layers and are subsequently challenging to reduce or remove. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of stain reduction methodologies for photographs. The instructors will present treatment outlines that encourage participants to use problem solving techniques to formulate treatment plans using progressive methods to get the most controllable results. Note that this workshop will focus on treatment techniques for gelatin silver photographs, but these techniques may apply to other types of photographs.

Key areas of focus include:

Assessment and documentation of stain types
Decision making - risks and benefits of stain reduction treatments
Selection of appropriate treatment procedures
Hands-on practice with various reduction techniques
Case studies

This workshop is appropriate for conservators looking for an opportunity to improve and practice stain reduction techniques in a safe space. Participants are encouraged to bring photographs from their own study collections for hands-on practice. These might include tape adhesive staining, oil or greases, or other inadvertent stains caused by liquids.

Interested individuals must apply by August 31, 2026. The registration fee is $570 for AIC members, $684 for non-members. Support for two international participants is available upon request in the application. Support includes free registration and a $1,000 travel stipend.

Funding for this program comes from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation fund for Collaborative Workshops in Photograph Conservation and the Foundation for Advancement in Conservation (FAIC) Endowment for Professional Development, which was created by a grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and is supported by donations from members of the American Institute for Conservation (AIC) and its friends. Workshops are made possible with the assistance of many AIC members, but no AIC membership dues were used to create or present this course.

FAIC relies on your contributions to support these and its many other programs. Learn more about donating to the foundation.

Toshiaki Koseki

Carol Crow Conservator of Photographs

Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

Toshiaki Koseki is the Carol Crow Conservator of Photographs at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Prior to his appointment at the MFAH, Toshiaki was the senior conservator at The Better Image photograph conservation laboratory in New Jersey from 1998. He was an Andrew W. Mellon Advanced Fellow in Conservation at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1997-1998 and worked at the International Museum of Photography at George Eastman House in exhibition design and conservation from 1990-1994. He received a Bachelor of Science in mathematics from Creighton University and an Master of Science in art conservation from the Winterthur Museum/University of Delaware. Toshiaki has conserved numerous photographs from the nations leading public and private collections and has lectured extensively in his native Japan and throughout the United States.

Jennifer McGlinchey Sexton

Conservator

MS Art Conservation

Jennifer McGlinchey Sexton is a conservator in private practice in Colorado. She specializes in photographs, works on paper and conservation imaging. She serves museums, institutions, and private individuals in the West and throughout the United States. A member of Mountain States Art Conservation, she works in collaboration with conservators of varied specialties whenever possible. Trained as a fine-art photographer, Jennifer became interested in conservation through exploration of historic photographic processes. Her graduate training at Buffalo State College allowed her to explore additional aspects of photography as a medium and a tool for conservation. She gained experience as a conservator and photographer in positions at MFA, Houston, Williamstown Art Conservation Center, the J. Paul Getty Museum, the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, the Menil Collection, and Paul Messier LLC. For the 2019-2020 academic year, she was a full-time lecturer for “Technical Examination and Documentation” at the Garman Art Conservation Department, Buffalo State College.

Interested individuals must complete an application by August 31, 2026. Applicants will be asked to describe their relationship with stain removal on gelatin silver photographs, including sharing an example of a success or failure, and how they would use and share the knowledge gained from this workshop with others. Priority will go to conservation professionals who will be working using stain removal techniques immediately following this workshop. Geographic diversity will also be considered.

Submit an application by clicking the "Apply" button below. Applications are submitted through our online application portal. When you enter the portal, you will be prompted to login to the system using a login ID and password. Please note that this system is not connected to your F/AIC profile on our general website.

Criteria for Review

Experience and current interactions with the topic
Need for the content (current challenges around the topic)
Plan for dissemination of information gained
The program seeks to support a diverse set of participants and will consider geographic location, place of employment type, and profession.

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