Since the introduction of photographic portrait studios in 1840, photographs have been among the most treasured of family records but, while most are long-lasting when stored optimally in archives, in the home environment, they are all too often prone to fading and discoloration. In this slide lecture, Gary Saretzky will provide guidance on how the life of family photographs can be extended so that they can be passed down to future generations. The lecture includes examples of how old photographs can be enhanced or restored in the computer after digitization.

Gary D. Saretzky, archivist, educator, and photographer, worked as an archivist for more than fifty years at the State Historical Society of Wisconsin, Educational Testing Service, and the Monmouth County Archives, where he was County Archivist, 1994-2019. A member of the Photographic Materials Group of the American Institute for Conservation, Saretzky taught the history of photography at Mercer County Community College, 1977-2012. He has published more than 100 articles and reviews on the history of photography, photographic conservation, and other topics, including “Nineteenth-Century New Jersey Photographers,” in the journal, New Jersey History, Fall/Winter 2004.