Close-up of a hand holding a bamboo skewer to repair areas of a large black-and-white photograph where the image layer has flaked off.

ONLINE EXHIBIT: The Niagara Falls panoramas: Two photographic wonders and their preservation

The repairs

Beyond cleaning, the panoramas required extensive repairs to preserve them for future generations. The conservators put their knowledge and skills to the test to make sure these fascinating photographs would stand the test of time.

The work the conservators performed on the two panoramas followed the code of ethics for conservation in Canada. The team’s efforts respected the original materials, the history of the prints and their cultural significance. Understanding that the goal of preservation is not to restore records to their original condition, the conservators prevented further damage and improved the panoramas’ appearance while respecting that the stains, cracks and tears were now part of the story behind these photos.

Backing removal attempt

The conservators performed tests in hopes of finding a safe method to remove the prints from their steel backing so that they could be rolled onto wide, padded tubes for better storage. The best method involved heating the steel from underneath with a tacking iron and gently prying the print with a tiny spatula, but even this technique was worsening the existing damage. As a result, the team decided to re-attach the panoramas to their backing and to move and store them on their metal supports—a major plan B.

Side view of a photograph on a metal backing sheet mounted on a wooden frame. A hand holds a white sheet to indicate where the photograph has been lifted from the metal sheet. The photo is positioned on a table on which a tacking iron and microspatula are visible.

Tear repair and flaking fixes

Repairing tears and fixing sections where the image layer had flaked away were key to safely moving the panoramas and preserving them long-term. The conservators reinforced detached pieces and tears with Japanese tissue paper applied with gelatin or wheat starch paste. These adhesives are reversible, relatively strong and won’t fade or darken the images, and the strength and flexibility of Japanese paper makes it ideal for repairs. By applying gelatin to the areas of the image that were flaking off, the conservators were able to prevent further image loss.

Hands holding tweezers to re-attach a torn piece along the edge of a black-and-white photograph.

Securing the wooden support

Another issue were the two breaks in the wooden support frame beneath the winter Niagara Falls panorama, which may have happened during the photo’s move to the attic. The conservators used carpenter’s glue and thin, rectangular metal plates to reinforce the broken areas on the wooden support. They also applied fish glue—a natural glue made from fish parts—to fix smaller splits in the wood. Afterwards, they used screws to re-attach the metal backing to the wooden support along the top left edge where some of the original nails were missing.

Close-up of a wooden frame with a split behind a joint.

Repairing the frame

The photographs’ outer frames, made of solid wood with a dark brown veneer, were in overall good condition, except for some detaching veneer around the edges and a dulled appearance caused by surface dirt. However, the winter panorama’s painted gold “fillet”—the decorative ridge around the frame’s inside edge that also holds the photo in the frame—was in poor shape. The conservators rebuilt missing sections and reinforced cracked or broken areas using carpenter’s glue and fish glue. They also applied an archival quality white glue to re-attach the fillet’s peeling gold paint.

Close-up of a woman, shown from the back, using a small tool to repair flaking gold paint on the inside lip of a large, brown wooden picture frame.

On your mark, get set… switch!

With limited workspace, only one panorama could receive treatment at a time. While conservators were using the tables to work on one of the photographs, the other panorama and the two frames were wrapped in protective sheeting and stored against the walls of the room.

Repositioning the panoramas, whether to remove the frames or to switch treatment from one to the other, required many helping hands and a clear plan of action.

Five people wearing white lab coats and gloves lift a large black-and-white panoramic photograph from its frame, which rests on a long table in a workroom. A sixth person wearing a blue collared shirt stands with his back to the camera in the right foreground.

Six people wearing gloves and white lab coats move a large black-and-white panoramic photograph off a long table in a workroom. The photograph’s frame rests on the table.

A group of six people lifting a large black-and-white panoramic photograph onto a long table in a workroom.

The results

Later treatments conducted in partnership with the Canadian Conservation Institute between 2013 and 2016 further improved the condition and appearance of the panoramas. Using better preservation methods and knowledge not previously available, the conservators were able to successfully remove the photos from their metal backing and further reduce stains, tears and surface damage. This preservation work was essential to safeguarding these visual records of one of Canada’s most iconic landmarks. Use the slider below to compare the panoramas before and after all treatments were completed.

Black-and-white panoramic photograph of Niagara Falls in winter, covered in snow and ice. On the left is a bridge over the river and a snow-covered path leading up to a large building on the top of a hill. A tree-lined path is on the right. Tears and water stains are visible on the image.

Black-and-white panoramic photograph of Niagara Falls in winter, with a bridge over the river and a snow-covered path leading up to a large building on the top of a hill at left and a tree-lined path at right. Slight tears and water stains are visible on the image.

Black-and-white panoramic photograph of Niagara Falls in summer, with a bridge over the river and a path leading up to a large building on the top of a hill at left and a tree-lined path at right. Tears and water stains are visible on the image.

Back to: Chapter 03

The cleaning

Next up: Chapter 05

The move

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