Institut Seni Indonesia (ISI) Yogyakarta again became a pioneer in the preservation of visual culture through the organization of the Workshop on Ancient Photographic Techniques "Albumen Print" which was held on Saturday, July 12, 2025 at the Darkroom Laboratory, Faculty of Recording Media Arts. This workshop is part of a cross-disciplinary collaborative research agenda between the Photography and Art Conservation Study Program of ISI Yogyakarta and the Chemistry Study Program of the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Gadjah Mada University (UGM).
With the theme "Technical Reconstruction of Albumen Print in Indonesia", this event aims to reintroduce the classic 19th century photo printing technique that uses egg white as the main material. Albumen print is one of the oldest and most popular photo printing techniques of its time, known for its ability to reproduce fine visual details and give the prints a distinctive visual character.
The workshop was attended by a collaborative research team consisting of lecturers and students from three scientific fields: photography, chemistry, and art conservation. Participants were not only involved in the practice of reconstructing albumen printing techniques, but also received technical material from the main speaker, Dr. Irwandi, M.Sn., who has extensively researched alternative printing in photography.
Also present at this event was Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Harno Dwi Pranowo, M.Sc., a professor of chemistry from Gadjah Mada University, who also gave his views on the importance of a scientific approach in preserving photographic works based on organic materials and light-sensitive chemistry.
Reviving 19th Century Engineering
Workshop participants were invited to explore the historical and technical process of albumen printing, from making the albumen layer (egg white mixed with salt), silver nitrate coating on paper, printing by sunlight, to toning using gold chloride and fixation to lock the image into permanence. This technique requires great precision and a deep understanding of the chemical reactions and properties of materials.
Not only as an artistic practice, this technique is part of a scientific experiment in a long-term research project that is being developed. In the future, this research aims to test the durability of albumen prints in Indonesia's tropical climate, a topic that is particularly relevant given the large archive of historical photographs of Indonesia from the colonial period that use this technique.
Responding to Tropical Climate Challenges
Indonesia's tropical climate, with its high humidity levels, temperature fluctuations and intense sunlight exposure, poses a major challenge to the sustainability of albumen print collections. The physical and chemical damage caused by these conditions has led to the degradation of print quality and even the loss of important visual information from the nation's history.
Through the reconstruction of the print process and simulation of storage conditions, the research team will later engage in cross-disciplinary discussions to determine the most appropriate method for laboratory testing to observe visual and chemical changes in prints. The results of this research are expected to produce conservation recommendations for tropical climates, which has been a void in the study of photographic preservation in Indonesia.
Visual Cultural Heritage Preservation
This research positions ISI Yogyakarta, through the Photography and Art Conservation Study Program, as the center of scientific and artistic initiatives in efforts to save Indonesia's photographic cultural heritage. Collaboration with the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences UGM strengthens the research foundation through an accurate and testable applied chemistry approach.
"Albumen print is not just about photography of the past, but about the future, how we care for and preserve the nation's visual memory from irreversible damage," said Dr. Irwandi in his presentation while leading the albumen print workshop.
The outcome of this workshop will be an important start in the development of albumen print conservation strategies in Indonesia, as well as opening up wider opportunities for collaboration between artists, scientists and archivists in the preservation of historic photo collections.
As a continuation of this research series, in September the albumen old print photography research team is scheduled to conduct a study visit to Danube University Krems, Austria. This visit is part of the international cooperation under the auspices of the ASEAN-European Academic University Network (ASEA-UNINET).
During the visit, the team will learn firsthand about old photographic print conservation practices that have developed in Europe, including technological approaches, material analysis methodologies, and storage systems for historic photographic collections. Interactions with conservation experts at Danube University are expected to broaden insights and strengthen albumen print preservation strategies in Indonesia, especially in the face of tropical climate challenges. In addition to being an important milestone in developing cross-country research capacity, this visit also marks ISI Yogyakarta's strategic step in building global networks in the field of visual heritage preservation. (Public Relations of FSMR ISI Yogyakarta)
The resource person delivered the workshop material
Workshop participants apply silver nitrate (light-sensitizing) solution to photographic paper used in albumen print
Workshop participants pose for a photo with the resource person
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