🎥 A new documentary on photographic pioneer Hercule Florence highlights groundbreaking research that is deepening our understanding of his experiments with light in Brazil in the 19th century.
Hercule Florence, autoportrait, produced by the @ihf_19, investigates Florence’s photographic process and features recent scientific investigations conducted by Getty biochemist Art Kaplan and colleagues at the HERCULES Laboratory at the University of Évora, the Instituto Hercule Florence, and the Instituto Moreira Salles.
Analysis by Kaplan and colleagues identified the pioneering use of gold and silver in Florence’s images, providing new material evidence of his photographic processes. Through laboratory reconstructions and artificial aging experiments shown in the film, Kaplan also demonstrated the effectiveness of ammonia as a fixing agent, helping confirm techniques described in Florence’s writings.
Watch how Kaplan and fellow scientists, including António Candeias of the HERCULES lab, confirmed that Florence used gold and silver as image-forming metals: bit.ly/4ii4Fut
🔗 Read about how Getty scientists and curators unlock the mysteries of early photography: gty.art/4k0I9sD
🔗 Read more about the film in Adastra Journal: gty.art/4yDJSY
🖼️ Images:
🔹 Scientists Art Kaplan and António Candeias analyze a photograph by Hercule Florence at the HERCULES Laboratory. Courtesy of Instituto Hercule Florence. Photo: Jorge Simão
🔹 Still from the documentary Hercule Florence, autorretrato. Courtesy of Instituto Hercule Florence. Photo: João Pedro Plácido.
Hercule Florence, autoportrait, produced by the @ihf_19, investigates Florence’s photographic process and features recent scientific investigations conducted by Getty biochemist Art Kaplan and colleagues at the HERCULES Laboratory at the University of Évora, the Instituto Hercule Florence, and the Instituto Moreira Salles.
Analysis by Kaplan and colleagues identified the pioneering use of gold and silver in Florence’s images, providing new material evidence of his photographic processes. Through laboratory reconstructions and artificial aging experiments shown in the film, Kaplan also demonstrated the effectiveness of ammonia as a fixing agent, helping confirm techniques described in Florence’s writings.
Watch how Kaplan and fellow scientists, including António Candeias of the HERCULES lab, confirmed that Florence used gold and silver as image-forming metals: bit.ly/4ii4Fut
🔗 Read about how Getty scientists and curators unlock the mysteries of early photography: gty.art/4k0I9sD
🔗 Read more about the film in Adastra Journal: gty.art/4yDJSY
🖼️ Images:
🔹 Scientists Art Kaplan and António Candeias analyze a photograph by Hercule Florence at the HERCULES Laboratory. Courtesy of Instituto Hercule Florence. Photo: Jorge Simão
🔹 Still from the documentary Hercule Florence, autorretrato. Courtesy of Instituto Hercule Florence. Photo: João Pedro Plácido.
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We're excited to welcome four graduate interns to our Buildings and Sites department! This year they'll contribute to projects focused on conserving archaeological sites and earthen heritage, advancing the protection of Los Angeles's African American historic places, and hip of significant modern architecture around the world.
From left to right:
• Lucas Anghinoni, from Università degli Studi di Roma "La Sapienza," Italy, is working on the Earthen Architecture Initiative.
• Konstantina Iordanopoulou, from KU Leuven, Belgium, is working on Archaeological Sites Conservation.
• Qiara Riley, from the University of Delaware, Newark, is working on the African American Historic Places Los Angeles project.
• Daniel Saldaña Ayala, from the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, is working on the Conserving Modern Architecture Initiative.
Interested in joining Getty as an intern? Applications for our Graduate Internship and Post-Baccalaureate Internship programs close in just one week.
Learn more about eligibility, program details, and how to apply:
🔗 gty.art/gettygrad
🔗 gty.art/postbacc
Application deadline: November 3, 2026.
From left to right:
• Lucas Anghinoni, from Università degli Studi di Roma "La Sapienza," Italy, is working on the Earthen Architecture Initiative.
• Konstantina Iordanopoulou, from KU Leuven, Belgium, is working on Archaeological Sites Conservation.
• Qiara Riley, from the University of Delaware, Newark, is working on the African American Historic Places Los Angeles project.
• Daniel Saldaña Ayala, from the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, is working on the Conserving Modern Architecture Initiative.
Interested in joining Getty as an intern? Applications for our Graduate Internship and Post-Baccalaureate Internship programs close in just one week.
Learn more about eligibility, program details, and how to apply:
🔗 gty.art/gettygrad
🔗 gty.art/postbacc
Application deadline: November 3, 2026.
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It's #FreeFriday! "Keep It Moving? Conserving Kinetic Art" presents the latest research on the topic, and includes videos to capture more accurately the effects conjured by kinetic artworks gty.art/4go95ya
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📢 Catch up on the latest from the Getty Conservation Institute!
The newest issue of Conservation News is now available. Explore professional opportunities, including applications for our International Course on the Conservation of Modern Heritage conservation and Getty o find updates on our collaboration with the Chinati Foundation, new publications and resources, and highlights from conservation projects and research around the world.
Read the newsletter: gty.art/4yBaOrF
Not yet a subscriber? Join our community to receive a bi-monthly roundup of Getty Conservation Institute project updates, training opportunities, publications, and more delivered directly to your inbox.
Subscribe to Conservation News: gty.art/4zDw8i6
The newest issue of Conservation News is now available. Explore professional opportunities, including applications for our International Course on the Conservation of Modern Heritage conservation and Getty o find updates on our collaboration with the Chinati Foundation, new publications and resources, and highlights from conservation projects and research around the world.
Read the newsletter: gty.art/4yBaOrF
Not yet a subscriber? Join our community to receive a bi-monthly roundup of Getty Conservation Institute project updates, training opportunities, publications, and more delivered directly to your inbox.
Subscribe to Conservation News: gty.art/4zDw8i6
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🔔 There's additional time to apply for our forthcoming International Course on the Conservation of Modern Heritage! 🔔
Through lectures, discussions, exercises, demonstrations, site visits, and field projects, participants develop the knowledge and tools needed to conserve apes, and architecture.
Due to late interest expressed in applying for the course, we have decided to extend the application period through November 10. Learn more about the course and how to apply: gty.art/MAC.
Please reach out to CMAItraining@getty.edu with any questions.
Through lectures, discussions, exercises, demonstrations, site visits, and field projects, participants develop the knowledge and tools needed to conserve apes, and architecture.
Due to late interest expressed in applying for the course, we have decided to extend the application period through November 10. Learn more about the course and how to apply: gty.art/MAC.
Please reach out to CMAItraining@getty.edu with any questions.
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📣 Abstracts of Terra Conference Proceedings Now Available in AATA 📣
AATA now includes abstracted and indexed articles from the proceedings of the World Congress on Earthen Architecture, also known as the Terra Conference, starting with the first meeting in Yazd, Iran, in 1972, in Santa Fe, New Mexico, in 2022.
This project, a collaboration between AATA and our Earthen Architecture Initiative, makes more than 50 years of research, case studies, and conservation experiences from the international earthen heritage community accessible to scholars, practitioners, and students worldwide.
Search the database: gty.art/4elxMf6
📷 Replastering of the Great Mosque of Djenné, Mali, during the 10th International Conference on the Study and Conservation of Earthen Architectural Heritage, 2008.
AATA now includes abstracted and indexed articles from the proceedings of the World Congress on Earthen Architecture, also known as the Terra Conference, starting with the first meeting in Yazd, Iran, in 1972, in Santa Fe, New Mexico, in 2022.
This project, a collaboration between AATA and our Earthen Architecture Initiative, makes more than 50 years of research, case studies, and conservation experiences from the international earthen heritage community accessible to scholars, practitioners, and students worldwide.
Search the database: gty.art/4elxMf6
📷 Replastering of the Great Mosque of Djenné, Mali, during the 10th International Conference on the Study and Conservation of Earthen Architectural Heritage, 2008.
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Attending #ICOMOSGA2026? Don’t miss today’s Getty Information Session. Meet colleagues from our Buildings and Sites department, exchange ideas, and learn about our latest work, along with opportunities for internships, scholar research, courses, and grants.
📅 Oct. 22
🕐 1:00 - ea A
We hope to see you there!
📷: Courtesy of ICOMOS Malaysia
📅 Oct. 22
🕐 1:00 - ea A
We hope to see you there!
📷: Courtesy of ICOMOS Malaysia
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Apply now for 2027-28 Getty Post-Baccalaureate Conservation Internships!
Students from underrepresented backgrounds preparing to enroll in graduate degree programs related to museum conservation are encouraged to join.
All positions are full-time for 12 months from September 7, Interns are placed at conservation studios and labs at the Getty Center or Getty Villa for their first six months, and then at a local Los Angeles museum or within a different Getty department for the second six months.
Apply by Nov. 3, 2026: gty.art/postbacc
Students from underrepresented backgrounds preparing to enroll in graduate degree programs related to museum conservation are encouraged to join.
All positions are full-time for 12 months from September 7, Interns are placed at conservation studios and labs at the Getty Center or Getty Villa for their first six months, and then at a local Los Angeles museum or within a different Getty department for the second six months.
Apply by Nov. 3, 2026: gty.art/postbacc
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🍁 Welcome to our Fall Conservation Guest Scholars! 🍁
From left to right:
Hannah Lewi is professor in architecture at the University of Melbourne, Australia. Her research interests include Australian architectural history, 20th-century design and conservation, heritage theory, interpreting historic places.
Juan Carlos Rodriguez-Reyes is director at the Research Center for Heritage Conservation at the Universidad de Ingenieria y Tecnologia - UTEC, Lima, Peru. His research centers on understanding and preventing the deterioration of cultural materials—particularly stone and metals—in the Andean region through scientific analysis and conservation practice.
Daniela Marcondes is an independent scholar based in São Paulo, Brazil. Her research is in data-driven climate management strategies for museums in subtropical climates, using a São Paulo case study to balance collection preservation, visitor comfort, and energy efficiency.
They will all be in residence until December.
From left to right:
Hannah Lewi is professor in architecture at the University of Melbourne, Australia. Her research interests include Australian architectural history, 20th-century design and conservation, heritage theory, interpreting historic places.
Juan Carlos Rodriguez-Reyes is director at the Research Center for Heritage Conservation at the Universidad de Ingenieria y Tecnologia - UTEC, Lima, Peru. His research centers on understanding and preventing the deterioration of cultural materials—particularly stone and metals—in the Andean region through scientific analysis and conservation practice.
Daniela Marcondes is an independent scholar based in São Paulo, Brazil. Her research is in data-driven climate management strategies for museums in subtropical climates, using a São Paulo case study to balance collection preservation, visitor comfort, and energy efficiency.
They will all be in residence until December.
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🍂 Fall is here, and so are our 2026-27 interns! 🍂
This year, we’re delighted to welcome ten Graduate Interns joining project teams across the Institute. From left to right: Ilaria Alessi, Jasper Montgomery, Daniel Saldana Ayala, Konstantina Iordanopoulou, Candela Senabre, hinoni, and Pia Shen. The cohort also includes Marina Bich and Alexa Kline, who are not pictured here.
Over the coming weeks, we’ll introduce you to their work within our Buildings & Sites, Collections, and Science departments. Stay tuned!
Interested in becoming an intern? Applications are now open for paid 2027-28 Graduate and Post-Baccalaureate Internships. Eligibility requirements, program details, and application information are available at gty.art/gettygrad and gty.art/postbacc.
Deadline to apply: Nov. 3, 2026.
This year, we’re delighted to welcome ten Graduate Interns joining project teams across the Institute. From left to right: Ilaria Alessi, Jasper Montgomery, Daniel Saldana Ayala, Konstantina Iordanopoulou, Candela Senabre, hinoni, and Pia Shen. The cohort also includes Marina Bich and Alexa Kline, who are not pictured here.
Over the coming weeks, we’ll introduce you to their work within our Buildings & Sites, Collections, and Science departments. Stay tuned!
Interested in becoming an intern? Applications are now open for paid 2027-28 Graduate and Post-Baccalaureate Internships. Eligibility requirements, program details, and application information are available at gty.art/gettygrad and gty.art/postbacc.
Deadline to apply: Nov. 3, 2026.
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🚨 Last call to apply for the MAC 2027 Course! 🚨
Applications for our next International Course on the Conservation of Modern Heritage close by the end of today.
Learn more here: gty.art/MAC
Applications for our next International Course on the Conservation of Modern Heritage close by the end of today.
Learn more here: gty.art/MAC
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Attending #ICOMOSGA2026 in Kuching? Join the Getty Information Session to meet colleagues from our Buildings and Sites department.
Learn about their current work, along with opportunities for internships, scholar research, courses, and grants.
📅 Oct. 22
🕐 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. hope to see you there!
📷: Courtesy of ICOMOS Malaysia
Learn about their current work, along with opportunities for internships, scholar research, courses, and grants.
📅 Oct. 22
🕐 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. hope to see you there!
📷: Courtesy of ICOMOS Malaysia
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Joining colleagues in Kuching, Malaysia for the International Council on Monuments and Sites (@ICOMOS) General Assembly this year?
While you're at the conference, stop by the Getty Conservation Institute booth in the expo hall. We'd love to share updates on our latest projects, nal opportunities, and collaborative work.
Learn about our work: getty.edu/conservation-i…
📷: Courtesy of ICOMOS Malaysia
While you're at the conference, stop by the Getty Conservation Institute booth in the expo hall. We'd love to share updates on our latest projects, nal opportunities, and collaborative work.
Learn about our work: getty.edu/conservation-i…
📷: Courtesy of ICOMOS Malaysia
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Are you attending the upcoming ICOMOS General Assembly in Kuching, Malaysia? We want to hear from you.
What do you think about the Getty Conservation Institute's publishing program and books or about the state of conservation literature as a whole? How do you want to access the ate? What would you like to see more of in the future?
Share your opinion with the Institute's publications team by participating in a casual 90-minute conversation at ICOMOS-GA on Thursday, October 22, after the conference sessions. Refreshments will be served.
Interested people are asked to complete this short form: gty.art/3U7rJE4
What do you think about the Getty Conservation Institute's publishing program and books or about the state of conservation literature as a whole? How do you want to access the ate? What would you like to see more of in the future?
Share your opinion with the Institute's publications team by participating in a casual 90-minute conversation at ICOMOS-GA on Thursday, October 22, after the conference sessions. Refreshments will be served.
Interested people are asked to complete this short form: gty.art/3U7rJE4
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It's our #OpenAccess #ArticleOfTheMonth! Published in the @Conservators_UK journal, this article presents research that aims to improve the inclusion of narratives from non-participant groups in the preservation and collaborative management of areas with significant historical s://t.co/w6ghtgOhjW
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📢 There is still time to apply for MAC 2027 and be part of the next cohort!
Applications for the next International Course on the Conservation of Modern Heritage (MAC) by our Conserving Modern Architecture Initiative close on Monday, Oct. 19, 2026.
Learn more about the course s link. gty.art/MAC
Applications for the next International Course on the Conservation of Modern Heritage (MAC) by our Conserving Modern Architecture Initiative close on Monday, Oct. 19, 2026.
Learn more about the course s link. gty.art/MAC
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🍂 AATA Fall Update 🍁
gty.art/4jlwKDl
The fall 2026 update includes abstracts on conserving canvas and manuscripts, climate change, and proceedings from the World Congress on Earthen Architecture, the American Institute for Conservation Annual Meeting in Salt Lake City, al Conference in Valencia, Spain.
gty.art/4jlwKDl
The fall 2026 update includes abstracts on conserving canvas and manuscripts, climate change, and proceedings from the World Congress on Earthen Architecture, the American Institute for Conservation Annual Meeting in Salt Lake City, al Conference in Valencia, Spain.
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📚 New to our Conservation Collection 📚
Recent additions include books investigating interdisciplinary art techniques, 1920s-30s cinema architecture, the preservation of design materials, the stylistic evolution of the mosaic, paper recycling in the 18th century, preserving useum, photography in advertising and marketing, and Indian block printing.
See the full list (PDF): bit.ly/4idtfg7
Recent additions include books investigating interdisciplinary art techniques, 1920s-30s cinema architecture, the preservation of design materials, the stylistic evolution of the mosaic, paper recycling in the 18th century, preserving useum, photography in advertising and marketing, and Indian block printing.
See the full list (PDF): bit.ly/4idtfg7
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