What happened to this photo?

BRenshaw

Grumbler in Training
Joined
Aug 2, 2004
Posts
11
Loc
Canton, CT
Last year I dry mounted two arial photos of a client's house on foam core. They were double matted and glazed with conservation clear glass. Last week I got them back. There appeared to be a very large bubble in each photo and it looked like the image had pulled away from the mounting tissue. The "bubble" had a hazy ring around it . When I removed it from the frame the photos seemed to still be intact to the mounting tissue and the tissue seemed to still be adhered to the foam core. Nevertheless I put it back in my vacu-seal to see if, indeed, there was a loss of adhesion. It came out looking exactly like it went in. There is still a large cloudy oval-ish shaped ring in the image. When it came in, I asked the customer if it had been exposed to direct sunlight and she says no. Is this a sign of some kind of condensation? I have no idea what is going on or how to fix it. Actually, I have the capability of reproducing the images but I need to know what's happening so I can advise my customer and/or revise my methods. Help!
 
Were the photos in contact with the glass? And were they hanging on an outside wall? Artwork, photos especially, should never touch the glass. Condensation from touching the glass can cause damage like you describe. Pieces hanging on exterior walls are more prone to such damage because of greater tempurature and humidity fluctuations.
 
I suspect the “hazy glow” was due to the photo contacting the glass.

If you thoroughly pre-dry both the photo and the substrate, the bubbling is less likely to occur.
 
Thanks for your replies.

The photo was separated from the glass by the two layers of mat board. I can only assume they were not in contact with the glass. At least there is no indication on the glass that the photos have been touching it. I have no idea where the piece was hanging. How would I tell if the surface paper has separated from the foam core? I've been relying on feel, looks and sound. It all feels, looks and sounds like there is no separation.

Again, I don't think the photo really bubbled. I think something else has happened and this hazy halo is a result of that event. The finish on the photo has been affected and the more I look at it, the more I suspect condensation. Did I not prepare the materials correctly for this to happen?

What can I do to satisfy my customer? Do I owe my customer replacement photos, if indeed, the damage was due to condensation as a result of where the piece was hanging? Of course goodwill is foremost in my mind, but I don't want to "give away the store" either. I guess I will do what ever is necessary, but I want to be able to offer some direct advice and I want to understand what happened so I don't make the same mistake, if, indeed, I have.
 
There is another possiblity. If the hasy halo you describe is affecting the finish of the photo, the photo itself may be to blame. It's possible that the photo wasn't rinsed or fixed properly and what you are seeing is due to damage from chemicals left on it during the printing process. Is there a photo lab or photographer near you who could look at it and tell you if that is the case? Because if that is the case, it's not your problem. It's the photographer's problem and they should replace it.
 
If I am reading your original post correctly, there isn't a "bubble" like we would see if the photo lost adhesion, but there is a stain. What kind of print is this, and how big is it? If it is a "hand" processed print I'd be inclined to follow up on Anne's suggestion. If it wasn't fixed and rinsed properly, or dried properly, this could be a stain that has become more apparent. Even water will leave a ring on a RC print (water spots).
 
Back
Top