Restoration
Conservation and restoration projects of early photographic equipments.
Watplatewagon has been specialized to offer restoration and conservation services for wooden cameras and technical equipment related to nineteenth century photographic processes: daguerreotype, calotype and wet plate collodion.
Our customers are photographers who use antique cameras to practice these earliest photographic processes and private or public collections and institutions who have in custody valuable photographic equipments.
We take care of any photographic equipment of nineteenth century and early twentieth century, making technical and diagnostic reports as well as conservation or restoration projects if it was necessary.
We restore wooden structures and guides with a high-quality craft varnished process. At the same time we restore brass parts, bellows, frosted glass and reintegrate pieces that have been broken or lost over time.
With our work we are intended to refurbish the original functions of these antique objects respecting the old patina that time and ancient uses has provided on them.
What we do:
- Conservation state reports of photographic technical equipments from XIX and early XX.
- Conservation and maintenance protocols as well as recommendations in order to do a proper storage, transport and exhibition.
- Restoration projects with interventions plan, executional calendar and description of tools and materials used during the restoration process. Restoration proposal will be preceded for an exhaustive conservation state exam, taking in consideration the needs and demands of the owner, the respect for these antique objects and historical and economical value.
If you have any question please contact us.
Case study: The Daguerre-Giroux camera
On 15th June of 2015 we began the restoration of Daguerre-Giroux camera serial number 178, owned by the Reial Acadèmia de les Ciències i les Arts de Barcelona (RACAB). With this camera we also was restored the plates box and the chemistry bottles box, that were part of this original laboratory set for the daguerreotypes process. Unfortunately the original plate holder, the mercury fuming box and the rest of equipment was lost.
Known as Le Daguerréotype, the Daguerre-Giroux camera was the first photographic equipment commercialized to make images with daguerreotype technique, the first photographic process invented by Louis Daguerre and patented in France on 1839.
Case study: Blanxart daguerreotypes laboratory
On 7th July of 2014 we began the restoration of an original and almost complete laboratory to make daguerreotypes. The laboratory and its photo archive they remained for years in the Blanxart family house and is currently in custody by the Arxiu Fotogràfic of Barcelona. This public institution has promoted the restoration and has made available to the photographic community for study and documentation of professional historians.
This laboratory was designed to work with 1/6, 1/9 and 1/16 format plates.
We work with the hypothesis that this is a Lerebours equipment from 1840-50, but this is not a verified information yet.
Need help? Contact us
If you have any question, don't hesitate to contact us for more information, to place an order or request a budget.