Hendriks, Klaus B : Klaus B. Hendriks obtained a doctorate degree (Ph.D.) in organic chemistry from the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. After several years of research work at Laval University in Quebec City, Québec, he joined the National Archives of Canada in the position of Photo Conservation Chemist. In 1977, Dr. Hendriks became Director of the Picture Conservation Division in the Conservation Branch. He was responsible for the work in that Division, which consisted of conservation treatments for oil paintings, works of art on paper, photographic images, and medals.
Since there was a lack of knowledge and experience in the preservation and restoration of photographs, research work was begun to study their properties, their patterns of degradation, and ways to restore those that had suffered damages. Much of that work was performed in collaboration with summer students, interns, and specialists employed short-term under contract.
The National Archives of Canada (NAC) was the first institution world-wide to install and operate a facility for the mass deacidification of paper records. It was also the first national institution to employ a full-time chemist to study the preservation and restoration of photographic images.
In 1990 when the Conservation Treatment Divisions were amalgamated, Dr. Hendriks took over as Director of a newly founded Conservation Research Division. In line with current Canadian government policy of consolidating similar activities that are performed in different departments, it is planned to transfer the Conservation Research Division to the Canadian Conservation Institute (CCI) in the near future. Such a move would combine resources that together would strengthen the CCI's position in the field of preservation of all types of records present in archives and libraries.
Dr. Hendriks serves on American National Standards Institute subcommittees concerned with testing and storage of contemporary photographic records. He has lectured extensively on the preservation and restoration of archival materials and he has been a consultant to UNESCO and to libraries and archives in such diverse countries as Venezuela (National Library), and Zimbabwe (National Archives).
In the course of the work noted above, some fifty publications were published: books, chapters in books, and articles. The more significant ones are listed below:
HENDRIKS, Klaus B. The Preservation and Restoration of Photographic Materials in Archives and Libraries: A RAMP Study with Guidelines. Paris: UNESCO, 1984. viii, 128 p. Biblio., ill., tables (PGI-84/WS/1).
Also available in French and Spanish.
HENDRIKS, Klaus B., Douglas R. MADELEY, Fred TOLL, and Brian THURGOOD. "The Duplication of Historical Black-and-White Negatives." Journal of Imaging Technology (Springfield, VA). 1986. Vol. 12, no. 4, pp. 185-199. Ill., tables, graphs, biblio.
HENDRIKS, Klaus B., Brian LESSER, Jon STEWART, and Doug NISHIMURA. "Properties and Stability of Gelatin Layers in Photographic Materials." American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works Preprints (Washington, D.C.). 1984/05/17. pp. 52-62. Ill., Graphs, biblio.
HENDRIKS, Klaus B., Debbie HESS NORRIS, and James REILLY. "Photograph Conservation: The State of the Art." American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works Preprints (Washington, D.C.). American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works, 1986. pp. 42-50. Biblio.
HENDRIKS, Klaus B., and Sebastian DOBRUSSKIN. "The Conservation of Painted Photographs." Preprints: 9th Triennial Meeting, ICOM Committee for Conservation (Dresden). August 26-31, 1990. pp. 249-254.
HENDRIKS, Klaus B. "The Stability and Preservation of Recorded Images." Imaging Processes and Materials: Neblette's Eighth Edition. STURGE, John, Vivian WALWORTH, Allan SHEPP, eds. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1989. pp. 637-684. Ill, biblio.
HENDRIKS, Klaus B. "The Preservation, Storage, and Handling of Black-and-White Photographic Records." Conserving and Preserving Materials in Nonbook Formats. HENDERSON, Kathryn Luther; HENDERSON, William T., eds. Urbana-Champaign, IL: University of Illinois Graduate School of Library and Information Science, 1991. pp. 91-104. Biblio.
HENDRIKS, Klaus B. "Image Permanence". "Restoration of Photographs". "Storage of Photographs". Entries in: Focal Encyclopedia of Photography, Third Edition. Focal Press. Boston, London: 1993.
The Conservation Branch of the NAC has developed a bibliographic data base on the manufacture, properties, storage, preservation, and restoration of photographic images. Dubbed PHOCUS, it now contains approximately 10,000 references. Some 75% of these were transferred into the Conservation Information Network, run by the Getty Conservation Institute, which are now available world-wide to the subscribers of that network.
The PHOCUS data base was described in the following publication by the NAC:
HENDRIKS, Klaus B. and Diane HOPKINS. PHOCUS: A Bibliographic Data Base for the Conservation of Photographic Materials. PHOCUS: Base de données bibliographiques pour la conservation des documents photographiques. Ottawa: Public Archives of Canada, 1985. 18, 23p. Ill. (French text on inverted pages).
The data base further allowed us to compile a basic reading list on the conservation of photographs:
HENDRIKS, Klaus B. and Anne WHITEHURST. Conservation of Photographic Materials: A Basic Reading List. La conservation des documents photographiques: Liste d'ouvrages de référence de base. Ottawa: National Archives of Canada, 1988. 32, 32p. (French text on inverted pages).
The numerous studies on various aspects of photograph preservation that were explored during the past fifteen years by about fifty auxiliary staff members have led to a wealth of experience. The National Archives of Canada, in cooperation with a private publisher, has summarized this experience in the following textbook, which should prove helpful to other institutions in preserving their photographic heritage:
HENDRIKS, Klaus B., Brian THURGOOD, Joe IRACI, Brian LESSER, and Greg HILL. Fundamentals of Photograph Conservation: A Study Guide. Lugus Publications. Toronto: 1991. 560p., ill., biblio.
Research in conservation is currently performed on the permanence of paper; the deacidification of paper; the restoration of discolored and faded black-and-white photographs in chemical solutions; and the challenges presented to archives in preserving electronic machine-readable records for the future.
