Selected Methods of Archiving, 2005 - 2006

Studying photography's history, I was overwhelmed at the number of processes that emerged during the invention's early years. Just as it is today, it seemed that efficiency > quality. The sharpness and beauty of the Daguerreotype were no match for the endless reproducibility of the Calotype. With that in mind, I set out to create the "Carrolltype", the most inefficient photographic process ever conceived. Carrolltypes are similar to tintypes, but are printed on steel from salvaged sunken ships. The metals in the plate react with the light sensitive silver and begin to corrode almost immediately. With the Carrolltype I attempted to document all the other mediums for preserving images and sounds.  Each Carrolltype is unique and is on a 7" x 5" plate housed in a custom walnut case with brass fittings.