Martina Bagatin

My name is Martina Bagatin, born 30.09.1976. (Split). In 2001 graduated at the Academy of Fine Arts, Florence-Italy. From 2003 I am an employee of the Central Laboratory for Conservation of paper, at the Croatian State Archives in Zagreb. In the Central Laboratory for Conservation and Restoration I have been successfully working for almost twelve years and I would like to continue doing so in the future. I am working on conservation of paper, geographical maps, drawing and painting elements in books and manuscripts. Since 2008 I have been taking care of different photographic processes, as well as doing on conservation works on photographs, improving the storage conditions in terms of micro-conservation (sleeves, envelopes, boxes, shelves) and macro-conservation (temperature, relative humidity and air quality inside the storage rooms). 
The Central laboratory for Conservation and Restoration does not only work to fulfil the needs of the Croatian State Archives, but it also tends for the needs of the holders/owners of written and photographic heritage in Croatia: regional archives, libraries, museums, religious and other organizations and institutions from the realm of science and culture. The protection and restoration of material pertaining to Croatians from Bosnia and Herzegovina has been systematically conducted in this laboratory for many years, but conservation and restoration work has also been done on material from the Archivio di Stato di Firenze and the Croatian Institute of St. Jerome in Rome. All tasks for which the Central laboratory for Conservation and Restoration is specialized are available, not only to the mentioned institutions, but also to individuals who possess valuable photographic heritage.
In Croatia there is neither the profession of a photo conservator nor the university studies that could provide such level of education on conservation and restoration of photographic heritage. My first encounter with the conservation and restoration of photographs took place in 2007 during a very interesting lecture given by Dr. Dusan Stulik at the Croatian State Archives about the meaning of photograph heritage. Since 2008 I have been picking up the basic knowledge and skills about the photograph conservation by working with few of the leading European and foreign names in that field (Dusan Stulik, Debra Hess Norris, Mogens Koch, Anne Cartier-Bresson, etc.), which gave me a solid basis for my further perfection in the field of photograph conservation, as well as the reception of new information and knowledge that this internship offers.
In 2008 I was chosen as one of the eighteen attendants from ten European countries to participate in a three-year program of Getty Conservation Institute called “Fundamentals of the Conservation of Photographs”, which I finished in 2010. I also received the Certificate of Accomplishment after finishing the two year initiative of Getty Conservation Institute.
In July 2013 there was a two-week Advanced – level Photograph Conservation Workshop: "Conservation Strategies for Humidity and Water Damaged Photographic materials", in collaboration between the Croatian State Archives and Getty Conservation Institute. Apart from participating in organization and preparation of the workshop, I was also chosen as one of the attendees. The workshop was very significant for me in terms of perfecting my conservation practice. The Croatian State Archives became the referential place for advisement regarding the photograph preservation and it is an institution that has jurisdiction over all important photograph collections in Croatia.
In 2014 I was the only selected person from South-East Europe for the Eastern European Advanced Photograph Conservation Internship. The internship training took place at NEDCC’s conservation lab in Andover, MA under the supervision of Senior Photograph Conservator Monique Fischer. I had the opportunity to observe ongoing treatments in the lab, and the Centre's conservators were eager to offer information and advice. The program included travel to New York City and Washington D.C., during which I made contacts with other conservation professionals in the U.S. as well.
The two-month advanced internship helped build on my knowledge of photographic materials, treatment techniques and materials, and allowed me to gain new perspectives on the conservation and preservation of photographic materials.
In 2015 Thanks to financial support by the International Trust for Croatian Monuments from London-UK, I was a participant in the final Getty workshop, organized by The Getty Conservation Institute, from Los Angeles and Institute of Art History, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, in Prague. It was a two week program which offered different advanced hands-on training possibilities.
I am always trying to pass on all my gained skills and knowledge through public lectures, training activities and publications (Bulletin d’Archives). Also, I try to inform colleagues from other institutions through everyday contacts, reports from different archival and museum conferences.