[Preservenw] Update on Nitrate Fire - Spokane, WA

[Rose Krause]

July 7, 2005



Update on the Nitrate Negative/Cold Storage Unit Fire



The fire that occurred on Wednesday, June 22 in the cold storage unit
located in the Cheney Cowles Center on the campus of the Northwest Museum of
Arts & Culture, Spokane, where nitrate based photographic negatives were
stored, was most likely caused by an equipment malfunction that allowed the
temperature in the cold storage unit to surpass 100 degrees F for a period
of several days.  Spontaneous combustion most likely occurred in a box that
contained three 35 mm nitrate based reel-to-reel motion picture films.
Nitrate based motion picture films are much more volatile than nitrate based
photographic negatives.  The three films were a total loss.  Fortunately,
one of the films, “Indian Congress – 1925,” was previously copied to 16 mm
safety film.  The other two films, “Parade – Pioneer Costume” and “Great
Northern Railroad Yard/Hillyard High School,” were destroyed.



There were also approximately 15,000 nitrate photographic negatives located
in the cold storage unit when the fire took place.  Tram Vo, an independent
photographic conservator from Los Angeles, arrived on Wednesday, June 29 to
assess the damage to the negative collection and to consult on recovery
work.  Museum staff and volunteers assisted in surveying the condition of
the photographic negatives that were located in the cold storage unit that
malfunctioned.  To aid in the recovery process, water damaged boxes of
photographic negatives were frozen over the Fourth of July weekend until Ms.
Vo returned to Spokane on Wednesday, July 6 to finish specialized aspects of
the recovery process.  The conservator’s initial work suggests that minimal
damage occurred to most of the negatives that were stored in the cold
storage unit, however, approximately 300 negatives were too badly damaged to
salvage.  Ms. Vo recommended that the MAC copy all of the nitrate based
negatives to polyester negative film format and then dispose of the original
nitrate based negatives.  In addition, the Museum has approximately 5,000
nitrate negatives that are in good condition in the regular photographic
storage area.  These negatives require continual review and should
ultimately be copied onto a polyester film format.



For further information, please call or e-mail Larry Schoonover, Director of
Exhibits and Programs (509-363-5310/larrys at northwestmuseum.org) or Rose
Krause, Curator of Special Collections
(509-363-5313/rosek at northwestmuseum.org).

Rose Krause
Curator of Special Collections
Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture
2316 W. First Avenue
Spokane, WA  99204
(509) 363-5313
(509) 363-5303 fax
rosek at northwestmuseum.org
northwestmuseum.org
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