From 2009, the foundation, together with the Art Conservation Department at the University of Delaware, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Getty Conservation Institute, jointly led the Middle East Photograph Preservation Initiative (MEPPI), which focused on building capacity and expertise for preserving photographic heritage in the region. But on 04 August, the AIF’s own preservation efforts became critical to its collections’ very survival.
Despite heavy damage to this cold room, including to its fireproof double metal doors and the partial collapse of its walls and ceiling, miraculously only three images have been found damaged, says Heba Hage-Felder, the AIF’s newly appointed director. She and Avakian point to a host of measures that protected the collections, including simple steps like using elastic bands to secure boxes of glass plate images to shelves, to stop them falling. “It goes to show that when you adopt good practices in terms of preservation and proper maintenance and proper housing of the collection, it pays off,” Hage-Felder says. Nora Kennedy, Sherman Fairchild conservator in charge at The Met’s Department of Photograph Conservation, expresses no doubt. “It is very clear that the preservation efforts at the Arab Image Foundation were absolutely key in saving the collections,” she says.
The AIF had undertaken a major digitisation campaign in recent years, but has still only captured 10 to 15 per cent of its holdings. And while it has multiple backups, the importance of a remote server to host its entire digital records is now clear, Avakian says. “In our contingency planning, we always relied on the Sursock Museum,” he says, referring to one of Beirut’s most important cultural institutions. The AIF’s server was taken to the museum’s underground storage for safekeeping immediately after the blast. “But we didn’t imagine that there would be a disaster that affects both of us at the same time.”