Harry Grant Olds Fond (1868-1943)
The photographs by American Harry Grant Olds, made on 20 by 25 centimeters glass plates, are a professional record of the life and customs of the inhabitants of Argentina at the beginning of the 20th century. Unlike most of his colleagues, he did not cultivate the portrait taken in a posed gallery: his work consists mainly of photos of types and customs, urban and rural scenes, prominent buildings, company installations and breed animals. He took them on behalf of commercial firms, the Rural Society or to sell to postcard editors or the press, especially in the city and province of Buenos Aires, Santa Fe and Córdoba. Today they occupy a prominent place in the history of Argentine photography and are, due to their technical quality and quantity, one of the most important patrimonial sources of the Argentine past.
The fond brings together more than 1,260 photographs on different supports (glass, nitrate, metal, and paper) along with various handwritten letters, notebooks, and 151 postcards with various motifs.
Risks encountered
Environmental issues
| Identified risks | Level of risk |
|---|---|
Moisture | Low |
Temperature | Low |
Light (visible light, ultraviolet radiation, etc.) | Low |
Dust | Low |
Pollution | Low |
Pests (rodents, animals, insects, etc.) | None |
Microorganisms (bacteria, mould, etc.) | None |
Management or organizational issues
| Identified risks | Level of risk |
|---|---|
Lack of maintenance, including cleaning | None |
Inadequate building | Low |
Building with structural damage | Low |
Lack of an adequate warehouse | Low |
Lack of boxes and/or archive materials | None |
Lack of human resources | Low |
Lack of security measures | Low |
Insufficient budget to operate | Moderate |
Natural disaster risks
| Identified risks | Level of risk |
|---|---|
Fires | Low |
Rains | Low |
Mudslides or landslides | None |
Floods | Low |
Hurricanes, cyclones, storms | Low |
Earthquakes | None |
Tsunamis | None |
Volcanic eruptions | None |
Temperature increase | Low |
Political and/or social risks
| Identified risks | Level of risk |
|---|---|
Armed conflicts | Low |
Illegal trafficking of documents | Low |
Thefts or robberies | High |
Vandalism | High |
Threatening socio-cultural environment | High |
Lack of support/public policies | High |
Environment (location) issues
| Identified risks | Level of risk |
|---|---|
Material/storage units | Low |
Furniture | Low |
Room or warehouse | Low |
Building | Low |
Site or neighbourhood | High |
Area or region, beyond the neighbourhood | High |
Indicators
| Identified risks | |
|---|---|
Management Plan | Yes |
En nuestra web están todos los detalles de nuestro trabajo y plan deconservación:www.cifha.org.ar. En un futuro lejano, pensamos en mudar nuestro archivo a otra locación. | |
Response Protocol | No |
El riesgo al desastre natural es muy bajo, pero existe. Nuestro archivo tienedistintoscensores (humo, temperatura y humedad), además de una cámara de seguridad. Todos estos monitoreos soncontroladoslas 24 horas del dÃa por distintos miembros de nuestra organización. | |
Documentary heritage digitization | Yes, partially |
Nuestra institución se financia a través de becas y subsidio por proyecto. Nuestro plandedigitalización depende de los recursos conseguidos a través de esas becas. | |
Documentary heritage availability on the internet | Yes, partially |