Source & Care For Historical Materials
Albertine is a love story at heart. Each collage is a dialogue between the documented past and the stories we carry forward—postcards and promenades, letters and light. I build my work from public-domain and open-access archives, found vintage ephemera, and my own photography, noting what’s known about dates and collections and clearly marking uncertainties as circa. My aim is to honor the past—its beauty and its blemishes—while inviting you into a story that feels intimate and true to its time.
What I source
- Public-domain archives (CC0 / Open Access)
- Paris Musées (CC0/public domain): historical photography, postcards (e.g., Vue de Nuit), city views, letters, and period ephemera.
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art Open Access (public domain): prints, engravings, drawings, design sheets.
- Gallica (CC0 and licensed work)
- Other Open Access and Public Domain sources.
- Additional archives and references (public domain)
- Musée Carnavalet postcards, images, letters, artwork, documents; period newspaper clippings.
- Musées Victor Hugo historic letters, poetry, composer manuscripts.
- Found vintage ephemera
- Antique postcards (often 19th and early 20th century), found handwritten notes, envelopes, and paper fragments.
- Orphaned photographs and historical images whose creators/owners are unknown and unrecoverable. All acquired through secondary markets (fleas, thrift, eBay, antique shops, vintage markets)
- My own materials
- Original photography by Robin Rivers; handmade papers; vellum; acrylic matte medium; occasional metal leaf or gold paint.
How I verify and attribute
- Provenance and dating
- I reference museum records, accession notes, and collection pages when available.
- When exact dates are unknown, I use circa dating (e.g., c. 1900–1907) based on postal marks, publication data, or stylistic evidence.
- Rights and reuse
- I prioritize CC0/public-domain materials and clearly identify institutional sources (e.g., “Paris Musées — Public domain (CC0)”; “The Met — Open Access (public domain)”).
- On individual artwork pages, I list sources grouped by institution and type for clarity
- Orphaned photographs and found ephemera
- Definition: historical images whose creators/owners are unknown and unrecoverable.
- Use policy: age-, format-, and jurisdiction‑based public domain assessment; no digital alteration of personal features; removal/update on substantiated request.
Care and conservation choices
- Media and adhesives
- I use professional, pH‑neutral, archival-grade adhesives and acrylic matte mediums suitable for paper conservation.
- Paper handling
- Antique papers and postcards are handled minimally and supported with archival backings as needed.
- Mounting and framing
- Paper works are at times mounted on sealed wood panels to stabilize the collage surface. I recommend UV‑filtering glazing, acid‑free mats or spacers, and sealed backs for framed pieces.
Ethics and context
- Respectful reuse
- While many sources are public domain, I approach them as fragments of lived histories. The collages are reimaginings that aim to be tender with people and places—especially women and workers whose lives were often under‑documented or romanticized.
- Contextual framing
- The romance in Albertine coexists with real social landscapes—garment work, street life, and the city’s evolving infrastructures. Notes on care and per‑piece sources acknowledge that duality.
How sources appear on artwork pages
- Consistent, grouped citations
- Sources are grouped by institution and type, with rights noted at the group level.
- Micro‑provenance
- Key elements such as postcards, letters, or engravings are identified by maker, subject, and approximate date when known.
- Optional IDs
- When available, I add specific titles, collection names, and accession numbers or links.
Commissioning and research requests
- For curators, gallerists, and researchers, I can provide:
- Work‑specific source notes with links/IDs.
- High‑resolution images and checklists for exhibition proposals.
FAQ
- Do you ever use copyrighted material?
- In most cases, I use public-domain/open-access materials, found materials, and my own photography. If an archive source’s status is unclear, I do not use it.
- When using work that requires a license, I acquire the license before using the work.
- Is any of your work AI?
- None of my work involves AI in any form. All of my work is documented through provenance, archival record keeping, and process documentation.
- Can I reproduce images of your artworks?
- Artwork copyright remains with me, Robin Rivers. Please request permission for any reproduction or publication.
- Can you share exact source links?
- Yes—many are listed on the individual artwork pages. I’m happy to provide additional citations on request.
Contact
For detailed citations, exhibition inquiries, or conservation questions, please get in touch via the Contact page or Studio Albertine.
