The Photographer Preserving Centuries Of Pocket Watches
This article details the work of museum photographer Jen Carol, who is tasked with creating archival photographs of over 100 antique pocket watches at the Tāmaki Paenga Hira Auckland Museum. Unlike commercial photography, archival work prioritizes an unvarnished depiction of each watch's condition, including wear and tear, to preserve its historical integrity.
Archival photography for museum collections aims to document an object's reality, including scratches and patina, without any post-production editing or alterations.
Photographing antique pocket watches presents challenges due to their fragile nature and the difficulty of managing reflections on glass and metal surfaces.
Jen Carol learned specialized horological terminology, such as 'pierced cock' and 'beetles and poker hands,' to accurately catalog the watches.
Some pocket watches featured intricate details like 18K gold cases, hand-carved rubies, and complications like repeaters, with one 1920s piece described as the 'smartwatch of its time.'
The personal inscriptions and hallmarks on the watches provide insights into their makers and owners, highlighting their role as personal treasures.
A particularly memorable moment involved an early 20th-century pocket watch with an inscription that began ticking on its own, evoking a sense of connection to the past.
The digitized collection, made available under a Creative Commons license, allows global access for horological historians and descendants researching family heirlooms.