Beverley Nichols was a prolific writer, playwright, journalist, and composer. He wears a light-colored, striped shirt and a dot-patterned tie under his slim twill suit. This photograph perfectly captures this British gentleman’s profile. The texture and color of his skin and the contours of his face are vividly caught, standing out against the deep, dark background. He seems to be in meditation. A feeling of melancholy pervades this portrait.
The photograph and mount are stained and dirty. The mount may be poor quality and contain lignin, making it weak and brittle. The outline of something, which rested on the photograph and caused staining, is still visible. High relative humidity and the existence of microorganisms can accelerate degradation. This photograph may have been stored and housed inappropriately before it came into Special Collections, leading to or worsening some of its problems. The condition may warrant conservation treatment in the future.
-Boxi Liu
