Technical Aspects of the Project
The Sewall Belmont House and Museum digital imaging lab houses a custom built IBM Pro/3000 digital imaging system that was developed at the T.J. Watson Research Lab in Hawthorn, New York.
Our particular camera configuration is capable of producing high-resolution uncompressed TIFF images in both monochrome and color modes. The camera is mounted on a copy stand that can accommodate a book easel and flat reflective media up 24" X 30" in size. The system is also capable of capturing 35mm negatives and transparencies up to 8 X 10 inches. The resolution specifications are as follows:
- Imaging array: 3072 x 32- or 64-stage TDI CCD
- Dynamic range:3039:1, 69.65 db
- Spatial resolution:3072 pixels by 4000 lines maximum
- Lens system:Rodenstock Apo 105mm f/4.0
- Output:24 bit-per-pixel color TIFF images, or 8 or 12 bit-per-pixel monochrome images
(Source: IBM)
Three-dimensional collection objects are digitized with a Nikon D2x digital camera in a studio environment.
Once a collection item is digitized, it is reviewed for the quality of the capture and then archived. A copy of the image is then optimized in Photoshop for exposure and color balance on a computer with a calibrated monitor and then saved for later output to the web. The project currently has over 1700 digitized images in its archives.
Limited bibliographic information is entered into the metadata fields of the camera software interface, and more comprehensive XML records are created to correspond with each digital image. Once the record is complete, it is ingested into IBM Content Manager Enterprise Edition along with a JPEG image file for delivery through our searchable database.
Care is given to the safe handling of collection items and the museum strives to adhere to Best Practice Standards for museum digitization projects. The program is staffed by the Director of Photography and the Collections Manager as well as interns from a variety of area colleges and fields of study.
The museum staff strive to keep abreast of the latest information on digital imaging and data conversion to foster continued access to its collection.