Research Reports No. Research Reports No. 101 Summer 2000 Table of Contents Research Reports list of online issues S uperman s blue tights and red cape tower impressively above visitors to the National Museum of American History s Graphic Arts Hall. Nearby, a 3-D image of the same costume foretells the coming of a digital supermuseum faster than a speeding bullet, stronger than a display case and able to leap the confines of traditional exhibitry in a single click.
Digitization is essentially the taking of electronic photographs of objects.
These electronic photos are then used on the Internet and on CD-ROMs. The exhibit, which opened in December, represents a trend that is transforming the nature of museums. The Smithsonian s goal is not only to digitize its own collections but also to make the public understand what it means to digitize. The centerpiece of the exhibition is the imaging lab. On the opposite side of the case, an interactive computer offers visitors more of the Superman collection, its history and, most impressive, a brilliant 3-D image of the action hero himself.