D i g i t a l i s a t i o n o f A r t H i s t o r i c a l L a n t e r n S l i d e s : C h a l l e n g e s a n d O p p o r t u n i t i e s Art historical lantern slides are also distinguished by a specific pictorial object: They depict reproductions of art works such as paintings, drawings, sculptures or buildings. Media information layers of the art historical lantern slide: The glass object not only relates to the captured art work, but also to authors, dates, locations, techniques or materials used in the creation of the slide. What ? is an art historical lantern slide Research Project A Million Pictures: Lantern slides consist of two glass plates, one with the image and the other plate added to protect it. They are usually bound together and framed with paper which facilitate handling and prevents the edges from splitting and fingers from being cut. Glass plate negatives do not have this type of frame. [1] Digital Slide Collections are Research Data! Why ? is it important They offer far-reaching insights into the histories of art, questions of canon(s) and collecting, teaching practices and research interests as well as into the history of technology and photography. The digitisation of these slide collections presents an opportunity to preserve, access and use historic images in new ways. Digitalisation of art historical slide collections offers the opportunity to enhance and increase the visibility of those collections, to integrate them into larger national and international research contexts and to share them as research data. Given the contexts of image production and the material properties of the slides, art historical lantern slides are artefacts – unique objects (like objects in museums), that need to be indexed as single items when digitised. Credits: Lantern Slide of Rembrandt, Pilatus Washing his Hands, c.1665, exposed glass plate, cover glass, paper, 8,5 x 10 cm, with annotations by Erwin Panofsky, Dia-Archiv des Kunstgeschichtlichen Seminars der Universität Hamburg, https://kultdokuhh-4.fbkultur.uni-hamburg.de/ Screenshot of the database of the Slide Archive of the Department of Art History, Universität Hamburg References: [1] How to Digitise Slides. Recommendations and Working Lists for the Reproduction of a Very Special Artefact, https://a-million-pictures-recommendations.wp.hum.uu.nl/general-remarks/understanding-the-object/, [9.8.2023]. [2] Anke Napp, Directives for slide digitization. Practical Recommendations, https://www.kulturwissenschaften.uni- hamburg.de/ks/einrichtungen/bildarchive/diaarchiv/diadigitalisierung-anleitung.pdf, [9.8.2023]. [3] Georg Schelbert, Die kunsthistorische Bilddatenbank zwischen digitalisierter Diathek und visuellem Wissensraum, in H. Locher & M. Männig (Hrsg.), Lehrmedien der Kunstgeschichte: Geschichte und Perspektiven kunsthistorischer Medienpraxis, Deutscher Kunstverlag (DKV) 2022. Use a high resolution, static camera; and photograph with both transmitted and incident light. Better use a camera than a scanner. [2] The entire slide object needs to be digitised. Distinguish between the slide object and the image content and index information on both levels. Relevant information to be catalogued: Image Content, (Previous) Owner(s), Manufacturer, Collection, Dates, Locations, Dimensions, Material. These should be indexed as separate entities! Use controlled vocabularies. Use semantic data models! -> Georg Schelbert: “Simple categorisations are not sufficient to adequately represent the media information layers and historical facts grouped around the image content, the photographic object and the collection history of the slide. With semantic models it is possible not only to represent the relationships between objects and actors or the spatial and temporal aspects of events, but also to express complex media contexts.” [3, p. 361] Best Practices To create consistent digitalisation and indexing How ? do you proceed The poster is based on my master's thesis "Challenges and Opport