Dan and Fellow HistArchers:
I habitually scan artifacts for reports, laying down clear acetate to protect the glass. Works beautifully for two-dimensional report illustrations, but the method is not a substitute for high-quality color photographs with good depth of field, lighting, and color. For my money, there is nothing like getting up close and personal with a 35mm camera and close-up rings fixed to an adjustable copystand with balanced lights. How long this method will prove viable as Kodachrome is phased out remains to be seen.
Jim Gibb
Annapolis, Maryland  USA

----- Original Message -----
From: Daniel H. Weiskotten
Sent: Saturday, December 27, 2003 9:50 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Scanning Artifacts

I am about to embark on a project to try digital scanning of some artifacts
and am hoping that fellow list people can share their advice ...

Having tried black and white, color print, and even slide photography of
the same artifacts, I have never been happy with the results and the level
of detail I was able to attain.

Several years ago I played around with the idea of scanning artifacts and
imaged some proto-historic Iroquois gaming pieces I was studying.  I liked
the results, could scan at any resolution necessary to capture the detail I
wanted, and was able to pleasantly put the images together, with a scale.

http://users.erols.com/weiskotten/DiableGamePieces.html

I am a bit worried about scratching the glass of the scanner, so perhaps a
sheet of very clear and flat plastic would help protect the surface.  I
also have no idea how scanning would work with curved objects and surfaces
that I could not get close to the face of the scanner.

Suggestions, comments an anecdotes welcome!  For budgetary reasons I have
to work with what I have, but please feel free to share your thoughts on
close-up imaging with digital cameras.  My old digital camera just doesn't
do closeups very well - I am keeping my macro lenses and will scan the
prints if needed (maybe of I use the macros on the digital ...)

        Dan W.