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Date: | Sun, 20 Jul 1997 14:18:06 -0500 |
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I have been following the discussion about curation and the debate of
digital images versus analog photography. The discussion has missed a vital
point. Regardless of the medium onto which an image is made, if the
repository where the files or negative/prints are stored lacks fire
suppression and detection systems, security systems, an accession and
catalog system, and a host of other important collections management
issues, the images could be destroyed regardless of their inherent
stability or instability. Some of the high end digital cameras such as the
Kodak system that uses a standard Nikon 35 mm SLR are approaching the
resolution of traditional color slide film such as Kodachrome. Their
excessive cost, around $30,000, puts them out of the range of most people.
However, as sensors that capture light (charged coupled devices) shrink in
size and the density increases, it is only a matter of time before digital
cameras equal and exceed analog film cameras in resolution. Above 16
million colors the human cannot make out any further differences in the
color presented. So, while analog film may have more colors then a digital
image at a similar resolution the viewer could not tell.
Ned Heite suggests that a "legislature" is ultimately responsible for
curation of archaeological collections. If any of those collections are
from federal lands, it is the federal agency that administers those lands
that is responsible for them. While one could bemoan the lack of funds that
have been provided to repositories by the responsible federal agencies, I
suggest confronting them with an ultimatum. Either they provide funds to
maintain, and if necessary, rehabilitate their collections, those
collections will be sent to the local office of that agency. The burden for
in perpetuity curation should is not the responsibility of the citizens of
any one state. Subsidizing federal agencies would appall many a
Congressional representative.
Marc Kodack
[log in to unmask]
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