Developing a photographic equipment description tool: insights from the Tropical Research Institute Collection in Lisbon

Abstract

Photographic equipment that had been used in scientific missions in Portugal’s former Asian and African colonies and now held in the National Museum of Natural History and Science at Lisbon University are the focus of this study. It has been acknowledged that the description tool for cataloguing and accession used within the institution was too generic and could not account for the intersected fields and data necessary for characterising the technical and historical specificities of this equipment. To overcome this need, a literature review and a national and international survey were carried out to understand the descriptive methods and tools commonly used elsewhere. From this work it was concluded that there is no appropriate tool available. However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the authors decided to begin focussing on designing a multilevel description prototype tool suitable for the specificities of the project and the collection. The prototype was then discussed and evaluated in a working session with a group of Portuguese photographers, conservators and cultural heritage sector workers. The collaborative nature of that work allowed for the improvement of the prototype, which is now under further review. This article presents the scope and concept behind the design of the description tool, and outlines the various working stages undertaken and the contents and structure covered by the prototype.