Digitizing and Printing the Burgert Brothers Ledger Books: A Case Study in High-Volume Facsimile Production.

Abstract

The goal of digitization is typically to create digital assets which represent the physical object as a means of digital preservation or access. On occasion, projects require bringing those digital images back into the physical world in the form of a facsimile. While reproducing objects for display and/or use is a common and well-established practice, there are unique cases that require innovative applications of existing tools and methods. Working closely with NEDCC’s book conservation lab, we imaged eight ledger books and then printed two copies of each to be rebound into near-identical, usable copies. Using this project as a case study, we will share some of the successes and hurdles we encountered while working through this large volume of material, with particular attention to deviations in image capture and processing workflows when producing bound facsimiles.