Photo Collections Research Articles

Deploying an Offline, Multi-User, Mobile System for Digital Recording in the Perachora Peninsula, Greece

ABSTRACT This article discusses the deployment of mobile data capture software developed by the Field Acquired Information Management Systems project (FAIMS Mobile) to document systematic pedestrian surface survey and legacy feature verification at the Perachora Peninsula Archaeology Project (PPAP), Greece, in 2020. FAIMS Mobile is an open-source platform that generates customized Android applications for data capture during field research. We reused and adapted two existing customizations from the FAIMS library for comprehensive digital recording of two workflows, integrating a collection of structured data, geospatial data, photos, and text. FAIMS Mobile required only modest hardware but supported offline setup, synchronization, and data export, allowing PPAP to deploy it despite unreliable internet access. The system proved successful; it was tailored to our aims and methods, captured consistent and well-described data rapidly, and minimized post-processing. All collected data was available daily for planning, and a comprehensive dataset adhering to Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable (FAIR) data standards was ready for analysis with only a few hours of processing after fieldwork.

U.S. homonationalist battle portraiture and queer armed archival artifacts

ABSTRACT This article engages the photographic collection archived in Evan Bachner’s At Ease: Navy Men of World War II. I argue that this archive embodies myriad homonationalist intimacies through the reinforcement of historical images of White U.S. American queer-coded masculinity. I place its representations against a backdrop of global pornographic militarism, U.S. imperialism, and intimate Black refusal.

The “Heritage-isation” of Photographs: The Ethel John Lindgren Collection and the Orochen Ethnic Minority in Northeast China

ABSTRACT In this paper I present a case of visual repatriation amongst the Orochen ethnic minority in Northeast China. I describe what happens when a photo collection - the Ethel John Lindgren Collection at the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology at the University of Cambridge - is returned to a host community who are an officially-recognised ethnic minority in China and, as a result, are subject to particular policies, discourses, and funding strategies associated with cultural heritage (wenhua yichan). My main argument is that visual repatriation always has an “after-life” - or “after-lives” - and that there is a never case of pure visual or photoreturn. Instead, as I will show in the case of the Orochen, it is always mediated through an existing context of social relations, including particular hierarchies of authority and expertise, and refracted through culturally-specific notions of tradition, modernity, and value. While my ethnographic focus is on China and one specific ethnic minority, I suggest this has implications for other cases of visual repatriation and photo-return, particularly in minority, subaltern, and postcolonial contexts.

The Filing Cabinet: A Vertical History of Information

The Filing Cabinet: A Vertical History of Information

«Проявленная этничность» в семейных фотоальбомах бурят

The article is devoted to the visual discourse of Buryat ethnicity in private photo collections of Buryats. The authors find out that the visual images of ethnicity and the principles of the family tree in the creation of family photo albums were transformed. Iconic codes demonstrate the hybridity and fluidity of the ethnic tradition, its performative nature in modern social conditions. Materials for the article were collected during field expeditions in the Irkutsk Region (2012–2013) and in the Republic of Buryatia (2019–2020). The research methods were visual analysis of photographs and narrative biographical interview. The research methodology was based on the works of R. Barth and D. Harper. The phenomenon of developing ethnicity in photographs is expressed in a visible and invisible three-layer structure: in iconic codes – ethnic costume, ethnic dwelling, ethnic rituals; in the hierarchical arrangement of pictures at album pages; and in biographical stories of the collection owners about photography. As a result, photographic materials from private photo archives are fragmentary for visualizing of Buryat ethnicity, but due to their typicality, they are structured as a representation of changes in Buryat corporeality. «Developing» ethnicity for the sake of presenting oneself to others existed until the 1950s. It goes into the dualism of the Buryat and Soviet features. The disappeared ethnic identity in photo albums by the end of the 1980s was undergoing a performative change from the 2010s. «Developing» ethnicity is expressed in the interest of the Buryats to the details of their ethnic presentation.

Volodymyr Minorskyi’s collection of letters and photos from Iran at fonds of Institute of Manuscript of V. I. Vernadskyi National Library of Ukraine

Volodymyr Minorskyi’s collection of letters and photos from Iran at fonds of Institute of Manuscript of V. I. Vernadskyi National Library of Ukraine

Towards Lifestyle Understanding: Predicting Home and Vacation Locations from User's Online Photo Collections

Semantic place labeling has been actively studied in the past few years due to its importance in understanding human mobility and lifestyle patterns. In the last decade, the rapid growth of geotagged multimedia data from online social networks provides a valuable opportunity to predict people's POI locations from temporal, spatial and visual cues. Among the massive amount of social media data, one important type of data is the geotagged web images from image-sharing websites. In this paper, we develop a reliable photo classifier based on the Convolutional Neutral Networks to classify the photo-taking scene of real-life photos. We then present a novel approach to home location and vacation locations prediction by fusing together the visual content of photos and the spatiotemporal features of people's mobility patterns. Using a well-trained classifier, we showed that the robust fusion of visual and spatiotemporal features achieves significant accuracy improvement over each of the features alone for both home and vacation detection.

The face as folded object: Race and the problems with 'progress' in forensic DNA phenotyping.

Forensic DNA phenotyping (FDP) encompasses a set of technologies aimed at predicting phenotypic characteristics from genotypes. Advocates of FDP present it as the future of forensics, with an ultimate goal of producing complete, individualised facial composites based on DNA. With a focus on individuals and promised advances in technology comes the assumption that modern methods are steadily moving away from racial science. Yet in the quantification of physical differences, FDP builds upon some nineteenth- and twentieth-century scientific practices that measured and categorised human variation in terms of race. In this article I complicate the linear temporal approach to scientific progress by building on the notion of the folded object. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork conducted in various genetic laboratories, I show how nineteenth- and early twentieth-century anthropological measuring and data-collection practices and statistical averaging techniques are folded into the ordering of measurements of skin color data taken with a spectrophotometer, the analysis of facial shape based on computational landmarks and the collection of iris photographs. Attending to the historicity of FDP facial renderings, I bring into focus how race comes about as a consequence of temporal folds.

DIGITALISASI FOTO JURNALISTIK ANALOG HARIAN KOMPAS

Before in digital format like we have today, photographs were kept in celuloid film or what we called as analog photography. Beside the fact that celuloid films need storage space and have to be organized by content, analog photographs also have a limited lifespan before they fade, decomposed or damaged. Quality of images starts to decline after 45 years of storage. With such facts, film preservation and archival from analog photographs into digital is necessary to salvage these documents. Analog digitalizing is also important because it will allow old photographs to become accessible for public or wider audience. Kompas as a daily newpspaper has managed to digitalize their collection of analog photographs from 1965-2005. Digital archiving involves few stages: collecting photographs, selecting, scanning, inserting description, cataloging and storing. Up to February 2020, digitalization team has archieved 93,952 film envelopes (about 2 million photoraphs) into 340,965 photos uploaded to digital archive. There were 55,451 photographs left without caption. This research is to discuss Kompas’ film digitalization and its challenges as well as alternative model suggestion that may be used by other newspapers.

Revelando as imagens fotográficas de Roland Oliveira: desenvolvimento de um tratamento de desenrolamento e planificação para negativos 35 mm em gelatina e prata

The photographic collection by the sports photographer Roland Oliveira (1920-2007), belonging to Sport Lisboa e Benfica, is comprised of an estimate of 40000 images captured in 35 mm silver gelatine negative film, which are currently rolled and stiffened. This study has strived to survey the current procedures undertaken by Portuguese institutions concerning the conservation of these type of materials, by conducting a questionnaire. It became evident that new treatments to allow the flattening of rolled films were needed. Therefore, a conservation treatment was developed to unroll and restore the original flatness of the negatives under study. The main purpose of the treatment was to enable proper handling, digitization and storage of this collection. The developed procedure was based on a de-shrinking process (chamber with vapours of glycerol, acetone and water) adapted from the conservation of motion-picture film literature, combined with flattening under weights. This paper discusses the adopted methodology which allowed to achieve positive results.

Foundational photographs

Abstract Overlooked among the collections of the Western Australian Museum and Art Gallery, opened in Perth in 1895, is a large cross-disciplinary photograph collection. Tracing the accumulation and use of this collection through the archival record reveals its integral role in the developing institution’s interaction with global social, intellectual and administrative centres. These interactions demonstrate the value of the photograph in the propagation of modernist ideas of progress within an institution geographically isolated from contemporary Western centres of knowledge and empire, and in the promotion and recognition of the burgeoning potential and identity of a developing state. The evidence of use within the institution demonstrates the integral, but often overlooked, role of photographs within early collecting institutions, and places them squarely as foundational to Western Australia’s collections.

Colonial heritage, colonial legacy: the photographic collections of Giuseppe De Reali and Nello Puccioni

This article investigates the colonial photographic collections belonging to the traveller Giuseppe De Reali (1877-1937) and the anthropologist Nello Puccioni (1881-1937). Between the end of the nineteenth century and the 1930s, both visited the African continent several times, creating two collections — a zoological-naturalistic one, and an anthropologicalethnographic one — that are now kept and partly displayed in the Natural History Museum of Venice and in the Museum of Anthropology and Ethnology in Florence, respectively. By analysing these images, the article examines the modes of representation of the African continent and its populations, and the functions and meanings acquired by pictures and objects in the transfer to museums. In conclusion, it raises a series of preliminary questions concerning the continuities of exhibition practices between the fascist and the republican period.

Detection DETEKSI DAN IDENTIFIKASI KAPANG PADA PROSES BIODETERIORASI ARSIP FOTO MEMORY OF THE WORLD (MOW) RESTORASI CANDI BOROBUDUR

ABSTRACT 
 This study aims to identify the genus of mold in the biodeterioration process of the photo archive of Memory of the World (MoW) restoration of Borobudur Temple and the potential for the enzymatic activity of these molds. The type of research method chosen is descriptive qualitative. Starting with survey sampling and sampling. Inoculation of fungi using the streak method on PDA medium. Mold identification based on macroscopic and microscopic observations of fungi. The results of characterization were then identified using the matching profile method using the mold identification reference book. The identification results resulted in six genera of contaminant molds in the biodeterioration of the MoW photo archive of the Borobudur Temple restoration. The genera identified included: Acremonium (69.66 %%), Penicillium (14.59%), Aspergillus (3.36%), Culvularia (2.24%) Fusarium (1.12%), and Pleurostomophora (1.12%) and some sterile mycelia. The types of biodeterioration in the photo collection include mold growth, discolored spots, peeling off layers, and damage to the substrate in the photo. Based on literature search, all mold genera found as the cause of biodeterioration has the potential to have proteinase, gelatinase, and cellulase enzymes.
 Keywords: Biodeterioration; Mold; Photograph; Memory of the World; Borobudur Temple

조선 전기 도갑사 불상군의 특징과 제작 배경: 국립중앙박물관 유리건판 사진을 중심으로

Recently released Dry Plate Photographs Collection of the National Museum of Korea include photos of Buddha and Bodhisattva statues enshrined in Dogapsa Temple. The statues have been known as remarkable examples of royal patronage in early Joseon Period but actual statues were destroyed by fire in 1977. Therefore, those photos have important meaning as very rare hystorical records of Dogapsa Temple.<BR> Sculptures of Dogapsa Temple, identified by the photos, are three Buddha and six Bodhisattva statues. Among three Buddha statues, the one enshrined in the center can be estimated to be produced in late Joseon Period, while the statues on the left and right sides are produced in the early Joseon Period.<BR> Six Bodhisattvas are composed of three pairs. The first pair, Ilgwang (日光) and Wolgwang (月光) bosal can be identified by the stone mortar and rabbit symbol on the center of the crown. Those share the same style as the Yaksa Buddha(藥師佛) statue enshrined on the left, suggesting that it was originally produced as Yaksa Buddha triad. And Dogapsa Myogakhwasangbi (妙覺和尙碑), built in 1693, include records related with those Yaksa Buddha triad. According to the records, Prince Yeongeung(永膺大君) was a main patron of Dogapsa Yaksa Buddha triad in 1457. The Yaksa Buddha triad of the inscription, made in 1457, is believed to refer to the triad of photos.<BR> The second pair wearing heavenly robe (天衣) is Gwaneum (觀音) and Daeseji (大勢至) bosal and the last pair is Gwaneum (觀音) and Jijnag (地藏) bosal. Those four statues have similar stylistic features so they can be estimated to produced by same group of sculptors. And a Buddha statue enshrined in Jogyesa temple shares a style with those four Bodhisattva statues. Considering a stylistic similarity and a record that the Jogyesa’s statue was came from Dogapsa temple, one of those two pairs and the statue of Jogyesa temple originally consisted of Amitabha Buddha Triad.<BR> And one Bokjang (服藏) record, known to be inside Gyeonseongam Buddha, is actually estimated to be component of foregoing Yaksa Buddha triad. There are many name of royal patron and high monks of Buddhism in the record. Among them, Prince Yeongeung (永膺大君) and Royal high monk Sumi (守眉) appear in common with the inscription of Myogakhwasangbi, so it prove the royal patronage of Dogapsa statues. The Bokjang (服藏) record also include prayer emphasizing the legitimacy of King Sejo (世祖) and hoping that the dynasty will be stable, it reflects the historical situation in the early days of King Sejo"s ascension. so it can be identified that Dogapsa temple has played an important role as a royal temple of Joseon Dynasty.

Evoking Never Never Land: The Importance of Imaginative Play and Creativity

This article is a condensed version of the author’s research which explores the relationship between imaginative play and creativity in education, and examines the structures, approaches, benefits, and obstacles surrounding the topic of imaginative play and creativity. The photo collection is a reflection on the ponderings throughout the author’s project research. Inspired by zoom-in puzzles, a similar approach was taken to the creative representation of pedagogical wonderings through a photographic journey. By looking at things from different vantage points, one can see things in different ways, and, perhaps, experience a sort of catharsis through contemplation of the overlooked in the obvious.

Using complementary visual approaches to investigate residency, site fidelity and movement patterns of the dusky grouper (Epinephelus marginatus) in a Mediterranean marine protected area

Assessing individuals’ abundance, residency (presence at a site within a certain period) and site fidelity (tendency to return to the same site in subsequent seasons or years) is crucial for evaluating and improving the effectiveness of spatial conservation/management measures regarding ecologically and socio-economically valuable species. Using underwater visual census (UVC) and photo-identification (photo-ID) techniques, we estimated the abundance, residency and site fidelity of the dusky grouper, Epinephelus marginatus, at two protected sites within the Tavolara-Punta Coda Cavallo Marine Protected Area (Sardinia, Italy) in the summers of 2017–2018. The scope and spatio-temporal resolution of the study was extended by involving volunteer recreational divers in the photo collection. Grouper mean densities varied significantly across sampling dates, with a significant variability between the 2 years and the two investigated sites. At least 94 grouper visited the study sites in the summers of 2017–2018 based on the analysis of 968 high-quality photos using a semi-automated software to photo-identify individuals. Overall, the most frequently sighted grouper was recorded on 32 different days and 21 individuals (22%) identified in 2017 were re-sighted in 2018. The participation of volunteer recreational divers helped detect the inter-site (3.5–4 km apart) movements of a female and a male, supporting previous findings regarding the occurrence of reproduction-related movements. This study provides novel insights into the residency and site-fidelity patterns of the dusky grouper, and its small-scale movements probably related to reproduction. Specifically, we provide indications that effective protection from fishing should encompass the entire area used by grouper for reproductive movements.

Digitizing the paper of record: Archiving digital newspapers at the New York Times

This study uses three archiving efforts at the New York Times as a means to analyse the newspaper as an archival object. I study the traditional ‘morgue’ of physical clippings and photos, the Times’ joint project with Google Cloud to digitize its photo collection, and the TimesMachine interactive digital archive, which made scanned editions of printed issues from 1851 to 2002 publicly available online. Based on interviews with staff and analysis of documents describing past and present newspaper archiving practices, it is clear that the digital archive is not a comprehensive copy of an analogue original. There are a significant number of documents stored in physical archives that have not been translated to digital, and whose loss would be detrimental to historians and media scholars alike. Moreover, even the documents that have been scanned and made available as digital objects do not perfectly mirror their analogue equivalents, meaning that information loss is inherent to the digitization process. As active producers of the past for contemporary purposes, these online news archives serve as cultural gatekeepers, actively shaping journalistic practice and reframing current events in reference to the past.

Facial expressions and the business cycle

This paper is the first to consider the link between information in the facial expressions of economic actors and economic activity. While much research has focused on text based sentiment, little is understood about the possible information conveyed by facial expressions. A collection of media photographs corresponding to the US economy for the period 1996–2018 is used to construct indices of emotions communicated by facial expressions. The indices are correlated with business cycle conditions, and also contain information about the future state of the business cycle, information that is incremental to that contained in commonly used measures of economic conditions. Social cognition means that emotions transmitted via facial expressions can influence expectations regarding economic prospects, decision making and hence future economic outcomes. The results here open up the possibility of using information from facial expressions to augment existing methods for using text-based sentiment for macroeconomic or financial forecasting.

Announcements

Announcements

Texture Browser: Feature‐based Texture Exploration

AbstractTexture is a key characteristic in the definition of the physical appearance of an object and a crucial element in the creation process of 3D artists. However, retrieving a texture that matches an intended look from an image collection is difficult. Contrary to most photo collections, for which object recognition has proven quite useful, syntactic descriptions of texture characteristics is not straightforward, and even creating appropriate metadata is a very difficult task. In this paper, we propose a system to help explore large unlabeled collections of texture images. The key insight is that spatially grouping textures sharing similar features can simplify navigation. Our system uses a pre‐trained convolutional neural network to extract high‐level semantic image features, which are then mapped to a 2‐dimensional location using an adaptation of t‐SNE, a dimensionality‐reduction technique. We describe an interface to visualize and explore the resulting distribution and provide a series of enhanced navigation tools, our prioritized t‐SNE, scalable clustering, and multi‐resolution embedding, to further facilitate exploration and retrieval tasks. Finally, we also present the results of a user evaluation that demonstrates the effectiveness of our solution.