Hi Deb Our registrars still use prints for condition reports, but they are happy with the color ink jets that we provide. Similar to your situation, they mark them with circles and arrows and make notes regarding the details. As always, the veracity of any condition report is backed by the integrity of the registrar who inspected the actual artwork. The photo is only a map or a pointer to areas in question. An analogue print is not any different to a digital one in that regard. If viewing close-up under magnification is an issue, perhaps they should see the full-res image at 100% on a good monitor. That will allow them to scan across the surface of the object far better than can be done with any print.
Dan Dennehy Chief Photographer Minneapolis Institute of Arts www.artsmia.org >>> "Deborah Wythe" <deborahwythe at hotmail.com> 7/20/2007 10:56 AM >>> I'm curious about how people are handling the analog to digital change in terms of print output, specifically for the condition checking that registrars do. In the past, the registrar got a b/w glossy that was used for condition reporting -- they overlaid a clear sheet on the print and circled scratches, nicks, etc, and wrote notes about what they saw. With darkrooms shutting down, are you substituting high-quality archival prints? Ordinary color printer prints? Maybe a digital image on a laptop? I know our registrars aren't entirely happy with even the archival prints -- there's a sense that you could see more detail in the b/w glossies. Any comments from your registrars? Thanks, Deb Wythe Deborah Wythe Head, Digital Collections and Services Brooklyn Museum 200 Eastern Parkway Brooklyn, NY 11238 tel: 718 501 6311 fax: 718 501 6145 deborahwythe at hotmail.com _________________________________________________________________ http://liveearth.msn.com _______________________________________________ You are currently subscribed to mcn-l, the listserv of the Museum Computer Network (http://www.mcn.edu) To post to this list, send messages to: mcn-l at mcn.edu To unsubscribe or change mcn-l delivery options visit: http://toronto.mediatrope.com/mailman/listinfo/mcn-l
