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Re: Organization of Photo Collections



Title: RE: Organization of Photo Collections

Daniel,

Here's my 2-cents, and since I suspect we have similar collections I'd be happy to share a couple of our hospital photo collection inventories with you.  Hope this is of some help...

Peter F. Schmid, CA
Asst. Archivist-Visual Resources
Providence Archives
4800 37th Avenue SW
Seattle, WA 98126-2793
Tel:  206-923-4012
Fax:  206-923-4001
<mailto:pschmid@providence.org>

http://www.providence.org/phs/archives/default.htm



>-----Original Message-----
>From: Daniel Sokolow [mailto:DSokolow@NSHS.EDU]
>Sent: Wednesday, August 21, 2002 10:23 AM
>To: ARCHIVES@LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU
>Subject: Organization of Photo Collections
>
>1) are complicated numbering schemes really necessary to track
>photos?  Some
>old postings on this subject mentioned these aaa-bbbb-ccc
>kinda things which
>I've never loved.

I don't love them either, in the sense that they are incredibly time-consuming and can get unwieldy, but they become necessary for keeping a connection between individual prints and negatives, which are often pulled for printing and which may be stored in separate areas, and for keeping track of the digital files you create from photographs.  It also helps researchers credit individual images.  My method has been to process and create a series- or subseries-level finding aid as a first stage, then execute a "final" processing of the collection where items are numbered.

>
>2) Is item level cataloging essential for proper control over
>photographic
>materials?  I suspect it is, though I can't say I'm looking
>forward to the
>task - it seems it's the only way to insure speedy access to particular
>photos

Item-level cataloging is not essential or even desirable for *all* holdings.  Large groups of photographs of a single event or activity, for instance, can be very well described in the finding aid at the series or subseries level (e.g., the groundbreaking ceremony for a hospital).  One or two representative pictures from said series may be selected for inclusion in a database, and described and digitally represented at the item level (board president with spade turning soil). As you point out, there are particular photos that demand item-level description.  Selections for item-level cataloging might be based on frequency of use (and therefore need for clear identification), rare or unusual subject matter, exemplary quality (e.g. a particularly detailed shot of an early surgery), etc.


>______________________________________
>Daniel Sokolow, Archives Coordinator
>David Taylor Archives
>North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System
>155 Community Drive
>Great Neck, NY 11021
>mailto:dsokolow@nshs.edu
>
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