A 'collection of broken dreams'? Making the Paul Mellon Centre's photo archive accessible in 2019 and beyond. (January 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Scutt, Thomas; Turner, Sarah Victoria
• Is Part Of: Art libraries journal. Volume 45:Number 1(2020)
• Page Start: 12
• Page End: 18
• Publication Date: 2020-01
• Subjects: Art libraries -- Periodicals; Art -- Documentation -- Periodicals; 026.7
• DOI: 10.1017/alj.2019.33
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0307-4722

Abstract

Abstract : This article focuses on the research that the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art has conducted with users in the process of digitising its photo archive. Converting this resource from photographs mounted on card to digital assets appears, at first glance, a relatively straightforward digitisation project. However, the questions, challenges and issues raised by this project have prompted us to not only focus on the 'how' (the process of this conversion), but also the 'why'. As the project has progressed, these questions about why we are digitising our photo archive and what benefit/s this will have to users and its impact on the field of British art history in the future have grown more voluble.