Save Your Archive Program

How valuable are the historical images in your archives? What if something were slowly damaging them beyond repair? That something is time, which inevitably deteriorates priceless images, even under the best of conditions. Dating back to the beginning of photography in the mid-1800s, much of the visual history of American culture is slowly fading and is under threat of extinction. Maps, posters, and other printed treasures are also slowly decaying. Museums, universities, newspapers, and other groups are struggling with the question of how to preserve these irreplaceable assets that help to define the historical identity of our nation, its people, and its institutions.

At National Geographic, millions of important images are stored in a vault under controlled conditions. But even so, their life is not unlimited. If we are not careful, not only may the African lion and other exotic animals become extinct, but their photographic legends could disappear as well. We are relieved to report that the life of these assets is being greatly extended, perhaps indefinitely, through the process of digitization.

To preserve images that were originally captured on plate and film during the last 100-plus years, National Geographic recently launched a “Save the Archive” program to convert these pictures into digital files through the use of high-resolution scanning technology. These files will not only save important images for the future but will extend their availability now for research and scientific study, as well as for commercial distribution on the web.

The team at National Geographic that undertook this important work is National Geographic Imaging (NGI). After digitizing more than 100,000 images and gaining valuable experience, NGI is now looking for opportunities to extend this unmatched capability to other U.S. institutions who may be interested in similar initiatives to preserve their own archives.

In the recent past, members of the NGI team have also done archival preservation work for:

• The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York
• Smithsonian Institution
• Newseum
• The World Bank

With this wealth of background, we have learned that it is no easy task to produce a “digital equivalent” of an analog image. It can only be done with costly equipment in skilled hands. Consumer-grade gear in the hands of institutional staff can produce a digital file but, unless it has the dynamic range and complete detail in highlights and shadows, it will not be an authentic surrogate of the original image. And once that information is lost, it can never be replaced in the future.

So don’t wait. Call us now and we will help you develop a strategy to Save Your Archive.

Call or contact:

(202) 775-7827
(888) 647-5227
E-mail: jwhatley@ngs.org

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Photographs from National Geographic Image Collection
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