Digitizing the Religious News Service Photographs: A Planning Project

FAIN: PW-259056-18

Presbyterian Historical Society (Philadelphia, PA 19147-1516)
Beth Shalom Hessel (Project Director: July 2017 to October 2019)
Nancy J. Taylor (Project Director: October 2019 to April 2020)

A Foundations planning project to place online 68,000 photographs taken by the Religious News Service; 500 high-priority images would be selected for digitization.

The Presbyterian Historical Society will use an NEH Foundations Grant to plan for the future digitization and sharing of the 68,000 Religious News Service photograph collection at PHS (date span 1945 to 1982). An advisory panel of scholars, technical and legal experts, and PHS staff members will develop a three-tier, five-point rating system to prioritize scanning of RNS images based on: a) historical significance of the photograph; b) physical condition of the print and/or negative; and c) quality of available descriptive information. PHS staff will then conduct a small pilot project to test the rating system and digitization workflows. Following the pilot project's completion, the Presbyterian Historical Society will write a white paper featuring project findings and conclusions and submit the paper to the NEH.

Associated Products

NEH Award to Digitize Religious News Service Photos (Blog Post)
Title: NEH Award to Digitize Religious News Service Photos
Author: Fred Tangeman
Abstract: The Presbyterian Historical Society is the proud recipient of a 2018 National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Humanities Collections and Reference Resources grant.
Date: 4/10/18
Primary URL: http://https://www.history.pcusa.org/blog/2018/04/neh-award-digitize-religious-news-service-photos
Primary URL Description: Announcement of award
Secondary URL Description: April 10, 2018
Blog Title: NEH Award to Digitize Religious News Service Photos
Website: www.history.pcusa.org

Pearl Digital Archives: 2018 Highlights (Blog Post)
Title: Pearl Digital Archives: 2018 Highlights
Author: Natalie Shilstut
Abstract: Many of the exciting new initiatives the Presbyterian Historical Society launched in 2018 are reflected in Pearl, the Society's home for digitized and born-digital collections. Pearl provides researchers online access to a rapidly growing repository of images, publications, audio, and video content. In 2018, 2,400 items were added...Post includes mention of RNS project and link to RNS collection in Pearl.
Date: 12/13/18
Primary URL: https://www.history.pcusa.org/blog/2018/12/pearl-digital-archives-2018-highlights
Blog Title: Pearl Digital Archives: 2018 Highlights
Website: www.history.pcusa.org

Religious News Service Photographs Collection in Pearl Online Archives (Database/Archive/Digital Edition)
Title: Religious News Service Photographs Collection in Pearl Online Archives
Author: Natalie Shilstut
Author: Gabriela Zoller
Abstract: About this Collection Conceived by journalist Louis Minsky (1909-1957), Religious News Service (RNS) was established in 1934 as an affiliated but independently managed agency of the National Conference of Jews and Christians (later the National Conference of Christians and Jews), and was dedicated to providing authoritative and bias-free news about religion and ethics to both the secular and religious press. This collection contains photographs documenting Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox, and Jewish groups. Coverage of Protestants (especially mainline Protestants) and Catholics constitutes the bulk of the images. View the collection guide to learn more. Digitization of some of the images in this collection made possible by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Year: 2018
Primary URL: https://digital.history.pcusa.org/islandora/object/islandora:rns
Access Model: open

Four Initiatives (Article)
Title: Four Initiatives
Author: Fred Tangeman
Abstract: Our four feature initiatives for 2019 show PHS advancing its historic mission in new ways. We’re a national church archives for the 21st century, an engaged educational resource, and a friend to histories of faith around the world. Find out more at www.history.pcusa.org/4initiatives
Year: 2019
Primary URL: https://phs-app-media.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/PHN_Spring_2019.pdf
Primary URL Description: link to pdf version of print newsletter and annual report, Spring 2019; pages 4 and 9 have project content (article, two images)
Secondary URL: https://www.history.pcusa.org/history-online
Secondary URL Description: History Online page of PHS website
Access Model: open
Format: Magazine
Periodical Title: Presbyterian Heritage
Publisher: Presbyterian Historical Society

Digitizing Religious News Service (Article)
Title: Digitizing Religious News Service
Author: Natalie Shilstut
Abstract: At the conclusion of this pilot project, 500 newly scanned images will be available to the public through the PHS online archives, Pearl. Page 2.
Year: 2018
Primary URL: https://phs-app-media.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/PHS_FALL_18_FINAL%20Web.pdf
Primary URL Description: Biannual print newsletter
Secondary URL: https://phs-app-media.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/PHS_FALL_18_FINAL%20Web.pdf
Secondary URL Description: History Online page of PHS website
Access Model: open
Format: Magazine
Periodical Title: Presbyterian Heritage
Publisher: Presbyterian Historical Society

RNS Landing Page on PHS website (Web Resource)
Title: RNS Landing Page on PHS website
Author: Nancy Taylor
Abstract: Information about ongoing RNS project landing page
Year: 2019
Primary URL: https://www.history.pcusa.org/religious-news-service-photographs-page-5
Primary URL Description: RNS Landing Page on PHS website
Secondary URL: www.history.pcusa.org
Secondary URL Description: PHS website

Highlights from the RNS Digitization Project (Blog Post)
Title: Highlights from the RNS Digitization Project
Author: Allison Davis
Abstract: "The photograph collection held in Philadelphia includes 68,000 images dating from 1945 through 1982. My colleague – Cecilia Figliuolo – and I, Allison Davis, had the great pleasure of participating in the digitization phase of this pilot project."
Date: 09/19/19
Primary URL: https://www.history.pcusa.org/blog/2019/09/highlights-rns-digitization-project
Primary URL Description: overview of RNS project work from digitizer's perspective
Secondary URL: Presbyterian Historical Society digital archives, Pearl
Secondary URL Description: https://digital.history.pcusa.org/islandora/search/rns?type=dismax
Blog Title: Highlights from the RNS Digitization Project
Website: Presbyterian Historical Society

Story of an RNS Photograph: The Celis and Rotenburg Families (Blog Post)
Title: Story of an RNS Photograph: The Celis and Rotenburg Families
Author: Cecilia Figliuolo
Abstract: "I found this photograph while working on our RNS Digitization Pilot Project and was immediately drawn in by the expression of pure joy on Regine’s face. The brief caption that accompanied the photograph was only a fraction of the story and I needed to learn more. I began my research and found testimonies, documents, and photographs through Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center."
Date: 10/22/2019
Primary URL: https://www.history.pcusa.org/blog/2019/10/story-rns-photo-celis-and-rotenberg-families
Blog Title: Story of an RNS Photograph: The Celis and Rotenburg Families
Website: Presbyterian Historical Society

Pearl Digital Archives: 2019 Highlights (Blog Post)
Title: Pearl Digital Archives: 2019 Highlights
Author: Gabriela Zoller
Abstract: "In April 2019, PHS highlighted four ongoing initiatives that expand our mission in exciting new ways: the Religious News Service digitization project, LGBTQIA+ History collecting effort, Building Knowledge & Breaking Barriers project, and African American Leaders & Congregations collecting effort. This year, Pearl--our home for digitized and born-digital collections, including images, publications, audio, and video content--has grown in concert with, and in support of, these initiatives."
Date: 12/11/2019
Primary URL: https://www.history.pcusa.org/blog/2019/12/pearl-digital-archives-2019-highlights
Primary URL Description: overview of images added to Pearl, with a focus on RNS images
Website: Presbyterian Historical Society

"Faith Reframed: the RNS Digitization Project" (Article)
Title: "Faith Reframed: the RNS Digitization Project"
Author: Nancy Taylor
Abstract: "NEH funding also allowed us to carry out a pilot project to test the rating system and our new process for scanning, describing, and displaying the highestrated images online."
Year: 2019
Primary URL: https://phs-app-media.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/PHN%20Fall%202019%208-28-2019_Website.pdf
Primary URL Description: Presbyterian Historical Society website's digital version of its fall print newsletter
Access Model: open access
Format: Other
Publisher: Presbyterian Historical Society

Pearl Digital Round-up (shared first via PHS website) (Web Resource)
Title: Pearl Digital Round-up (shared first via PHS website)
Author: Gabriela Zoller
Abstract: see abstract for same article hosted at PHS website
Year: 2019
Primary URL: https://www.pcusa.org/news/2019/12/30/pearl-digital-archives-new-2019/
Primary URL Description: Website of PC(USA) denomination
Secondary URL: https://pres-outlook.org/2019/12/presbyterian-historical-society-adds-digital-scans-from-rns-project-collecting-initiatives/
Secondary URL Description: Website of largest independent Presbyterian magazine

Religious News Service PIlot Project (Film/TV/Video Broadcast or Recording)
Title: Religious News Service PIlot Project
Writer: Kristen Gaydos
Director: Kristen Gaydos
Producer: Fred Tangeman
Abstract: An interview with project leader Nancy Taylor about RNS images and their importance to historians
Year: 2019
Primary URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkGwLjuGdDI
Access Model: open access
Format: Video

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