The Early Color Photography Conservation and Digitization Project

FAIN: PW-269301-20

National Geographic Society (Washington, DC 20036-4707)
Sara Manco (Project Director: July 2019 to present)

The cataloging and digitization of 15,030 early color glass slides created by explorers and researchers between 1914 and 1944, covering the Arctic regions, Greenland, and Alaska. An accompanying finding aid would include not only description of the photographs but also some 3,000 textual objects that document the content and the creation of the collection.

The project aims to complete a comprehensive survey, analysis, and digital preservation program of the National Geographic Society’s collection of Autochromes, Dufaycolor, Finlaycolor, and Agfachrome plates from the 1910s-1944, collectively known as the Early Color Collection.

Associated Products

Early Color Photography at National Geographic: Our Journey from Idea to Funded Federal Grant Projec (Conference Paper/Presentation)
Title: Early Color Photography at National Geographic: Our Journey from Idea to Funded Federal Grant Projec
Author: Sara Manco
Author: Julie McVey
Author: Renee Braden
Abstract: The National Geographic Society Archives holds the largest collection of early color photography in the United States: over 15,000 glass plate autochromes, Agfachromes, Dufaycolor, Finlaycolor photographs. The collection includes not only natural color photographs from Greenland to Japan, but also several notable color photographic “firsts.” The majority of the collection is currently undigitized and unpublished. This presentation will discuss the process of taking our ideas for digitizing these unique cultural heritage objects from “what-if?” to creating a fully-funded federal grant project to conserve and digitize the entire collection in partnership with DTCH and the Center for Conservation of Art and Historic Artifacts (CCAHA).
Date: 10/15/2020
Primary URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMprbdwxKWM
Primary URL Description: YouTube recordings of the virtual conference hosted by Digital Transitions.
Secondary URL: https://heritage-digitaltransitions.com/2020-virtual-round-table/
Secondary URL Description: Website with virtual round table presenters bios and abstracts.
Conference Name: Digital Transitions Heritage 2020 Virtual Round Table

Open House - Autochrome Conservation Project (Public Lecture or Presentation)
Title: Open House - Autochrome Conservation Project
Abstract: At CCAHA we believe every object has a story, and helping tell those stories is one of the best parts of our job. That's why for years we have opened our Philadelphia lab for an annual Open House, inviting you to get an up-close look at the work we do. This year, we are once again presenting our Open House online to ensure everyone's safety and enable friends from around the world to join in. Our 2021 Virtual Open House will be held Thursday, November 18, from 6:30-7:30 PM ET. Those who register will receive a video of each Open House presentation delivered straight to their inbox in the month leading up to a live Q&A November 18 on Zoom with CCAHA's staff of experts. Presentations will feature a variety of objects and treatments from the CCAHA lab.
Author: Barbara Lemmen
Date: 11/18/2021
Location: Virtual
Primary URL: https://ccaha.org/events/2021-virtual-open-house
Primary URL Description: Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts announcement of open house that featured this grant funded project.

National Endowment for the Humanities: Photo Grant (Conference/Institute/Seminar)
Title: National Endowment for the Humanities: Photo Grant
Author: Sara Manco
Abstract: Presentation to National Geographic Society all-staff meeting detailing the work completed with funding by this NEH grant.
Date Range: August 16, 2023
Location: Washington, DC and virtual

Digital Analysis of Early Color Photographs Taken Using Regular Color Screen Processes (Conference Paper/Presentation)
Title: Digital Analysis of Early Color Photographs Taken Using Regular Color Screen Processes
Author: Jan Hubička
Author: Linda Kimrová
Author: Sara Manco
Author: Kenzie Klaeser
Author: Doug Peterson
Abstract: Some early color photographic processes based on special color screen filters pose specific challenges in their digitization and digital presentation. Those challenges include dynamic range, resolution, and the difficulty of stitching geometrically–repeating patterns. We describe a novel method used to digitize the collection of early color photographs at the National Geographic Society which makes use of a custom open-source software tool to analyze and precisely stitch regular color screen processes.
Date: 9/15/2023
Primary URL: https://www.gruppodelcolore.org/portfolio-articoli/lecco-2023/?lang=en
Primary URL Description: Conference group website
Secondary URL: https://www.rcasb.eu/index.php/RCASB/catalog/view/13/13/212
Secondary URL Description: All published conference proceedings.

A Virtual Look at National Geographic’s Special Collections (Public Lecture or Presentation)
Title: A Virtual Look at National Geographic’s Special Collections
Abstract: Sara Manco will share how she managed a big NEH grant-funded project through major changes due to the Covid-19 pandemic, internal reorganization, and campus renovations -- none of which were anticipated road bumps in the three-year project timeline.
Author: Sara Manco
Date: 04/12/2023
Location: Virtual
Primary URL: https://www.nycarchivists.org/event-5237236

Managing the Chaos: National Geographic Society’s Special Collections Team’s Grant Project (Conference/Institute/Seminar)
Title: Managing the Chaos: National Geographic Society’s Special Collections Team’s Grant Project
Author: Sara Manco
Author: Julie McVey
Abstract: In the spring of 2020, the National Geographic Society received funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities for a large-scale project to conserve and digitize around 15,000 early color photographs on glass. Three challenging but rewarding years later, the grant work has wrapped and the Society has several lessons learned to share about managing a complex project with many unexpected elements. In this presentation, Project Director Sara Manco (Director, Photographs) and Project Manager Julie McVey (Sr. Manager of Digital Collections) will walk attendees through the process of preparing for the grant and the challenges they faced due to myriad factors, including the global pandemic.. They will also discuss how they worked together to manage the many moving parts of a large project, including dos and don’ts learned along the way.
Date Range: 11/1/2023
Location: San Francisco, CA
Primary URL: https://heritage-digitaltransitions.com/roundtable-2023/
Primary URL Description: Conference website including recordings of presentations available with a login but at no extra cost.

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