Visual Resources as Archives: The Case of the Lane Brothers and Tracy O'Neal Collections

Visual Resources as Archives: The Case of the Lane Brothers and Tracy O’Neal Collections Part 1: From Office Records to Archives Visual Resources Association 2010 Conference March 19 th Peter J. Roberts [email_address]

Overview
Acquisition of Lane and O’Neal
History
File naming
Scanning policy
On-line access
Preservation
Physical and intellectual

Acquisition of Lane and O’Neal

History of Lane and O’Neal
The Lane Brothers began as ambulance chasers trying to scoop their competitors and sell their pictures to news outlets.

The Lane Brothers later specialized in advertising, insurance, real estate, publicity, and newspapers.

Tracy O’Neal specialized in labor unions, weddings, and the Shriners

The Lane Brothers and Tracy O’Neal became Atlanta’s leading commercial photographers in the mid 20 th Century.

Their legacy is a visual chronicle of the economic, social, and political forces that transformed Atlanta from a regional city into the commercial capital of the South.

Intellectual Preservation: Arrangement and Description
Artificial Arrangement (Lane Brothers)

Original Order (Tracy O’Neal)

Intellectual Preservation Arrangement and Description

Intellectual Preservation File Naming
LBGP === Geographic Places
LBGPF == .. Facilities
LBGPNS == .. Named Streets
LBCB === Corporate Bodies
LBCE === Corporate Events
LBMPE == Movie Premiere Events
LBP ==== Portraits
… .

Intellectual Preservation File Naming
LBCB024-004a translates as Lane Brothers, Coroporate Bodies (Series), Box 24, Envelope 4, scanned image “a”.
Leading zeros are necessary for computer file listings.

Physical Preservation Selection for Scanning and Preservation
Not all photographs
are equal
Handout
Selection for cold
storage and scanning

Selection for Scanning and Physical Preservation Street scenes and buildings are the most requested

Selection for Scanning and Preservation Second most requested are people (politicians, celebrities and family members)

Selection for Scanning and Preservation Third most requested are events

Scanning constraints
Early scanning limited by computer speed and storage costs.
Todays PC 10X faster than in 1999.
5.25 floppies were still being used.
A 1.4MB b&w TIFF file (300 dpi of a 4X5 negative) could be copied to a researcher’s floppy disc, was more than adequate to create a 8X10 digital print and could be e-mailed.

Scanning
Constraints
Access not
preservation

Scanning Policy

On-line access

Physical Preservation
Negatives are made of cellulose acetate which becomes more acidic over time and channel after about 50 years.

Select channeled negatives were restored by the Chicago Albumen Works for about $90 each.

Conclusion

Visual Resources as Archives: The Case of the Lane Brothers and Tracy O'Neal Collections

by Visual Resources Association on Aug 02, 2010

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Visual Resources as Archives: The Case of the Lane Brothers and Tracy O’Neal Collections — Presentation Transcript