Imaging Phase
The imaging phase consists of three steps:
Pre-imaging checks serve to alert the photographer to any challenges long before the photography takes place. The aim is to ensure that every volume selected for digitization is in a suitable condition for photography. This process involves describing the item in detail using a conservation checklist together with images of any challenging features. If conservation work is required, a decision is made in consultation with the Oxford Conservation Consortium as to whether that work will be carried out before or after imaging.
Photography is carried out at St John’s College’s Library & Study Centre in a dedicated studio with two setups. A Grazer Conservation Cradle and a PhaseOne camera is used for internal shots, while a flatbed with a wall-mounted Canon 5DS camera is used for external shots.
Post-imaging consists of processing the images with CaptureOne software, including quality checks and file-naming; compiling brief accompanying metadata; transferring the images and metadata to the Digital Bodleian Team; and comparing the condition of the item to pre-imaging reports.
As the imaging phase of the project started relatively recently (late 2022), many of the photos of manuscripts in this online exhibition are examples of ‘DIY Digitization’ with camera phones. As one curator recently observed:
I am conscious of the enormous benefits of DIY digitization. It has allowed users to build up their own digital archives, particularly of manuscripts not high up on the queue for digitization (Suzanne Paul in Da Rold and Treharne 2020, p. 273).
We hope that the combination of ‘official’ and ‘DIY’ images in this online exhibition, alongside the items on display in the exhibition cases, will convey the enormous potential of the imaging phase of the project. More information about the imaging phase is available in our behind-the-scenes blog post.
Petra Hofmann, Sian Witherden, and Sophie Bacchus-Waterman
What can’t we capture?
Digitized images are not a replacement for the experience of sitting with a special collections item in front of you. While imaging capabilities have improved vastly in the recent years, there is a world of difference between looking at a photograph of a folio on a computer screen, and turning the page of a centuries-old book.
Strides are constantly being made regarding what is capturable with new technologies, as can be seen in the current ARCHiOx (Analysis and Recording of Cultural Heritage in Oxford) project. However, as things currently stand, there is no substitution for in-person handling.
Flat digital images can also be misleading — the book is often hiding a foam wedge placed beneath a spine to hold it in a comfortable position, with an exhibition strip holding a facing page away just outside of the shot. The detailed descriptions of our collection, which are being continually updated as the project progresses, give further context to items (size, script, year of publication, etc.). Together, these two sides of the project create a cohesive surrogate for the physical item, but do not suffice to replace it.
What about white gloves?
It is a common misconception that special collections items should be handled with gloves. In fact, gloves reduce manual dexterity and make damage more likely to occur. With a few notable exceptions — such as bindings with a lot of metal — the safest way to handle rare books is with clean, dry hands.
Thirty Years of Imaging at St John’s College Library
‘As we move into the twenty first century, digitization is going to predominate the world of libraries, and what is happening in special collections is a strong representation of that trend.’
Carl Fleischhauer, as quoted in Chepesiuk, 2001, p. 54
Scroll through the three images below to see the improvements in imaging capabilities with the example of MS 154, fol. 18r. The images here (left to right) are:
- Microfilm (1994)
- Early Manuscripts at Oxford (c. 2000)
- Digitization Project (2023)
Photographing Gold Leaf
To make gold leaf, gold coins were hammered down into fine sheets and then applied thinly with tweezers (as seen in this woodcut image) or by brushing it with egg whites or parchment size directly onto the page, to create a bright and shining effect (Panayotova 2020, p. 129).
It was used to decorate various types of books – in the halos of religious figures in theological books, and in backgrounds, borders, line fillers, and initial decorations.
We have several examples of gold leaf in our collection, from the extensive gold leaf in MS 61, The York Bestiary (an image of which can be seen in case 3), or the subtler but still striking gold leaf utilised in the initials of MS 192.
Because of its reflective nature, gold leaf is difficult to photograph unless light is utilised correctly during the photography process. When not lit properly, gold leaf can appear brassy and flat, but when lit correctly, it is possible to capture its reflective and bright nature.
Using lower resolution cameras, it is possible to capture the reflective nature of gold leaf by photographing it at an angle, producing the effect seen in the above image of MS 217.
In our photography studio, we are lighting our gold leaf with a Hensel ringflash 3000-XS, which is placed around the 80mm Schneider-Kreuznach Blue Ring LS lens of our PhaseOne camera. This allows us to light the gold leaf from above, to capture its reflective quality in a flattering way that is true to life.
To see gold leaf in situ, see MS 192 in case 2, which is focused on items being digitized for their significant provenance. To see more about manuscript decoration, and manuscripts which are being digitized for their visual appeal, see case 3.
Sophie Bacchus-Waterman
