Current Digitization Projects at MIT
Vail Balloon Prints (Archives)
DOME COLLECTIONS |
Institute Archives & Special Collections |
COLLECTION |
Vail Balloon Prints |
Content |
The collection is replete with wonderful images providing visual documentation of man's vision of flying vehicles and human flight. Images range from the fanciful, as shown above, to depictions of real events, such as the balloon sent up by the Montgolfier brothers in 1783 or later balloon flights by others (successful as well as unsuccessful). Articles and clippings recount the history of man's efforts to fly over the last three centuries, relating or commenting on individual efforts - some celebratory and other detailing the fatal results of failures. |
Size |
1200 items |
Age |
1780-1930s |
Source |
Archives and Special Collections |
Rights |
Most out of copyright, MIT Libraries property rights (gift to MIT, need to do more background research) |
Anticipated Audience |
Showpiece for potential donors; scholars and afficianados of the history of aeronautics |
Benefits |
On-line access; project acts as scanning pilot; will possibly help us develop a virtual exhibit template |
Format Risk |
minimal |
Format |
need to scan to TIFFs with JPEG derivatives |
Metadata |
Also, due to the lack of knowledge about these prints, visual representation of them via the Web is critical to their access and may help with their identification. Metadata is key to increasing their accessibility as it will describe each item, identify what it is and what it's about with details such as subject matter, size, age, color, origins---in short supplying each item in the collection with as much searchable data as possible. |
Funding |
Donor |
Other Comments |
This project is in progress, with no determination as to where the images will reside. |