National Geographic Autochrome Collection

[dougpeterson]

We recently worked together with the National Geographic Society to research proper techniques and standards for the digitization of their Autochrome collection (one of the world's only large collection of this photographic material).

I'll admit that, despite having gone to a reputable four-year school for photography, I knew very little about this early color process. In my head photography jumped from 3-glass-plates-for-color directly to three-layers-on-one-substrate-color, which is not the case. I found it absolutely fascinating that some of the processes related to the AutoChrome used a color mosaic similar to the Bayer Filter Mosaic. Everything old is new again.

You can read my write up of this research on the NGS website or on our Cultural Heritage website.

 

[Oren Grad]

Doug, thanks for the link - very interesting analysis.

If one has the same objective of fidelity in capturing the critical attributes that make the source material distinctive, exactly the same logic applies to using digital cameras to "scan" film, does it not? Given that the grain structure of virtually all modern films is finer than the Autochrome granules, the implication re the "horsepower" required for full-fidelity film scanning is pretty sobering.

This is the consistent with what I've already concluded from extensive experience working with the Nikon 5000 and 9000 scanners, which both deliver in the 4000 ppi ballpark, and which both are plainly inadequate to faithfully describe the grain of Tri-X, let alone slower films.

I know that your cultural heritage business is focused on high-end solutions for institutional clients. However, there is also an unmet need for a less-expensive, turnkey solution that can deliver full-fidelity scan quality for low-volume users. There are a few who are trying to assemble their own systems with precision X/Y movement stages for camera and/or film, precise camera-to-film alignment, suitable illumination sources, etc. Is there any prospect of a commercially-viable cost/performance niche for such a product targeted at demanding amateurs and small-time independent pros who are not in a position to build their own?

 

[Shashin]

Autochromes are very beautiful. You kind of wonder what all the fuss about resolution, color fidelity, and dynamic range is for...

And a really great write-up. Thanks for that.