For items in our possession for a short time, our conservatorship involves how items are handled. For items under our student's control for a longer time, it also includes how they are displayed and/or stored.
We previously posted an image of two Santa containers. One is clearly in a LOT better shape than the other.
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| Two Cheinco Santas Demonstrating Storage Damage |
A 3rd Cheinco Santa arrived today and together with the others perfectly illustrates the cumulative affects of various states of poor storage.
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| Three Cheinco Santas Demonstrating Cumulative Storage Damage. |
The Santa on the left of both images was clearly stored in a more protective environment than the other two. And, the one on the right clearly shows evidence of very poor storage conditions. This is the natural fate of ALL objects. So, conservators pay a LOT of attention to how they protect items both on display and in storage.
This fact is another reason why working with real objects to capture and turn into virtual objects has such great educational value. It not only provides an opportunity to focus on all the related aspects of the life of an object; but, also provides a point of departure into related subjects such as the affect of light and heat on objects over time.
When I get to introduce our Santas to our students, there are many questions I want to ask them before we even begin to try to capture them. Why, for instance, is the Santa on the right lighter on top than on the bottom? What might that tell us about its life since it was created? Etc., Etc., Etc.
The point is that 3D Scanning is MORE than a single, isolated function. If seen correctly, it can become an adventure that leads in many directions... including, perhaps, a career as a conservator in one of the world's great museums!
Look closely at what this Getty Museum conservator is doing!
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| Scanning an Object at the Getty Museum |
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