Conscious digitisation to support the conservation of the V&A's collection of large scale reproductions

先进的数字化技术允许记录的形状以及其他光学和物理性质的文物的准确度。因此，3D扫描、摄影测量、X射线和反射变换成像（RTI）等技术为记录文物及其状况提供了新的方法。以前的研究表明，这些技术往往会导致数据集的数字化方法及其局限性没有得到很好的记录。此外，促进数字化的组织需求以及这些需求对数字化期间所做决策的影响和产出的处理往往被忽略。这给数据集的解释带来了问题，包括数据集的可靠性和准确性。这些问题对学者或保护者都具有重大意义，因为它们支持对记录的特征和变化的评估和解释。维多利亚和阿尔伯特博物馆（V & A）打算将数字化技术纳入其关于其收藏品的增强信息提供中。因此，人们对支持人工制品的有意识数字化的协议和技术的开发感兴趣。这涉及到决策文件、数字化过程的可靠性和准确性以及由此产生的数据集。有意识的人工制品数字化感兴趣的人工制品的集合是V & A的大规模复制品的集合。这是因为这些藏品面临着挑战，包括i）由于其规模和访问难度，它们的数字化; ii）有效地使用由此产生的数据集进行研究和保护。V & A的大规模复制品主要通过铸造生产，铸造在19世纪被广泛使用作为传播艺术品的一种手段。世纪。一个显著的例子是在V & A标志性的图拉真圆柱的演员阵容。原来的圆柱自公元113年建成以来一直矗立在罗马的图拉真广场。30米高的圆柱讲述了公元101 - 106年图拉真在达契亚（现代罗马尼亚）的战役。目前的了解表明，V & A的演员阵容是根据1862年拿破仑三世委托制作的另一份副本制作的。自1873年在V & A安装以来，铸件一直暴露在Cast Courts画廊的环境条件下。因此，嵌板的金属固定件和电枢出现了大面积腐蚀，导致嵌板前表面的材料不断中断和流失。该项目的目的是整合先进的数字化技术和标准，以支持V & A大型建筑复制品收藏的保护。这将通过以下方式实现：i）开发将先进的成像和可视化技术纳入收藏文献的方法; ii）记录在创建复制品和数据集时所做决定的证据; iii）考虑到数据集的固有局限性，开发有助于人工制品解释和可视化的质量指标。该研究将使用图拉真圆柱模型来探索上述问题，并提高对其制造及其状况的理解，包括多年来由于环境条件而导致的人工制品形状的变化。有趣的是，欧洲各地有不同的图拉真圆柱复制品，可以进行比较，以支持交叉研究和对其保护状况的了解。

Advanced digitisation techniques allow the recording of the shape as well as other optical and physical properties of artefacts to a degree of accuracy. As such, techniques such as 3D scanning, photogrammetry, X-rays and Reflectance Transformation Imaging (RTI) enable new ways to document artefacts and their conditions. Previous studies indicate that these techniques often result in datasets in which the digitisation method and its limitations are not well documented. In addition, the organisational needs which prompted the digitisation and the impact of those needs on decisions made during digitisation and the processing of the outputs are often missing. This poses problems for the interpretation of the datasets, including their reliability and accuracy. These issues are of major significance to both the scholar or conservator as they support the assessment and interpretation of recorded features and changes.The Victoria and Albert museum (V&A) intends to incorporate digitisation techniques into its enhanced offering of information about its collections. As such, there is an interest in the development of protocols and techniques which support the conscious digitisation of artefacts. This involves the documentation of decisions, reliability and accuracy of the digitisation process and resulting datasets. A collection of artefacts which is of interest to the conscious digitisation of artefacts is the V&A's collection of large scale reproductions. This is because the collection present challenges including i) their digitisation, due to their scale and difficulty of access; and ii) effectively using the resulting dataset for their study and conservation.Large scale reproductions at the V&A are mostly produced by casting which was extensively used in the 19th century as a means to disseminate artworks. A remarkable example is the cast of the iconic Trajan's column at the V&A. The original column has stood in the Trajan's Forum, Rome, since its creation in A.D. 113. The 30m high column tells the story of Trajan's campaigns in Dacia (modern Romania) between AD 101-106. Current understanding suggests that the V&A cast was created from another copy commissioned by Napoleon III in 1862. Since its installation at the V&A in 1873, the cast has been exposed to the environmental conditions within the Cast Courts gallery. As a result, panels present extensive corrosion of metal fixings and armatures causing on-going disruption and loss of material from the front surfaces of the panels.The aim of this project is to integrate advanced digitisation techniques and standards to support the conservation of the V&A's collection of large scale architectural reproductions. This will be achieved by i) developing methods to incorporate advanced imaging and visualisation techniques into the documentation of the collection; ii) documenting evidence of decisions made in the creation of reproductions and datasets; and iii) developing quality indicators that assist the interpretation and visualisation of the artefact under consideration of the dataset's inherent limitations. The research will use the Trajan Column cast to explore the issues mentioned above and to improve the understanding of its manufacturing and its condition including changes in the shape of the artefact due to environmental conditions over the years. Of interest is the fact that there are different reproductions across Europe of the Trajan Column which can potentially be compared to support their cross-study and the understanding of their state of conservation.