Visual Resources Update November 2021

Having become a familiar sight in the hallway of 2-N Green Hall, the Department’s plaster casts inspired VR to begin a fun holiday project that touches on many of their daily activities. And since there is no better way to learn something than to do it, everyone decided to contribute to a process where images, permissions, and endless reproductions all meet. The subjects are the busts of Metrodorus and Pericles, and a chocolate form the final result, with the crucial intermediate steps of 3D printing and mold making. VR licensed (yes, this step is necessary!) image files from Flyover Zone, a creator of digital 3D models. Next, Yichin Chen, East Asian Cataloguer, brought the files to the StudioLab, a “creative technology space for all members of the Princeton University community,” where one can learn how to 3D print things oneself, or ask for help. Yichin chose 20% infill with an extra smooth surface and it took 13 hours to print one 10 cm-high model, with thrilling results! The next step is using food-safe silicone around the models to make molds of the busts. In December’s VR update we will describe the last step of the project: using the silicone molds to make chocolate models. Stay tuned.

Jacob Wheeler has been working on the finishing touches (custom javascript, css and html) for the new Sinai archive website, which will be publicly launched at the Byzantine Studies Conference on December 11th with our colleagues at the University of Michigan. This project has been actively developed since 2015 and we are excited to finally have the structure to include all the images at Michigan and Princeton together.

Three large commercial desiccant dehumidifiers have been installed in the Green Hall basement storage rooms to help maintain the proper environment for Department collections. This is a significant improvement over the conditions of the rooms in McCormick Hall, and will help in collection preservation.

Interesting projects, resources:

‘Art & The Country House’: Explore the collection and display of art in eight country houses around Britain (Paul Mellon Centre)

‘Ancient Olympia: Common Grounds’: a virtual tour of Olympia created by Microsoft and the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports.

We have shared Tropy (an open source image management software) before, and if you are not familiar they have a new “getting started” YouTube video out.

The Society of Antiquaries of London collections catalogue now includes their archives and object records: https://collections.sal.org.uk/home

Digital Exhibition (actually, many exhibitions!): Translation is Power from the larger ‘Early Modern Translation Cultures (1450-1800)’ project.