I have been thinking a lot about metadata and it's importance in today's digital world, especially for documenting and digitizing collections in cultural heritage institutions. It is no secret that archives, museums and special collections are my jam and I scour the internet for new and interesting collections that are being discovered in an old filing cabinets, someone's attic or an abandoned building.
Digitization of these collections allows open accessibly to these often fragile, one of a kind lots in a way that simply sticking them behind a display case or shoving them in the stacks doesn't. Once they are available on the web, these collections can be shared and used for a whole host of other purposes (think research, education, story-telling etc…). The problem is, often times these found, donated or purchased collections have no background information accompanying them. So what these cultural heritage repositories end up with is a bunch of stuff with no context. How is an indexer responsible for digitizing and creating the metadata supposed to successfully and efficiently complete their job without all of the information? Not everyone's grandmother wrote on the back of family photo's who was pictured, where the photo was taken or what event was taking place….
Enter the main point of my post today: I stumbled upon a metadata librarian's dream collection, complete with a fully documented account of the who, what, when, where, why of said collection:
Chronicles of an Affair with his Secretary, Found in an Abandoned Suitcase
If the name of the article alone didn't entice you enough to click on it, go ahead and check it out. I'll wait…
This collection is voyeuristic look into a steamy affair that took place in the 1960's and 70's between businessman, Günter K. and his secretary. It is completely preserved and includes over 100+ photos, hotel receipts, notes and letters all miticulously documented and dated, thanks to Günter and his strange obbsession. The metadata is basically wrapped up in a pretty pink silk package ready to be indexed!
While this collection is on display in an NYC art gallery, I don't think it will take long for someone to swipe this up and digitize it.
Digitization of these collections allows open accessibly to these often fragile, one of a kind lots in a way that simply sticking them behind a display case or shoving them in the stacks doesn't. Once they are available on the web, these collections can be shared and used for a whole host of other purposes (think research, education, story-telling etc…). The problem is, often times these found, donated or purchased collections have no background information accompanying them. So what these cultural heritage repositories end up with is a bunch of stuff with no context. How is an indexer responsible for digitizing and creating the metadata supposed to successfully and efficiently complete their job without all of the information? Not everyone's grandmother wrote on the back of family photo's who was pictured, where the photo was taken or what event was taking place….
Enter the main point of my post today: I stumbled upon a metadata librarian's dream collection, complete with a fully documented account of the who, what, when, where, why of said collection:
Chronicles of an Affair with his Secretary, Found in an Abandoned Suitcase
If the name of the article alone didn't entice you enough to click on it, go ahead and check it out. I'll wait…
This collection is voyeuristic look into a steamy affair that took place in the 1960's and 70's between businessman, Günter K. and his secretary. It is completely preserved and includes over 100+ photos, hotel receipts, notes and letters all miticulously documented and dated, thanks to Günter and his strange obbsession. The metadata is basically wrapped up in a pretty pink silk package ready to be indexed!
While this collection is on display in an NYC art gallery, I don't think it will take long for someone to swipe this up and digitize it.
LOL, where do you find this stuff??!!?? ;-)
ReplyDeleteIn a linked data world, what we describe in a digitized version of this documentary collection could also fill in the details of the history, by way of receipts, of hotels, restaurants, casinos, spas and the shopping of that period!
It's a good question information with little context can turn an image of a man you don't know into a treasure of an image of a grandfather you never met. Trying to piece together that information to make informational collections can be tough. This one is really special though!
ReplyDeleteThat is the weirdest thing I've seen. You win the internet for the week :)
ReplyDeleteI can't even take the time to mark a photo, let alone document every little detail. That'd drive me bonkers. I wonder if his family is embarrassed...
Okay, but I'm to look at this from a librarian's standpoint: that guy saved someone a lot of trouble (as you state) in trying to figure anything out. (off topic) I'm telling you personal DAMs are the way of the future
Wow. Just wow. I love stumbling across things like this. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDelete