DIGITAL REPRODUCTION OF HISTORICAL AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTS FOR PRESERVING A DETERIORATING ARCHIVE

Aerial photography from the 1920s and 1930s is a unique record of hist orical information used by government agencies, surveyors, consulting scientists and engineers, lawyers, and individuals for diverse purpose s. Unfortunately, the use of the historical aerial photographic prints has resulted in their becoming worn, lost, and faded. Few negatives e xist for the earliest photography. A pilot project demonstrated that h igh-quality, precision scanning of historical aerial photography is on appealing alternative to traditional methods for reproduction. Optimu m sampling rate varies from photograph to photograph, ranging between 31 and 42 mu m/pixel for the USDA photographs tested. Inclusion of an index, such as a photomosaic or gazetteer, and ability to view the ima gery promptly upon request are highly desirable.