ART

PHOTO
SUPER
Rare Book
Photography
An Introduction
photo+design / Academic Technologies / ITS / Yale University
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Rare Book Photography: An Introduction
Text by Bryn Savage. Photography by Bill Sacco.
©Yale University 2011

Libraries’ special collections contain a huge variety of materials including printed works
(such as books, magazines, posters and ephemera) and manuscripts (such as letters,
diaries, drawings and bound manuscript books) as well as three-dimensional artifacts (for
example, scientific equipment, sculptures or keepsakes). These items might be new, as in
the case of contemporary artists’ books, or hundreds of years old (Fig. 1).

This introduction to photographing libraries’ special collections addresses the

handling of conventional books and other works on paper or parchment (prepared
animal skin). There are two competing aims when photographing special collections:
1) getting the best, most complete image and 2) preserving the object.
The Best Image: Special collections materials are unique in that we are not only
reproducing the words and pictures they contain, but also trying to capture the
essence of the entire work — the color of the pages, the spacing of the letters,
the margins as well as the size and the texture of the pages. In this way, they have
more in common with museum collections than with other books we photograph
(Fig. 2). The basic idea when photographing special collections is to capture and
retain as much information at every step as humanly and technologically possible.

Figure 2. Special collections materials are similar to museum artifacts. Figure 1. Special collections photography is about more than just reproducing text.

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 Preservation: Photography is an essential tool, but it is also a surprisingly in-
vasive process, which can put serious demands on a book or other fragile item.
Special collections objects are often rare, perhaps even the only copy on earth.
Sometimes this will not be obvious, when the objects are not very old or do
not look ‘special’; nonetheless, we have to use different methods than we do for
everyday books (Fig. 3).

The following guidelines are designed to prevent damage to special collections by

using the gentlest methods while creating the highest quality images we can.

***

Figure 3. Mechanized image capture can be too strenuous for special collections.

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Best Practices: Handling Materials

As photographers, we want to make the best possible image, but the fragility and
uniqueness of special collections limit what we can do. These guidelines explain the
physical limitations of the materials and how to deal with them.

Gloves or Bare Hands

It seems strange, but usually it is better to touch these works with clean bare hands
rather than with gloves. Gloves make a person clumsier and more likely to drop or
tear a document. In addition, gloves usually do not get washed as frequently as your
hands – that grime adds up and can damage a book, which is only seen years later
(Fig. 4). The same goes for grime on hands, so make sure to wash them and avoid
hand cream, nail polish and the like when photographing special collections.

Gloves should only be worn if:

1. the gloves are pristine and
2. there is a sweat issue (that is, if you are holding the book in one spot for an
hour, then you’ll want to put a layer between you and it). Still, do not wear a Figure 4. Notice how much grime has been picked up during normal use by the glove on the
glove on the hand you are using to turn pages (Figs. 5, 6). right.

Figure 5. Gloves should not be worn to turn pages. Figure 6. Hold a book with a glove, but turn the page with your bare fingers.

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 3. you must touch especially delicate surfaces such as photographs, negatives,
hand coloring or any material applied to the surface of the paper. Do every-
thing you can to avoid touching these surfaces at all, but if you must touch
them, wear gloves (Figs. 7, 8).

Figure 7. During production, pigments and other materials are applied to the paper or parchment
to create images. Since they rest on the surface, images are especially vulnerable to damage.

Turning Pages
Turn the page at the outer corner (Fig. 9). This is least likely to cause a tear. The
worst choice is turning from the bottom or top of the page near the gutter or spine
binding, which can easily cause a tear (Fig. 10). When you turn a page, support the
weight of the page with your hand and slowly turn the page over. Do not use only
the corner to support the weight of the turning page. If the paper is brittle, turning
incorrectly can break or fracture the pages (Fig. 11). Figure 8.

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Figure 9. Correct page turning: hold an outer corner and support the rest of the page if
necessary.

Figure 11. Pages often crack when turned incorrectly, especially if the paper is not acid-free;
most paper made during the 19th and 20th centuries is not acid-free.

Figure 10. Do not grasp the page near the spine to turn it. This is almost guaranteed to result in
damage.

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Supporting the Book
Unbound materials (such as postcards or posters) are simple —place them flat on
the copy stand, supporting the entire sheet with your hands as you move it, rather
than picking it up at just one point (Fig. 12). If the item is enclosed in a protective
Mylar envelope, it is probably for a good reason, so try to shoot through the sleeve
rather than removing the object (Fig. 13). This will work in most cases. Do not stand
flat paper objects up to shoot.

Figure 12. Shooting an unbound flat item on copy stand. Figure 13. Shooting through Mylar.

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Bound materials are more complicated and may require a compromise on image
quality, as you are unlikely to get the page to lie truly flat (Figs. 14, 15). When
photographing bound objects, it is important to support them well. When a person
holds a book in his or her hands, it is impossible to apply even pressure from top
to bottom; the pressure is localized around the hands, which causes the binding to
weaken or even tear away from the pages (Fig. 16). Instead, we use special supports
called foams or book cradles, like researchers in a rare book reading room (Fig. 17). You
will need to adjust the size and angle of book cradles to suit each volume. Foams
are important because books are held together by some agent of force, usually a
structure of threads sewn through the pages along with glue. Binding structures
differ from volume to volume; some volumes are bound tightly and only open a
few degrees, while others open without difficulty. Regardless of whether the item is
bound or flat, be careful not to drag it across any surface (such as a tabletop) as you
move it into position. Instead, lift gently to reposition the item.

***
Figure 14. Bound objects like this thick book are more difficult to capture.

Figure 15. Text often curves into the spine of bound objects. Figure 16. Pressure on the spine is localized around the hands.

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Opening the Book
The further you open the book, the more strain you put on the object as a whole,
which is why the angle of opening is critical (Fig. 18). Every book will have its own
unique safe angle of opening; pushing a book beyond its safe angle can break the
binding structure of the spine, literally breaking the book in two (Fig. 19). When you
set up a volume for shooting, do not put pressure on the binding or force it open
wider than its natural safe angle, just let it stop where it wants and get the best image
you can from that. This can be frustrating, as the safe angle of a book is often nar-
rower than what it takes to get a perfect image, particularly when the text runs into
the “gutter” of a tightly bound book. If you are having trouble getting the image
you need because of a tight binding, talk to the librarian or curator, who can help
you decide how to proceed (Fig. 20).

***

Figure 17. Book cradle (foams).

Figure 18. Each volume has a unique natural angle of opening. Figure 19. This book’s spine has been cracked.

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Folding and Unfolding Things
Folds are dangerous territory. They are the most fragile element of the object and
most likely to tear or shatter off, leaving you in an embarrassing situation (Fig. 21).
For that reason, exercise extreme caution! Obviously, never fold anything not already
folded. Beyond that, only fold or unfold things in the direction they are meant to go
and only as far as designed (e.g. if a book has a flap on its cover, do not fold it back
on itself to get it out of the way; look for a workaround, Fig. 22.) Because foldouts
usually become larger than the object itself, you should use four-ply mat board to
support the foldout when needed (Fig. 23). Dealing with foldouts in a tightly bound
book is an extra challenge—you will need both hands to deal with the foldout, so be
sure to weigh down the sides of the book before starting (Fig 24).

Figure 20. Consulting the curator.

Figure 22. Cover flaps are a type of foldout that complicates any project, as they must be
supported for the duration of image capture.

Figure 21. Tabs, a common form of foldout, are hard to handle because they are so small.

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Figure 23. Mat board supports this large foldout map. Figure 24. Support and secure the book before weighing down the foldout.

Weights
We put many new books under glass on the copy stand, but you should not place a
sheet of glass on special collections materials unless you have the explicit permis-
sion of the collection curator (Fig. 25). Ask them to give you detailed instructions
for that particular item, as the book’s surfaces might be damaged by pressure or
friction (Fig. 26).
Glass also strains the binding, so instead we use a book snake, which is a fabric tube
filled with rice or sand, or a strip of conservation tape (trade names: Mylar D &
Melinex), which are made of inert plastic (Figs. 27, 28).

Figure 25. Do not use a glass-topped box with your copy stand for special collections materials.

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Figure 26. Pigments rest on the surface of this document. Figure 27. A book snake.

Figure 28. Conservation tape.

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Bookmarks
Avoid putting bookmarks in the book if possible; write down the page number or
signature mark instead (Fig. 29). If the book does not have page numbers, signatures
or other identifiers, as in the case of some manuscripts, use a fresh piece of acid-
free archival paper as a bookmark. It is important that the bookmark be acid-free to
ensure the long-term preservation of the book (Fig. 30).

***

Figure 30. Use only acid-free book marks.

Figure 29. This page has both a page number (top) and signature (bottom).

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Ephemera
We often find other objects such as notes, scraps of paper, hair or pressed flowers
in these books (Figs. 31, 32). The most important thing to remember is that they
are not random junk. Researchers who read the books we digitize need to be able to
evaluate these materials just like they read the pages, as they could provide crucial
information to specialists in the field (Fig. 33). For example, researchers may want to
test hairs to learn more about the people who made or used the book, or to analyze
the dust to find out where it has been kept in the past. It is important that if you
move these items out of the volume during photography, you return them to the
exact same spot. That said, if you find something that appears to be damaging to
the book, let the librarian or curator know so that they can decide what to do about
it (Fig. 34).

Figure 32. Hair and dust have gathered in the gutter of this volume.

Figure 33. All aspects of the physical book, including ephemera, could be a clue for a researcher.

Figure 31. A fern was pressed between the leaves of this notebook.

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Breaks
If you take a break during a special collections photography session, let the book
take a break, too; remove it from the cradle and put it back on the shelf so that it
isn’t left open under the lights. This is especially crucial for objects made of parch-
ment, and those with images or ephemera.

***

Figure 34. Unusual damage that might require a curator’s attention.

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Best Practices: Technical Issues

As mentioned in the overview, one of the biggest issues in photographing

special collections materials is how to record all the information contained in a
book. Information loss can happen in a number of ways—for instance through
converting the image to a smaller size or to black and white or by discarding
materials found in the book (Figs. 35, 36).

Just as the field of digitization is and has been rapidly evolving over the last fifteen
years, best practices for the technology of digitization have been evolving as well.
The Digital Coffee Group at Yale has put together an extensive set of best practices
for still images, which can be accessed here:

www.yale.edu/digitalcoffee/downloads/DigitalCoffee_
SharedPractices_%5Bv1.0%5D.pdf

In the following pages, I will offer just a few basic guidelines.

Figure 35. Detail is lost in conversion to smaller file sizes.

Figure 36. Color can be an important clue to when, where and how an object was made.

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Distortion
Use the longest focal length practical to minimize visual distortion of the page
(Fig. 37). Be careful to ensure that your camera and the page are perfectly aligned.
You will want the camera to be aimed perpendicular to the page being shot. It is also
important to keep the distance between the camera and the page constant. You will
need to adjust the height of the camera to compensate for the turning of the pages
as you move through bound volumes in order to keep the distance between lens and
page identical in each shot (Fig. 38).

Figure 37. Long focal length (left) vs. short focal length (right).

Figure 38. An adjustable copy stand makes it easier to keep the angle and distance of the
camera lens stable in relation to the object.

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Color & Cropping
Shoot in color. Get as close to actual color as possible. Color cards and gray scales,
although never perfectly accurate, can be a great help (Fig. 39). Make sure to include
the edges of the page.

Environmental Conditions
Light can cause irreversible damage to fragile special collections materials, so do
not leave them out in bright light, either environmental or studio lights, for longer
than necessary. Keep the temperature and humidity stable, especially for parchment
objects, which are “hydroscopic,” meaning that they absorb water from the air. This
can, in the worst cases, make it impossible to close a book at the end of a session.

Photoshop and Other Editing Tools

Should be used for color correction to the most natural image and to crop the image to
level. Although it can be maddening as a photographer to see flaws such as spots on the
page, resist the urge to Photoshop them out. The end users of your images are
researchers—these are not flaws to them but clues that might reveal something about
the book (Fig. 40).

Image Size
In a perfect world, you would always shoot the largest image to avoid subjecting
fragile and unique special collections materials to reshoots.

Figure 40. This stain appears to have been made by a long-ago reader’s cup.

Figure 39. A color card and gray scale.

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Best Practices: Working with the Client

Good photography of special collections requires thinking ahead to future uses.

Communicating Options to the Client

The essence of a successful special collections shoot is good, clear communica-
tion with the curator or librarian responsible for the materials (Fig. 41). As that is
the case, it’s a good idea to tell the client right up front that you will be contacting
them if preservation concerns come up during the photography process. If clients
understand that it’s all about treating the materials correctly, they will be receptive to
your questions.

Three topics should be discussed with the client before beginning a project:

Handling
Explain how you will be handling the materials and ask if the client knows of ad-
ditional difficulties that might come up during handling. For example, you might
say, “We usually use foams and weights while we photograph from above. Is there
anything unusual about these materials?” Ask especially about flash lighting and sup-
port for the materials. Since no two objects are alike, you should not be shy about
stopping to discuss options for setting up and shooting difficult ones with the client.
It is always better to ask questions than to push an object too far and damage it. The
client will appreciate your commitment to doing the job right.

***

Figure 41. Communication is key.

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Image Capture
Clients often are not aware of the options related to photographing their materials or
do not know the meaning of terms that are common knowledge in a photography
studio. For example, a client might not know the difference between a JPEG and a
TIFF (Fig. 42). This could lead to them ordering website-quality JPEGs today and
then realizing down the line that they need higher quality images for their digital
archive. Since our goal is to avoid damaging special collections materials by shooting
them more often than necessary, it is important to explain imaging options to clients
and recommend that they choose the largest size available. Smaller versions can always
be made from these “masters.”

Metadata
When we digitize special collections, we create content. To make sure that this
content can be found and used in the future, metadata must be attached to each file.
Imagine that each file is a printed photograph. Now imagine that we put each photo
in a numbered envelope. Finally, imagine thousands and thousands, even millions of
these envelopes in storage. Creating digital images without metadata is the same as
putting pictures into unmarked envelopes in a gigantic warehouse.

Metadata is essential, but often neglected, as it is time consuming to add and

requires some knowledge of the materials (Fig. 43). It is unrealistic to expect meta-
data to be added later, so we need to act as gatekeepers and help the clients plan it
into their workflow.

Figure 43. Metadata fields.

Figure 42. File type choices.

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Credits & Acknowledgments
Photo+Design would like to thank the following people, who generously vetted our guide:
Sarah McGlynn, Preservation and Collections Management Librarian of the Medical Historical
Library at the Cushing/Whitney Medical Library of Yale University
Mike Widener, Rare Book Libarian of the Yale Law Library’s Paskus-Danziger Rare Book Room
Laura O’Brien Miller, Conservator at the Lewis Walpole Library of Yale University
Chris Edwards, Digital Studio Production Manager of the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript
Library at Yale University.
Our thanks for permission to use the images in the guide are owed to the Law and Medical Libraries.
We are very grateful for the assistance we received in locating and photographing appropriate illustra-
tions from Mike Widener, Sarah McGlynn, Janene Batten (Interim Director of the Medical Historical
Library) and Florence Gillich (Historical Medical Library Assistant).
The author wishes to extend her personal thanks to Ray Aldrete, Bill Sacco and Mark Saba. Ray’s
vision, support and direction led to the production this document, while Bill’s photographs and Mark’s
graphic design have made this document not only useful, but also beautiful. The author is a doctoral
candidate in German literature at Yale University, writing her dissertation on 18th-century poetry
anthologies. She is also a former curatorial assistant at Yale’s Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library
and co-founder of the Yale Working Group in Book History.

Copyright & Permissions Notice

All components of this training guide are copyright Yale University 2011. Yale encourages dissemination
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guide or any of its components are asked to inform us by e-mail at photo.design@yale.edu.

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