Photographing Large Artifacts

This 45-star American flag dates between 1896 and 1908 and reportedly flew at the US embassy in Rossland.

Have you ever wondered how we photograph our large artifacts?

This summer, our Collections Manager, Sara, has been slowly working her way through our flag collection and preparing them for rolled storage. This process involves cataloguing, condition reporting, and photographing each of the flags before they get rolled around mylar covered tubes. The flags in our collection range from 12" x 12" to 20' x 18', so this can be a bit of a daunting task at times... especially when it comes to photographing them!

For large flat objects such as our flags, we often make use of the open spaces in the JD McDonald Hall or the Entrance Gallery as they offer the most unencumbered floor space. The flags are laid out on top of coroplast or tables if it is one of our larger flags. Collections staff then use a ladder to get to the necessary height to take the photographs.

Transitioning the flag collection from boxed to rolled storage is part of our multi-year collections storage reorganization. The new storage method allows us to not only make better use of our storage spaces but helps us preserve the flags for generations to come.

We're going to be participating in #AskaCurator day on September 16th, so get your questions ready! Our Collections Manager will be available to answer your questions about our collection/exhibits and will even be highlighting some of the staff's favourite artifacts!