Illuminating the Medieval and the Modern: A Brief History of Innovation and Collaboration at RIT

Many objects of interest in cultural heritage have been damaged, erased, or overwritten to the point where the original text is unreadable. Some contemporary materials, such as fax paper, have likewise degraded so that they appear as if printed with “invisible” ink. Fortunately, modern imaging tools can help to illuminate—literally and figuratively—these artifacts, enabling scholars to unveil information and more fully understand and interpret these objects.

This exhibition examines RIT’s interdisciplinary, collaborative work in cultural heritage imaging, preservation, and research. By identifying scholarship, application, and use cases undertaken by faculty, researchers, and students over the past thirty years, the exhibit draws attention to methods of cultural heritage object analysis and, in particular, highlights a low-cost, low barrier-to-entry multispectral imaging system created by the Chester F. Carlson Center for Imaging Science and the Museum Studies Program.

The objects on view in this online exhibit were examined using multispectral imaging and demonstrate a range of applications from the medieval to the modern. The onsite exhibition was held in the Fall 2023 at RIT in the Grid Gallery.

Virtual Exhibition formats: Matterport and ArcGIS (as well as WordPress)

Matterport exhibition: 3D view of gallery

ArcGIS StoryMap, about the exhibition
https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/f61c9c52ff844d358db8b864815c16b8

ArcGIS Storymap about MISHA: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/10997348f60741e9b2c0eada64ddd6e5

Medieval Matters Week at RIT: October 17-20th

Events related to courses: collaboration partners include the RIT Fantasy Club, WITR Radio Station, and faculty in museum studies and art history.

Enjoy our playlist, curated by WITR radio station at RIT.

Keynote by Dr. Will Noel, Princeton University, about Archimedes and Beyond, Weds. evening

Zoom link for Promiscuous Data panel discussion: Zoom Recording accessible here