Reflected Infrared and 3D Imaging for Object Documentation

Abstract

Imaging techniques inform the conservation, research, and understanding of museum collections. Two types of imaging techniques were examined in this study: infrared (IR) and three-dimensional (3D) imaging. Reflected IR imaging is well established as an investigative tool for conservation providing information about condition, materials, and manufacture beyond visible light documentation. Reflected IR imaging results in two-dimensional images, which are limited in how they represent 3D objects. Three-dimensional imaging techniques, such as white light scanning and photogrammetry, extend the possibilities of digitization by recording the geometry and texture of an object. Reflected IR imaging, photogrammetry, and white light scanning were used to document six objects from the Freud Museum and the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian. The present study provides examples of reflected IR imaging for enhanced detection of features of 3D cultural heritage objects; discusses the potential of integrating reflected IR and 3D imaging to more fully document features of 3D objects; and investigates two 3D imaging techniques, white light scanning and photogrammetry. The study assesses the two 3D imaging techniques, one more expensive and the other more accessible, to discover whether there is a significant difference in performance for the purpose of resolving the details recorded by reflected IR imaging.