This digital approach is important for a range of reasons including preservation, education and importantly accessibility; where once researchers and the public would need to come in person and could only see what was on display in the museum, virtual technology allows access to a wider range of objects and examining these objects can be done remotely.
These digital representations can be manipulated in much the same way as a physical object and are an important snapshot of the artefacts life, which we find whets the appetite and encourages people to come and visit the Garstang in person.
Preserving heritage, increasing access
Our online reference libraries of artefacts serve many purposes to different people. They are an interactive experience for the public; an educational resource for students and schools; and a research database for enthusiasts and academics. Should anything happen they will hopefully survive into the future in a digital form (an important consideration with the fires in the National Museum of Brazil in Rio de Janeiro and also those in the cathedral of Notre-Dame).
Looking to the future, the Garstang and the photogrammetry team are pioneering digital virtual loans among museums and virtual 3D teaching innovations. With the use of augmented reality apps (think Pokemon Go!) we’re bringing objects to our exhibits that otherwise wouldn’t be possible and sending out our objects and projects around the world. This in turn promotes a widespread understanding of photogrammetry, as well as the artefacts and their place of origin.