Topic: Cut Glass Motif categorisation - Collaborative experiment?

[Frank]

Hi Nancy,

I don't need to step on toes as I have enough material to keep me going for five years  working from reprinted catalogues does create a moral dilemma but also a quality issue. All the reprints I have seen are simply scans or photographs of the whole page and often reduced in size, quality is ignored. Working from originals I can separate each image and restore them to better than new, often the results are several thousand pixels wide/high and the final images in the GS are mostly 600 pixels, giving very good results. Those example thumbnails above show the potential. With larger versions ready for use in printed books.

The categorisation is a separate issue from the material and needs to be in place as soon as possible so that as material is added it can be categorised. Better than continually going back over things.

I will send you a temporary profile so that you can have a first hand look at the Glass Catalogue and see what is needed. I cannot see you email, so please mail me using my envelope icon on the left of this post.

As the sites develop other will take a more active approach in providing or adding their material - this has already been happening on a small scale. The whole point being that anyone can get involved in building these resources.

[krsilber]

Nancy is more qualified than I to help you with ABP, but maybe I could draw some of the motifs.  The question of categorization based on motif is difficult, though, since many patterns incorporate multiple motifs.  That's why I was asking earlier whether the database was searchable.  If keywords for each of the motifs in a pattern could be entered in a search engine it would be much more user-friendly than poring through categories (I'm sure you've thought of this!).

Could you send me a temporary profile as well?  I tried contacting you through the little envelope, but it didn't work.  I added my email address to my info on this board.

"Those example thumbnails above show the potential."  Are they meant to be clickable, to open to bigger images, or is that just a "small" sample?

"I would also suggest that if you go down the route of drawing the motifs (eeek!), to do it is a vector format."  (David E)  What is a vector format?

[Frank]

Hi,

I will do that. Perhaps you and Nancy would like to collaborate. It will involve some research as European names for the motifs will be needed to, but nothing heavy.

The use of motifs for categorisation means that one item will appear in as many categories as it needs to and yes, a description of the pattern motifs can also be added to each item and used for searches. But you will find that it is quicker to use categories in general. The more ways of relating the glass, the better and easier it will be for users to find a match. Of course catalogue engravings and actual objects can differ and eventually it will be useful to add images of pieces too, but that has a low priority.

I have a good Burrel & Tyrell catalogue from 1899, Glass & China wholesaler based in Chicago, none of the lots of American Cut Glass is identified so that will give you a lot of fun! I also have a 1920 Monongah catalogue with excellent images. Plus a few others I cannot remember. As a lot of these catalogues are engravings they are an ideal source for images of the motifs but no doubt some drawings would be needed too.

I will write to you both to go into this deeper.