Cultural Heritage Imaging

10/13/2026

Mark Mudge and Carla Schroer will be at the 23rd Workshop on Graphics and Cultural Heritage (GCH) in Barcelona, Nov 2-4.

They are presenting a Short Paper titled "Mapping the Color and Surface Relief of a Diego Rivera Fresco". Plus, a Demo titled "2D Outputs from 3D Photogrammetric Data: A Demonstration of Five Case Studies".

Carla is a guest editor for the Journal on Computers and Cultural Heritage (JOCCH) special issue on Visual Heritage. Papers in the special issue will be presented at the conference. This journal and the conference proceedings are open access. So, stay tuned for links when they are out!

It's CHI's first time at GCH, so find us and say "hi" if you will be there.

10/01/2026

As Diego and Frida fans - we love these photos and this article from MoMA The Museum of Modern Art. We especially love this featured image from their first visit to the US (San Francisco Baby!) in 1930.

What happens when artists famous for their self-portraits are photographed by others?

09/17/2026

This is a re-post!

A digital exhibit exploring advanced imaging technology to enable new views and modes of engagement with Judean Pillar Figurines.

Judean Pillar Figurine Exhibit:
“Let There Be Light: Relighting and Recoloring Ancient Artifacts”

laurmcco.github.io/judeanpillarfigurineexhibit/

View Images, online RTIs and Photogrammetry - even listen to a podcast.

Author (scholar alert!) Dr. Lauren K. McCormick is a postdoctoral research associate at Princeton University’s Center for Culture, Society, and Religion. She has degrees from Rutgers University, New York University, Duke University, and Syracuse University.
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Collection Builder
collectionbuilder.github.io

08/26/2026

We trained the team at Butrint in Reflectance Transformation Imaging (RTI) in 2024, and we love to se that they are still using the technique for hard-to-read inscriptions on the site.

08/24/2026

At CHI, we love spirals - so this article from MoMA magazine caught our eye...

How did spirals set the art of Robert Smithson, Louise Bourgeois, and Marcel Duchamp in motion?

08/18/2026

August 16th marked the 24th anniversary of the founding of CHI. As we enter our 25th year, we took a moment to look forward and look back - check out our newsletter here: https://myemail.constantcontact.com/Starting-our-25th-year-with-gratitude.html?soid=1123547438413&aid=V_mvK4e09_Y

08/05/2026

What are those colored lines on Frida?

This image excerpt describes the digital conservation mapping for Diego Rivera’s monumental 1940 fresco, The Marriage of the Artistic Expression of the North and of the South on This Continent (commonly known as Pan American Unity).

The special conservation team, sponsored by SFMOMA, provided a condition information map showing issues present in the mural. This layer contains multi-colored graphics with each color indicating a different condition type. The team worked to simplify and prioritize all of the conservation data into a meaningful presentation for the general public. In consultation with CHI, the conservation team decided to show 4 types of condition information: powdering, cracks, flaking, and delamination. Different levels identified to show the degree of powdering and flaking were collapsed into a single representation for each category to simplify the presentation of condition issues.

View the Condition Map:
https://tinyurl.com/67xkxxs5

Important Image Credits!

Slide 01 (detail of Frida):
Diego Rivera, The Marriage of the Artistic Expression of the North and of the South on This Continent, also known as Pan American Unity, 1940, 6.7 meters tall by 22.47 meters wide (22 X 74 feet); courtesy City College of San Francisco; © 2020 Banco de México Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo Museums Trust, Mexico City / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York; Color and Shape Images - © Cultural Heritage Imaging; Giornata and Condition Maps - Courtesy of SFMOMA with special thanks to Site & Studio Conservation.

Slides 02, 03, 04:
Detail from Panel 1, Slide 02: condition information on the Color layer. Slide 03-04: DEM (Shape) of the same area with lines indicating condition map. Image: Cultural Heritage Imaging. Condition Map Courtesy of SFMOMA with special thanks to Site & Studio Conservation

08/03/2026

Exciting times in Mexico City! 🇲🇽

CHI’s Carla and Mark are currently attending IMAGO 2026: Imaging Techniques for Cultural Heritage – Murals. They’ve spent the week diving into advanced mural documentation, connecting with global peers, and taking in legendary artwork—including Diego Rivera’s iconic murals at the Palacio Nacional.

Having previously used photogrammetry to build accurate 3D digital surrogates of two Rivera murals in the US, we're thrilled to share our insights, learn cutting-edge techniques, and help shape the future of mural preservation.

Stay tuned as we bring these new possibilities back home to protect and share cultural heritage!