360-degree digital imagery and online exhibition sites

In conjunction with the exhibition Between the Beads: Reading African Beadwork, on view through Summer 2009, the Harn Museum of the University of Florida developed a complementary online exhibition that features rotating 360 degree views of thirty-two of the objects in the exhibition.

As the UF Library's Arts of Africa page explains,

In selecting items for the Between the Beads exhibit of African Beadwork in 2008, the Harn Museum partnered with the University of Florida Digital Library Center. The Digital Library Center provided imaging support by photographing each object in high resolution and creating a digital package which would simulate museum viewing by allowing each object to be seen in the round (360 degrees). Each object can also be enlarged to show detail giving scholars, researchers and the public an experience not available in the museum setting; the ability to inspect even the smallest stitch or tiniest bead. These images are now freely available online to anyone with an Internet connection within this collection.

Beaded Coronet (orikogbofo), Yoruba People (2002.39) (Click on the link to watch the object rotate)

Objects presented in the exhibition are drawn from the Harn Museum‘s collection and private collections. Interpretive text for the exhibition, available throughout the gallery, was supplied in part by the students in Dr. Victoria Rovine’s Spring 2007 Clothing and Textiles in Africa class.

Comments

[LSW]

As a museum studies student (& library employee), I can say this is a fabulous project & resource to have. In addition to the 32 objects that are available in rotation there are also over 50 objects also available online from the exhibit. Although these do not rotate (since they are not meant to be seen in the round)they have the same zooming capacity as the rotational images. All the images of items from the exhibit (as well as some other items) are available at http://www.uflib.ufl.edu/ufdc/?s=artaf&m=hbhall. To see how the rotating images were created see http://www.uflib.ufl.edu/ufdc/?b=UF00090178&v=00001