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National Trust for Historic Preservation | Digital Heritage Preservation Proposal

Introduction

This project represents an exciting opportunity to leverage modern technology in the preservation and promotion of our historic sites. By utilizing advanced 3D scanning and data processing techniques, we aim to create immersive and interactive digital replicas of historic sites, setting a new standard in digital preservation.
 

Background

For more than 70 years, the National Trust for Historic Preservation has led the movement to save America’s historic places. The Trust works to save America’s historic sites, tell the full American story, build stronger communities, and invest in preservation’s future. While the Trust has experimented with virtual tours, these instances lack the data-based features required for true digital historic preservation. Our approach focuses on capturing high-fidelity data through laser measurements (LiDAR) and high-resolution photos, resulting in a 3D space that can be navigated, measured, annotated, and easily shared with stakeholders.
 

Rationale and Justification

The digital preservation of historic sites is a crucial step towards safeguarding our cultural heritage. By conducting 3D space scans of the 27 properties owned by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, we can create accurate digital replicas of these sites. These digital models serve multiple purposes:
  1. Preservation: They provide a detailed record of the current state of the sites, invaluable in case of natural disasters, deterioration, or other forms of damage.
  2. Accessibility: Digital models allow these sites to be explored remotely, making them accessible to a global audience.
  3. Education: They serve as an engaging tool for education, allowing for interactive exploration of historic sites.
  4. Restoration: They can guide restoration efforts by providing a detailed reference.
  5. Collection Inventory: They can support the development of a collection inventory associated with a site if no prior record exists.
 

Project Overview

We propose to conduct comprehensive 3D space scans of all 27 properties. This will involve:
  1. Site Assessment: Initial consultation regarding each site to assess their specific needs and challenges.
  2. 3D Scanning: Using advanced 3D scanning technology to capture high-resolution data of each site.
  3. Data Processing: Converting the raw scan data into detailed 3D models.
  4. Quality Assurance: Rigorous checks to ensure the accuracy and quality of the 3D models.
  5. Digital Archiving: Securely storing the digital models for easy access and future use.

National Trust for Historic Preservation Site Profile
The National Trust for Historic Preservation owns and operates the following 27 sites. In terms of leveraging future-leaning digital preservation practices, The National Trust for Historic Preservation has experimented with Virtual Tours in the past, however, these instances do not possess the data-based features required for true digital historic preservation. These tours are publishing outputs of an authoring process which connects separate 360° photos into a an ‘interactive’ experience.  Other instances labeled ‘virtual tours’ are, in reality, flat, non-interactive, non-immersive webpages.
We propose to start with a pilot project on 1-3 of the properties to better estimate these factors. To inform choosing pilot properties, we consider the following factors:
  • Proximity: How close is the property to most of our technicians in the New York City area?
  • Accessibility: How accessible is the location in terms of hours open to the public throughout the year?
  • Size & Complexity: How many square feet is the property? How many rooms & floors does it have? Are the external grounds of the site important to document?
  • Connected Collections: Does the site have a collection of art and historical objects associated with it?
Top 15 sites organized by proximity to New York City:
1. Lower East Side Tenement Museum, New York, New York
2. Kykuit, Tarrytown, New York
3. Lyndhurst, Tarrytown, New York
4. The Glass House, New Canaan, Connecticut
5. African Meeting House and Abiel Smith School, Boston, Massachusetts
6. Chesterwood, Stockbridge, Massachusetts
7. African Meeting House and Seneca Boston-Florence Higginbotham House, Nantucket, Massachusetts
8. Touro Synagogue, Newport, Rhode Island
9. Cliveden, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
10. Decatur House, Washington, DC
11. President Lincoln's Cottage, Washington, DC
12. The President Woodrow Wilson House, Washington, DC
13. Woodlawn, Alexandria, Virginia
14. Pope-Leighey House, Alexandria, Virginia
15. Oatlands, Leesburg, Virginia

Endangered Sites List
Since 1988, the National Trust has used its list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places to raise awareness about the threats facing some of the nation’s greatest treasures. The list has identified more than 300 sites to date. Some of these may be candidates for more immediate digital heritage preservation.
 

Timeline and Budget

The timeline and budget for this project will depend on the specific requirements and challenges of each site. We propose to start with a pilot project on one of the properties to better estimate these factors.
 

Conclusion

This project represents an exciting opportunity to leverage modern technology in the preservation and promotion of our historic sites. We look forward to the possibility of working with the National Trust for Historic Preservation on this important initiative.



About MASK Consortium

MASK Consortium is a coalition of artists and institutions sharing knowledge. Its mission is to develop and promote a more complete understanding of human history and culture through the digital preservation of art and other cultural artifacts. MASK Consortium creates strategic partnerships with museums, universities, state and local governments, corporations, and individuals who share MASK’s goal of fostering connection through cultural preservation and access.

Virtual Tour Development
Virtual Tours transform your Space Scan Data into an Interactive asset for exploration. Once your spaces have been scanned, they need to be authored into an immersive touring experience that combines virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), video, pictures, text and sound to tell a story.

The Efficacy of Spatial Storytelling
  • Spatial Storytelling with guided tour provides a passive way for a guest to quickly get an overview of the space, artworks and the artist’s creative process.
  • The interactive, immersive environment enables a guest to navigate through the exhibition space at their own pace, and in whatever sequence feels right to them.
  • Statistically, users engage with immersive environments significantly longer than 2D presentations of visual information.
  • A virtual tour does not replace a true art lover’s desire to experience works in-person, however, it is more likely to stimulate someone who does not otherwise have access to visit the gallery.
  • Enhanced Promotional Capabilities: Your Marketing Department can leverage assets produced from the virtual tour to promote the exhibition in innovative, interactive ways.
    • Embedding the Virtual Tour directly on your website enables anyone to engage an immersive experience
    • Use Tour, and Tour Feature links in Social Media Campaigns on Instagram & Facebook
    • Guests can easily share views from the exhibition with friends via their social media
 

Work Examples

Bainbridge House, Princeton NJ: Detailed 3D scan and digital model creation.

Built in 1766, the Bainbridge House still stands tall as one of the historic treasures of the Princeton area. Job Stockton, the builder and original owner of the house, was one of the first settlers in Princeton. Bainbridge House also had a role to play in one of the few surviving narratives of the life of an enslaved person in Princeton—a man named Prime—and his successful battle for freedom. Absalom Bainbridge leased the house from the Stockton family and made it his primary home and medical office from 1774, during which time he owned Prime. Bainbridge left New Jersey and joined the Royalist cause as a surgeon for the British army, and his property, including Prime, was later confiscated by American officials. With the hope of gaining manumission, Prime joined the Revolutionary Army; he ultimately became one of three enslaved New Jersey men freed by act of the state legislature as a reward for military service during the Revolutionary War. During the 19th century, the house served as a dormitory for Princeton University students and later became the Princeton Public Library. Until recently, the Bainbridge House was the home for the Historical Society of Princeton but it is now an extended gallery of The Princeton University Art Museum.
  • Base Property Scan: MASK performed a 3D Space Scan after Bainbridge was renovated for its use as an art gallery and support offices.  This reference provides a contemporary baseline for the state of the property, and provides curators and artists with an immersive blank canvas to imagine their exhibition within.


  • Interactive 3D Model created from the 3D scan enables curators to plan exhibition layout, & lighting, and walkthrough the plan in Augmented Reality (AR)
  • Princeton University Art Museum Exhibition:  The museum leverages Virtual Exhibitions to increase accessibility and enhance marketing & promotion initiatives while the exhibition is open.  Afterwards, the virtual exhibitions provide an immersive archive to be leveraged by professors, students & the broader community.