Between push of Technology and Pull of the Market: Recollections on the Transition of Photo Archives From Analogue to Digital

Abstract The creation of photographic archives that specialised in reproductions of art and architecture began soon after the announcements in early 1839 of the first photographic processes, the daguerreotype and the photogenic drawing. These resources were built by public institutions and by private individuals. The format of photographic print storage types evolved from portfolios to book-form Solander boxes. From the 1980s on, analogue electronic and digital technologies began to offer potential solutions to the creation of digital photographic archives. Text-based projects initially began the journey. European Commission sponsored research projects and other initiatives, built the momentum. The technological capabilities of digital input, storage, and display devices and the associated logistical and financial barriers were progressively addressed, and in 2024 rich digital image resources for the teaching and research of art and architectural history now exists.