The digitalization of analogue stereo photographs and the creation of the digital stereo archive

This paper analyzes the problems arising from the remediation of the relief effect in the transition from analog to digital of stereo photography. One of the main problems in this conversion is the portability of the awe effect that constitutes an important part of the experience when viewing a stereo pair. This image conversion process, necessary to the creation and dissemination of digital files of 19th century stereoscopic photography, is not linear. The digital stereoscopic projection cards present a number of difficulties for a proper consistency reproduction of the relief effect. Through the study comparison of different viewing apparatus (both digital and analogue including 3D and VR) of a specific stereo image, we will present important results achieved with a sample of 134 participants that were exposed to these devices and propose a guideline manual for the digital stereo archive. For the developing of this work it has been crucial the research done by both authors for the Stereo Visual Culture project (supported by the FCT Foundation ref. PTDC / IVC-COM /5223/2012), the stereopsis analysis made with the research center HEI-Lab (Digital Human-Environment Interaction Lab) and through the particular case study based on the VR application developed for the recreation of XIX century Carlos Relvas’ studio, in exhibition at Museu Nacional de Arte Contemporânea do Chiado (Lisbon) from November 2018 until February 2019.