Research project B2/191/P2/SURA (Research action B2)
Under the impetus of a recent and growing interest within the international Egyptological community in the history of its own discipline, many institutions have recently made considerable investments to disclose historical photographic archival collections by digitisation efforts. SURA aims to position itself within these current international research efforts to disclose a hidden collection of ca. 7000 photographic glass plate negatives that is kept in the Egyptological library of the Royal Museums of Art and History (RMAH) in Brussels.
These photos date to the first half of the 20th century and document the pioneering years of Egyptology in Belgium from the perspective of Jean Capart and his collaborators. Capart was the founding father of Belgian Egyptology, the first curator of the Egyptian department of the RMAH and initiated the first Belgian excavations in Egypt. He created an extensive network with Egyptologists abroad and succeeded to put Brussels firmly on the map as a globally known centre of Egyptology.
The archaeological sites where the RMAH excavated, and from which objects entered into the museum’s collection, are featured among these glass negatives. However, the collection is broader than this and also contains photographs of sites in Egypt where other international teams were working, of objects in various museum collections worldwide, and of the local Egyptian landscape, flora, and population.
Despite this collection being an extremely rich source of documentation and information, its existence and content is almost completely unknown to both the scientific community and the public at large. The most important reason for this is undoubtedly the absence of an online searchable database and the lack of descriptive metadata. The SURA project addresses the stalemate with regard to the access to this collection of glass plate negatives through an interdisciplinary approach that ties together Egyptology, digital imaging, archival studies and digital humanities. Its principal aim is to make this highly valuable historical collection available to the international scientific community as well as to the general public, and to valorise its importance. In order to do so, four research objectives are defined:
1) Detailed and high quality metadata
This objective aims at a critical revision of the available metadata of each individual photo while at the same time augmenting them with as much additional detailed information as possible, both with regard to the content of the photo as to its photographic framework. Special attention will also be given to information that places these photos in a broader context. For this purpose, bibliographical references to key publications with regard to the depicted subject matter will be recorded as well as references to relevant sources from the RMAH’s archives. Cross-links to objects in the RMAH’s online museum catalogue will also be integrated as well as to online catalogues of other museums when applicable. This type of information will significantly enrich the metadata and enhances the scientific potential of this collection for Egyptological, archaeological or historical research.
2) Online database
Together with their respective metadata, the digitised images will be catalogued in the RMAH’s central collections management system (MuseumPlus-RIA/Carmentis). This provides the best and most effective way to properly present this collection in its entirety, keep it up-to-date in an easy and rapid way, maximise its visibility, exploit its scientific value, stimulate and create new collaborative research, and ultimately ensure its future.
3) Preservation and collection care
In order to preserve this collection for future generations, the physical housing of the glass plates will also be addressed. As some glass plates are already showing traces of chemical and biological degradation, a long term preservation plan will be developed, including the repacking in acid-free cases and individual envelopes, and optimising the protective environment in which these glass plates are stored.
4) Scientific exploitation and collaborative research
The scientific potential of this photographic archive will be mined, both for the study of the Egyptian collection at the RMAH and its history, as well as for other national and international research institutes. The SURA project will actively search for new collaborative research opportunities nationwide and globally, not only with other similar online research platforms and databases in order to mutually expand their scientific potential, but also with individual researchers, research consortia or institutions that could have a potential interest in the content of these glass plate negatives.
Apart from its obvious impact on academia, SURA also pursues valorisation activities that are specifically aimed at engaging the general public. The composition of the network, which brings together two complementary partners from the world of museology (RMAH) and of academia (KU Leuven) ensures that both types of valorisation will be addressed. Since SURA is the first project within the RMAH to disclose a historical collection of glass plate negatives in this way, it can serve as a best practice for similar projects in the future.
Unlocking the Photographic Archives of the Pioneering Years of Egyptology at the Royal Museums of Art and History in Brussels (SURA) : final report
Claes, Wouter - De Meyer, Marleen - Gräzer Ohara, Aude ... et al Brussels : Belgian Science policy, 2023 (SP3249)
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Unlocking the Photographic Archives of the Pioneering Years of Egyptology at the Royal Museums of Art and History in Brussels (SURA) : summary
Claes, Wouter - De Meyer, Marleen - Gräzer Ohara, Aude ... et al Brussels : Belgian Science policy, 2023 (SP3250)
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Unlocking the Photographic Archives of the Pioneering Years of Egyptology at the Royal Museums of Art and History in Brussels (SURA) : samenvatting
Claes, Wouter - De Meyer, Marleen - Gräzer Ohara, Aude ... et al Brussel : Federaal wetenschapsbeleid, 2023 (SP3251)
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Unlocking the Photographic Archives of the Pioneering Years of Egyptology at the Royal Museums of Art and History in Brussels (SURA) : résumé
Claes, Wouter - De Meyer, Marleen - Gräzer Ohara, Aude ... et al Bruxelles : Politique scientifique fédérale, 2023 (SP3252)
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