
The Harvard Plate Stacks (HPS) Astronomical Photographic Glass Plate Collection comprises over 600,000 glass plate negatives. To support collection preservation and improve accessibility, HPS integrated an advanced imaging system to digitize astronomical features in the emulsion layer, as well as annotations made by pioneering Women Astronomical Computers in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. HPS installed a multispectral imaging system to capture high-quality images of astronomical features dating back to the 1880s, along with their historical annotation, to advance both astronomical and cultural heritage research. This digitization of glass plate negatives builds upon 20 years of advanced imaging methodologies and technologies, using the latest equipment and workflows. This includes new post-processing techniques, data management, and workflows across discipline boundaries by a collaborative team.
Michael B. Toth, Lisa H. Bravata, Thom Burns, Debora D. Mayer, Kayleigh MacDonald, "Integrating Advanced Imaging of Astronomical Glass Plates" in Archiving Conference, 2026, pp 30 - 35, https://doi.org/10.2352/issn.2168-3204.2026.23.1.7