Digital analysis of early color photographs taken using regular color screen processes

Abstract

Some early color photographic processes based on special color screen filters pose specific challenges in their digitization and digital presentation. Those challenges include dynamic range, resolution, and the difficulty of stitching geometrically-repeating patterns. We describe a novel method used to digitize the collection of early color photographs at the National Geographic Society which makes use of a custom open-source software tool to analyze and precisely stitch regular color screen processes.