Regional Digital Imaging Center – The Athenæum of Philadelphia

The Regional Digital Imaging Center (RDIC) at The Athenaeum of Philadelphia offers affordable scanning services in a museum setting. This environment allows for the safe handling and storage of original materials. Unlike commercial scanning operations, the staff of the Regional Digital Imaging Center has extensive experience handling rare, fragile, and historic documents and artwork. The RDIC operates by appointment only.

The mission of the Regional Digital Imaging Center is:

To support the preservation and access of the Athenaeum’s historic collections.
To enhance Athenaeum online projects, including the Philadelphia Architects and Buildings Project and the Greater Philadelphia GeoHistory Network.
To produce graphic design and content for Athenaeum publications and exhibitions.
To support the local museum, library and archival community by providing digital services in a museum setting.
To provide the local independent arts community with safe, reasonably-priced digitization and printing services in a museum setting.
To educate students and the public at large through its on-site work-study, and internship programs as well as participation in national and international conferences.

ADVANTAGES	SERVICES
CRUSE SCANNER	FEES
CLIENTS	CONTACT THE RDIC

Fascinating Facts About RDIC

The RDIC has scanned:

Several copies of the Declaration of Independence
An original copy of the Bill of Rights
The Treaty of Paris
A copy of the Emancipation Proclamation, signed by Abraham Lincoln
The witness book of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln
Papers of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Robert Morris and Benjamin Franklin
A Lunar Photograph
Surveys of ancient Egyptian tombs
Design drawing for the ENIAC computer
Date of oldest item scanned: Thomas Holme’s plan for the City of Philadelphia, 1683
Longest Item scanned: The Deed of Settlement of the Philadelphia Contributionship measured 44 ft. long by 1 ft. wide. Scanned in 23 passes and digitally stitched.
Largest item scanned: A 99 sq. ft. mural on three 3×11 ft. boards. Scanned in six passes and digitally stitched. The resulting file was 4 GB.
Total number of scans since 2004: Over 115,000