A system approach to the management of photographs and other information sources within the conservation field

A perspective is presented where images, as technical registrations, fulfil important functions within documentation processes in the conservation field. Conservation is here defined in a broader sense according to modern principles, compared to what is traditionally conceptualised, thus enabling identification of complex problems on an operational level. The increased complexity facing the operational functions puts demands on scholarly-scientific modelling, where the development and establishment of Conservation Information Management System (CIMS) has a strategic role in improving functions on an operational level. A general model based on the use of photogrammetry is presented, where a system approach is used to describe the contextual setting of the documentation process in conservation, based on a regional real-world-perspective of operational functions in order to enable an interface between the diverse aspects of, and sectors in, the conservation field. The documentation of a Viking ship, found in the 1930s, is presented as a case study to demonstrate the system.