What is the Illuminating the Past project?
Illuminating the Past is an effort to share Multispectral Imaging, a non-destructive cultural discovery process, beyond the traditional elite academic setting. Initially designed as a Summer Institute for participants from a wide range of fields and academic levels, Illuminating the Past had to shift gears in response to federal funding changes in the spring of 2025. Illuminating the Past is now an online project, freely sharing the basics of the in-person institute with any and all persons interested in learning the processes of discovering untold stories in cultural artifacts.
The primary goal of the Illuminating the Past project is to distribute a new, more affordable Multispectral Imaging (MSI) process to anyone curious about what may be missing from our recorded history. Developed in 2024 by Dr. Helen Davies, this new MSI process uses a modified point-and-shoot camera and open-source software to capture and process images beyond the visible spectrum. By capturing images at different wavelengths, investigators can non-destructively peel back the layers of history with the finesse of a skilled conservator to reveal hidden texts, lost artworks, and the subtle nuances of color and form that have faded over time. Dr. Davies’ technique, the Ghost Camera, is significantly more affordable and portable than past MSI techniques, allowing citizen scholars the freedom to image and recover a wide variety of materials from archives and communities that represent their own interests and perspectives. Recent experiments show the Ghost Camera works to recover materials on parchment, paper, and even ceramics.
It is our hope that broadly sharing the Ghost Camera and the components of an ethical humanistic imaging project will embolden interested individuals to take MSI into new spaces, allowing for the recovery of lost information, texts, and records of humanity. We believe that our collective cultural narrative is enriched when curious citizens are given the knowledge and tools to contribute meaningfully to the historical archive, so that future generations can treat these histories with the reverence they deserve.
Ready to start your own Ghost Camera project?
This website will walk you through how to plan, implement, and share your own cultural imaging and preservation project with a Ghost Camera. Here is what you will learn in each section:
- Understanding MSI: A brief introduction to using Multispectral Imaging for cultural discovery and lost material recovery and the significance of a more readily available version.
- Working with Artifacts: What types of materials can I investigate with a Ghost Camera and how do I approach and handle them with care and respect?
- Using the Ghost Camera: How to locate, set up, and use the correct kind of point and shoot camera to be a Ghost Camera. This section also includes instructions for image processing.
- Managing an MSI Project: This section details the lifecycle of an imaging project from planning and collaborating to implementation and ultimate analysis and dissemination.
Illuminating the Past is managed by Dr. Helen Davies, Assistant Prof. Larry Eames, and Evangela Dudeck. Contact the Center for Research Frontiers in the Digital Humanities with questions.