Scanning Technology Preserving Monuments at Risk

Jascin N. Leonardo Finger • January 4, 2016

I came across this on the front “page” of the New York Times online the other day. It caught my eye as this is a technology that Preservation Institute Nantucket has been using for a few years and which the MMA has benefited from. We have had all of our historic buildings scanned for preservation purposes. The scanning not only documents a building in exact detail, it also allows us to use such documentation for restoration and conservation purposes as well as maintenance. We can track the building over time to note any changes for future generations and also if something happens to the building we quite simply have a record. The scans are actual photographic images. Unfortunately, we are fast losing a large range of monuments, sculptures, buildings, etc. in territories that are under siege where certain groups see these historic sites as threats to their so-called power. Fortunately, we can document some of them before they are lost though it will not be the same. Kudos to the World Monument Fund/UNESCO/UN and the people who are on the ground doing this work so that future generations can at least know what these monuments looked like and where they were located – continuing to learn about the past and how it shapes the future. No one can take that away from us.


http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/12/28/arts/design/using-laser-scanners-to-preserve-antiquities-in-isiss-cross-hairs.html


JNLF

Recent Posts

October 1, 2026
“If you don’t look, you don’t see. You have to go and look.” -Edith Andrews
By Jascin N. Leonardo Finger • October 1, 2026
10mo 1, 1847. {October 1, 1847} This evening at half past ten Maria discovered a telescopic comet five degrees above Polaris. Persuaded that no nebulae could occupy that position unnoticed it scarcely needed the evidence of motion to give it the character of a comet. From the journals of William Mitchell, father of Maria. One hundred and seventy-nine years later! JNLF
September 30, 2026
The Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association (MMA) announces that its annual Aquarium Release Day will take place on Saturday, October 10, 2026 from 10am - 12pm at the MMA Aquarium at 32 Washington Street. A sensory-friendly half hour will be offered from 9:30 – 10am. Join MMA staff to help the staff release this season’s Aquarium inhabitants back into the ocean. This community event is FREE to the public and a great opportunity to learn and celebrate the marine life that lives in the waters of Nantucket Island. The MMA Aquarium is dedicated to educating the public on the importance of biodiversity in our unique marine ecosystems found here on Nantucket. Each summer, the MMA Aquarium Manager, Chelsea Petrik, as well as her team of dedicated college interns and volunteers, explore the shores of Nantucket to find and document an assortment of over 7,500 individual marine animals, most of which are recorded and released. They snorkel, seine, and beachcomb to collect over 300 different marine animals. The animals are studied and cared for at the Aquarium so that the MMA can help people to learn more about these important marine organisms. Roughly seventy different species are featured at the Aquarium throughout the season. Local fishermen also provide the Aquarium with species they come across in their nets and at the end of their lines. Pre-registration is encouraged. Register at the link below: https://112458a.blackbaudhosting.com/112458a/2025-Aquarium-Release-Day-10Oct2026 The Maria Mitchell Association is a private non-profit organization. Founded in 1902, the MMA works to preserve the legacy of Nantucket native astronomer, naturalist, librarian, and educator, Maria Mitchell. The Maria Mitchell Association operates two observatories, a natural science museum, an aquarium, a research center, and preserves the historic birthplace of Maria Mitchell. A wide variety of science and history-related programming is offered throughout the year for people of all ages. ###
Show More