Digital Preservation and Access in the Casasola Studio Photograph Collection

Alfonso Casasola was a member of a famous family of Mexican photographers who established a studio in El Paso in the 1920s. The images from his studio in the Casasola Studio Photograph Collection at the C. L. Sonnichsen Special Collections Department at the University of Texas at El Paso provide rich insight into El Paso area cultural history. This project focuses on digitizing large format photographic negatives, performing preservation tasks, providing metadata description, and depositing these objects in UTEP's CONTENTdm repository. Care is taken to use a consistent means of processing a sample of these materials using institutional procedures, and update existing documentation in consultation with project stakeholders. Digitization and online access will increase awareness and use of this collection for research, teaching, and community-building purposes. In total, approximately 150 images will be made newly available online.