Want to Know More About HABS Projects

[neil poulsen]

In another thread, someone mentioned HABS projects. I've done some reading about this at http://www.nps.gov/history/hdp and linked pages, and I have a few questions.

1) Is HABS still relevant. For example, documentation suggests that HABS projects required the use of Kodak Azo and a film Kodak no longer carry's.

2) Has anyone worked on a HABS project? If so, what's your perspective on HABS?

3) Are there grants around for this kind of work?

4) When does it apply? What are the benefits? Why would someone go and do one of these projects?

Any general information about habs would be appreciated.

[Louie Powell]

I believe that there is a presentation scheduled at the Large Format Conference on HABS/HAER.

Jett Lowe (the HAER photographer) spoke at the 2005 LF Conference in Springfield. Interesting 'war stories' about getting access to locations, etc. He didn't mention the Azo thing, but he did say that they still want 5x7 negatives, and that he uses Tri-X.

[tim atherton]

the guidlines are dated 2001 - some of those standards and requirments were out of date even then.


And the whole issue of AZO - I guess in 2001 you could still just about get it... but not "readily available".

And any discussion of a substitute just isn't considered - which you would think was important with all the longevity issues and potential problems that pertain to modern fibre based papers (i.e their supposed standard of 500 years is going to be hard to get with a modern paper...)

[steve simmons]

Jack Boucher and Jet Lowe, from HABS and HAER, will discuss their programs and their continued relevance at the View Camera conference in Louisville June 29-July 1.

If you have questions call or write

steve simmons
largformat@aol.com
505-899-8054

[jnantz]

hi neil

i have been submitting work to the habs project since about 1991.
usually the photographic documentation is part of a larger submission -
detailed report written a certain way ( see the habs website ).

the habs program does its best to document sites+structures
that have national significance - landmark ... last or best example of its kind,
associated with someone of national importance &C. if the "thing" is important
locally or on a state leval (not nationally) the states have their own habs-esque
program. sometimes they want large format, sometimes 35mm.


regarding film and paper ...
they like what they recommend, but
they accept other materials as well --
i have submitted on other film + paper ...


as for $$
humanities grants may help you, or grants
from places like the graham foundation, or local artists grants ...

good luck!
john


In another thread, someone mentioned HABS projects. I've done some reading about this at http://www.nps.gov/history/hdp and linked pages, and I have a few questions.

1) Is HABS still relevant. For example, documentation suggests that HABS projects required the use of Kodak Azo and a film Kodak no longer carry's.

2) Has anyone worked on a HABS project? If so, what's your perspective on HABS?

3) Are there grants around for this kind of work?

4) When does it apply? What are the benefits? Why would someone go and do one of these projects?

Any general information about habs would be apreciated.

[Robert Hughes]

Until 2 days ago I'd never heard of HABS/HAER, just figured it was one of those things that magically happened, like packaged chicken parts.

Looking at the nps.gov site I got the impression that many of the historic sites and reports were underdocumented from a photographic standpoint.Some of the reports use photocopies of pictures taken in the 1930's and before. Maybe LF Forum members can expand the collection. Here's a chance to photograph all the old cars and broken down barns you can find and be doing a valuable patriotic service at the same time!

First thing to do is to come up with an official HABS/LF Forum Photographer badge to flash at any unsuspecting cop or law enforcement nut, which states that you are doing work for the federal gov't and please go chase terrists somewhere else.;)

Seriously, this looks like a great opportunity for the enthusiast photographers among us. Thanks for the information.

[Rider]

I had a hard time figuring out basic things from the website. Do you submit without letting them ahead of time, or do you get approval first and then submit.



hi neil

i have been submitting work to the habs project since about 1991.
usually the photographic documentation is part of a larger submission -
detailed report written a certain way ( see the habs website ).

the habs program does its best to document sites+structures
that have national significance - landmark ... last or best example of its kind,
associated with someone of national importance &C. if the "thing" is important
locally or on a state leval (not nationally) the states have their own habs-esque
program. sometimes they want large format, sometimes 35mm.


regarding film and paper ...
they like what they recommend, but
they accept other materials as well --
i have submitted on other film + paper ...


as for $$
humanities grants may help you, or grants
from places like the graham foundation, or local artists grants ...

good luck!
john

[jnantz]

I had a hard time figuring out basic things from the website. Do you submit without letting them ahead of time, or do you get approval first and then submit.


i would suspect if you come up with certain subject matter,
you could get it "ok'd" by the folks at the habs office and they would be happy to accept your negatives and prints ...

good luck!
john

[Robert Hughes]

I just called up Richard O'Connor, the chief of Heritage Documentation Programs:

http://www.nps.gov/history/hdp/contact.htm

I asked him, "How do I submit photo sets to you?" He says: read through the guidelines, select a structure of architectural or historical importance, and make a submission to him. If the project is accepted he then processes the application and forwards the materials to Library of Congress.

Seems like the process is pretty straightforward, and a lot easier than getting your work shown in a gallery.

[Kirk Gittings]

Seems like the process is pretty straightforward, and a lot easier than getting your work shown in a gallery. WAIM? These two points are completely unrelated. HABS and gallery shows have absolutely nothing in common.

I have done a few of dozen of these (HABS, HAER or HAL) over the years, but never on my own dime. All were done as a subcontractor to a preservation architect who was doing a Level III (I may remember that wrong) documentation, because a significant structure was being demolished or remodeled. It is best to look up and see if there are any preservation architects in your area who may need your services or talk to your state historic preservation officer (SHIPO). The SHIPO sponsors or oversees much of the HABS documenation done in most states.

[tanzylynne]

This is interesting for me to read about large format photographers who just submit photographs to NPS on their own. I think it's great! An important thing to know about HABS is that you are placing your photographs in the public domain.

I found these guys on the internet.
http://www.michaelandpaula.com/mp/Azo_Notice.html
I haven't tried them yet, but perhaps they are a good source for AZO paper?

I'm an architectural historian, and so I do the written data portion for HABS and HABS-like projects as part of my job. Like Kirk said, HABS (if the structure is eligible for the National Register) or HABS-like (if it is significant locally) is often used as a mitigation measure when the building is being adaptively reused (i.e. a fire station is being remade into a restaurant), restored, or demolished.

In California we have a pretty strong law (CEQA) that requires government agencies (including local planning departments) to assess and mitigate the negative impacts their project might have on the environment. Historic properties are considered under the umbrella of environment. Additionally, Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 requires federal agencies (i.e. Federal Highways, Millitary etc) to do essentially the same thing, but just for the national register. HABS projects generally come from these sources, and people like me are often the ones writing the mitigation measures.

This is a big reason that I'm getting into large format photography, so I can do another piece of the HABS documentation when my company prescribes (and then is asked to do) HABS as mitigation for a project. As I learn more about Large Format photography, I'm increasingly appalled when I photograph for HABS-like in 35mm. It doesn't seem like it would be that much more expensive to do large format and scan it, and it would be of WAY more benefit to any future user.

[j.e.simmons]

Michael and Paula sold Azo. They may still have some, but for all practical purposes, there is no more Azo.
juan

[schafphoto]

Azo may be gone but HABS HAER HALS are now accepting double weight paper since alternatives to AZO dried up. Also as of May 2010 the programs are accepting "digital contact prints" from the scanned negatives.

[schafphoto]

As an update to this thread... the HABS HAER HALS Heritage Documentation Programs at the National Park Service now accepts digital ink-jet prints made with specified pigment inks on archival matte papers. See: http://www.cr.nps.gov/hdp/standards/PhotoGuidelines_Nov2011.pdf

[pchaplo]

As an update to this thread... the HABS HAER HALS Heritage Documentation Programs at the National Park Service now accepts digital ink-jet prints made with specified pigment inks on archival matte papers. See: http://www.cr.nps.gov/hdp/standards/PhotoGuidelines_Nov2011.pdf

With the digital prints, the HABS HAER HALS label information including the Number (page 7 of the Guidelines updated Oct. 2014) is supposed to be set-up as a text layer and printed in the upper right of the same sheet of 8.5 x 11" paper. The thing is -- sometimes there is no Number until a regional review issues one. Is this a catch-22 or am I missing something? With wet contact prints, the information could be added to the mounting, but in the digital "contact" print, in a sense its part of the inket page and printed with the image on the same piece of paper. I know that that inkjet print could be reprinted but given the archival materials, that adds cost and is wasteful.

Am I missing something? I was hoping to do the digital route but Ive run into this roadblock. In my case, it is a given that I will NOT have the assigned project number until a reviewer sees the draft binder and issues a number.

Have you run into this? Fiber-based wet contact prints are a much harder task for me compared to scanning and inkjet prints in my office.

[Drew Wiley]

Weird. How would they even know inkjet "anything" is "archival" compared to the decades Azo was around. And why Azo to begin with, unless the specs go so far
back that contact printing was the norm? But we've run into these kinds of govt things here many times: some govt agency absolutely demanding a Fed spec no.
product that hasn't even been made since WWII. Once something gets stuck in the system, nobody seems to ever review it again, or really know what it means.

[schafphoto]

Am I missing something? I was hoping to do the digital route but Ive run into this roadblock. In my case, it is a given that I will NOT have the assigned project number until a reviewer sees the draft binder and issues a number.

Have you run into this?

I'm
Not sure about your reviewer but at the western regional NPS office they will review drafts formatted on regular paper printed on a good quality laser printer. Leave the number area filled with HAER-CA-XXXX-1 ( 2,3,etc .though all your numbers)

After they review, comment and provide numbers you can print the archival set to HABS HAER HALS standards with pigment inks on the required heavy approved paper.

Good luck

[jnantz]

Weird. How would they even know inkjet "anything" is "archival" compared to the decades Azo was around. And why Azo to begin with, unless the specs go so far
back that contact printing was the norm? But we've run into these kinds of govt things here many times: some govt agency absolutely demanding a Fed spec no.
product that hasn't even been made since WWII. Once something gets stuck in the system, nobody seems to ever review it again, or really know what it means.



hi drew

they never just accept prints, so if the ink print ( which is just a proof for the negative ) ends up being problematic
they always will have the negative. everything is cross catalogued ( prints, negatives, index, key to prints and if a report, the report )
and everything is made to current archival standards ( including present day tested papers and ink sets )
it was never just Azo. if you had regular photo paper ( double weight ) they accepted it and it was not problematic.
i've submitted projects on kodak single weight polymax and ilford fiber base paper.
they liked azo because it was very easy to work with, single weight took up less space than double weight ( when you are talking about thousands of prints/photo mount cards it adds up ).

i have worked on a lot of state habs projects over the years and they have gone from LF ( 8x10, 5x7 + 4x5 ) to 35mm enlarged, to Dslr and ink prints.
there are still some states holding out, or trying to, and accepting LF and contact prints, but over the last 10+ years the government has really pushed digital ..
and the states with limited storage and cataloging staff &c have enjoyed not dealing with as many negatives and prints...

[Drew Wiley]

OK. I get it. Resembles Library of Congress standards perhaps. I've been paid to print some of their negs for certain purposes - not the originals of course, which are never farmed out, but duplicate negs made from the original negs. Tonality held fairly well second generation because they standardized on Super XX. Detail
reproduction obviously suffered somewhat. Now I imagine digital has taken over for secondary applications.

[pchaplo]

I'm
Not sure about your reviewer but at the western regional NPS office they will review drafts formatted on regular paper printed on a good quality laser printer. Leave the number area filled with HAER-CA-XXXX-1 ( 2,3,etc .though all your numbers)

After they review, comment and provide numbers you can print the archival set to HABS HAER HALS standards with pigment inks on the required heavy approved paper.

Good luck

Thanks Stephen, the information that you provided is most helpful. I love old buildings and structures with a passion -- and I long to shoot 4x5 black and white neg. Many thanks, Paul

[Ed Richards]

I could not get a good read from my reviewer in the southern office, so I submitted on archival paper and then reprinted with the number. That way I was sure that they would be happy with the paper.


I'm
Not sure about your reviewer but at the western regional NPS office they will review drafts formatted on regular paper printed on a good quality laser printer. Leave the number area filled with HAER-CA-XXXX-1 ( 2,3,etc .though all your numbers)

After they review, comment and provide numbers you can print the archival set to HABS HAER HALS standards with pigment inks on the required heavy approved paper.

Good luck

[Kirk Gittings]

FWIW I've done a lot of these over the years, sometimes for $$ and sometimes for free just to support a historic preservation project and.......it gets me access to sites where I might find some interesting images for personal work that normally I would not see. I actually wrote and illustrated the original guide for HABS work for the National Trust for Historic Preservation-long out of print now though and may have been supplanted by a newer version.

[schafphoto]

... I actually wrote and illustrated the original guide for HABS work for the National Trust for Historic Preservation-long out of print now though and may have been supplanted by a newer version.

Hi Kirk,

I think the current bible for HABS/HAER/HALS recordation is the book: Recording Historic Structures (2nd Edition) from the National Park Service by John A Burns. Mostly filled with Jack Boucher and Jet Lowe's photography. It's still in print but pricey at around $80.00.
It's a great overview of the stringent documentation process though, including guidelines for measured drawings and case studies of surveyed resources. I know years ago when I got into this full time I used it a lot before the PDF's were easy to get and view on my ancient Apple computer.

In addition to the online PDF's from the National Park Service Heritage Documentation Programs, (which have all the current guidelines and specifications) there are a few articles in View Camera Magazine about various aspects of HABS. May/June 2010 has a story about processing HABS / HAER / HALS film. And I believe there's another story about Jack Boucher's techniques in an older issue. I wish I could have met him. I believe Jet Lowe has now retired from HAER. But both Jack and Jet have some beautiful books of architectural and engineering photography as well.

-Schaf

[pchaplo]

Hi Kirk,

I think the current bible for HABS/HAER/HALS recordation is the book: Recording Historic Structures (2nd Edition) from the National Park Service by John A Burns. Mostly filled with Jack Boucher and Jet Lowe's photography. It's still in print but pricey at around $80.00.
It's a great overview of the stringent documentation process though, including guidelines for measured drawings and case studies of surveyed resources. I know years ago when I got into this full time I used it a lot before the PDF's were easy to get and view on my ancient Apple computer.

In addition to the online PDF's from the National Park Service Heritage Documentation Programs, (which have all the current guidelines and specifications) there are a few articles in View Camera Magazine about various aspects of HABS. May/June 2010 has a story about processing HABS / HAER / HALS film. And I believe there's another story about Jack Boucher's techniques in an older issue. I wish I could have met him. I believe Jet Lowe has now retired from HAER. But both Jack and Jet have some beautiful books of architectural and engineering photography as well.

-Schaf

Thanks, Schaf I just ordered the book Recording Historic Structures (2nd Edition). I find this very interesting!

Paul

[pchaplo]

Hi Kirk,
I think the current bible for HABS/HAER/HALS recordation is the book: Recording Historic Structures (2nd Edition) from the National Park Service by John A Burns. Mostly filled with Jack Boucher and Jet Lowe's photography. It's still in print but pricey at around $80.00.
It's a great overview of the stringent documentation process though, including guidelines for measured drawings and case studies of surveyed resources. I know years ago when I got into this full time I used it a lot before the PDF's were easy to get and view on my ancient Apple computer.

In addition to the online PDF's from the National Park Service Heritage Documentation Programs, (which have all the current guidelines and specifications) there are a few articles in View Camera Magazine about various aspects of HABS. May/June 2010 has a story about processing HABS / HAER / HALS film. And I believe there's another story about Jack Boucher's techniques in an older issue. I wish I could have met him. I believe Jet Lowe has now retired from HAER. But both Jack and Jet have some beautiful books of architectural and engineering photography as well.
-Schaf

Schaf, how do you field number your negatives and track them through developing? I did get the book that you recommended and am reading it. Thanks, Paul

[schafphoto]

Hi Paul,

I have a clipboard with a form for all the field notes that my assistant fills out. It has View #, Camera Height, Compass, Lens, Fstop, speed, 4x5 or 5x7, notes, film-holder numbers, filters, push/pull, etc. and a description of the subject. Then we also mark the photo location on a printed out letter-size Google map download. I rewrite everything later so it doesn’t need to be neat. (PM me and I can send you a copy of my form) I also still use Polaroids (Fuji 100B) and have those numbered with a Sharpie, but that’s running out. I also use a Nikon D800 for high resolution digital views from the same tripod positions as a perk for my clients and to use in my own marketing/website. So this gives me a time/date stamp that corresponds to the field notes I have a GPS receiver for it as well if someone requests GPS Metadata like on a power transmission line or canal. I just did a 100 view Historic American Buildings Survey documentation last week of seven warehouses at the San Francisco Presidio and all seven looked very similar, so I’ll be using the digitals and the Fujiroids and we took a lot of extra time with the field notes. On the advice of Christine Avery in the NPS western region field office we are doing a set of contexts of all the warehouses and seven individually numbered sets for each building. Her words of advice were:

- "Let's do this as a complex. So that means CA-XXX, CA-XXX-A, -B, -C, etc. I believe these buildings are very similar, some identical, so the lettered reports can be the short form outline, and you can put most of the historical info in the main report.” So that meant we had eight sets of notes and eight sets of maps, what a headache. But we still managed to set a record of 31 views in one day (with lunch). you can see some at my @HABS_photographer Instagram.

Another tip is not to let to much time elapse between photography and processing, my memory starts to fade. You could number the negatives on temporary plastic sleeves before you get an official NPS HABS/HAER number – while the process drags on and you wait the excruciating time for approvals from client/NPS so you don’t forget.

I hope I understood your question, good luck,
-Schaf

[pchaplo]

Hi Paul,

I have a clipboard with a form for all the field notes that my assistant fills out. It has View #, Camera Height, Compass, Lens, Fstop, speed, 4x5 or 5x7, notes, film-holder numbers, filters, push/pull, etc. and a description of the subject. Then we also mark the photo location on a printed out letter-size Google map download. I rewrite everything later so it doesn’t need to be neat. (PM me and I can send you a copy of my form) I also still use Polaroids (Fuji 100B) and have those numbered with a Sharpie, but that’s running out. I also use a Nikon D800 for high resolution digital views from the same tripod positions as a perk for my clients and to use in my own marketing/website. So this gives me a time/date stamp that corresponds to the field notes I have a GPS receiver for it as well if someone requests GPS Metadata like on a power transmission line or canal. I just did a 100 view Historic American Buildings Survey documentation last week of seven warehouses at the San Francisco Presidio and all seven looked very similar, so I’ll be using the digitals and the Fujiroids and we took a lot of extra time with the field notes. On the advice of Christine Avery in the NPS western region field office we are doing a set of contexts of all the warehouses and seven individually numbered sets for each building. Her words of advice were:

- "Let's do this as a complex. So that means CA-XXX, CA-XXX-A, -B, -C, etc. I believe these buildings are very similar, some identical, so the lettered reports can be the short form outline, and you can put most of the historical info in the main report.” So that meant we had eight sets of notes and eight sets of maps, what a headache. But we still managed to set a record of 31 views in one day (with lunch). you can see some at my @HABS_photographer Instagram.

Another tip is not to let to much time elapse between photography and processing, my memory starts to fade. You could number the negatives on temporary plastic sleeves before you get an official NPS HABS/HAER number – while the process drags on and you wait the excruciating time for approvals from client/NPS so you don’t forget.

I hope I understood your question, good luck,
-Schaf

Thanks Schaf, you are most helpful! I have my first HABS (HAER) project and it is local (thank goodness). Thanks for the detail on your record keeping. Do you actually have any number or ID imprint on the actual film negative? If I understand you correctly, you use your records, Polaroids (I am out of those), and digital shots to match the LF film camera views. Do you process film in order to reference them to the shooting order (and even the film holder) or just match your 'roids and digital shots?

I have a digital camera w/GPS and can do the same, along with careful note-taking. I will do Google Earth map to mark with setups and directions of view -- we thought along the same lines on that approach. Good idea to process promptly while the memory of the setups is still fresh -- thanks for that tip.

Another question: I shot tests with Ilford HP5 to get my LF juices flowing again. Can I use that same film for any copy work -- there may be some drawings/plans. HP5 seems to be the only 4x5 B&W film that I can find stocked locally ...and happy to find that!

If I do traditional contact prints, what paper (that is widely available) do you recommend for wet darkroom? I understand that double weight is acceptable. I am still looking at the digital print specs -- I have a suitable scanner and may eventually get an anti-newton glass holder.

Doing a first HAER is daunting but I am excited. I love old structures and miss LF, so here I go!

Wishing you great light!
Paul

[schafphoto]

Paul,
It’s fun to see your excitement. I remember my first HABS job, all questions no answers. Keep in mind that the film will have an image on it that hopefully looks a lot like the subject you’ve photographed. That’s the best way to know what the film has on it a number would just be superfluous. Unless you have a project with over 50 views, it should be obvious which film is which when you look at it on the lightbox. I use Ilford MG glossy FB for contacts, easiest to find and a fine paper, it curls a bit though so I print on 5x7 paper and cut down to 4x5. I have used ilford HP5 for blueprints and historic photos, FP4 or a 100 ASA film may be better but 400 will work too.
-Schaf

[schafphoto]

BTW the HABS/HAER/HALS photo guidelines and transmittal guidelines were updated in June. Here are links to the June 2015 PDF’s for a full description of the process.

http://www.nps.gov/hdp/standards/Transmittal.pdf

also read:

http://www.nps.gov/hdp/standards/PhotoGuidelines.pdf

[Jac@stafford.net]

BTW the HABS/HAER/HALS photo guidelines and transmittal guidelines were updated in June. Here are links to the June 2015 PDF’s for a full description of the process.

http://www.nps.gov/hdp/standards/Transmittal.pdf

also read:

http://www.nps.gov/hdp/standards/PhotoGuidelines.pdf

Stephen you are just the man to affirm this - is it true that the photographer retains copyright of HABS/HAER/HALS accepted material, or is it immaterial because anyone can copy the work from federal resources?

Aside: I have found the projects' images immeasurably helpful in our area due to the loss and recreation of some infrastructure.

[pchaplo]

Paul,
It’s fun to see your excitement. I remember my first HABS job, all questions no answers. Keep in mind that the film will have an image on it that hopefully looks a lot like the subject you’ve photographed. That’s the best way to know what the film has on it a number would just be superfluous. Unless you have a project with over 50 views, it should be obvious which film is which when you look at it on the lightbox. I use Ilford MG glossy FB for contacts, easiest to find and a fine paper, it curls a bit though so I print on 5x7 paper and cut down to 4x5. I have used ilford HP5 for blueprints and historic photos, FP4 or a 100 ASA film may be better but 400 will work too.
-Schaf

Schaf, Thanks! I got the field log sheet that you sent and the links to the 2015 Updates. Many thanks for that and the answers to all my questions along the way. This is one of those things where if you watched an expert do it once and took notes, you would see the simple solutions, materials, documentation, and (importantly) vendors for materials.

[schafphoto]

Hi Jac,

Accepted images at HABS HAER and HALS are put into the public domain with a formal signed release that is included in the Transmittal guidelines. So the whole world has access and so do you.

[Jac@stafford.net]

Hi Jac,

Accepted images at HABS HAER and HALS are put into the public domain with a formal signed release that is included in the Transmittal guidelines. So the whole world has access and so do you.

Thank you for the clarification, and thanks for the great work.
.