Edwin Land's charts and papers
Datecirca 1988
Inventory Number2004-1-0278
ClassificationPapers
Subject
Maker
Edwin H. Land
1909 - 1991
Maker
Polaroid Corporation
1937-present
Cultural Region
Place of Origin
Dimensions2 × 37 × 29 cm (13/16 × 14 9/16 × 11 7/16 in.)
Material
DescriptionThe first folder contains three Polaroid polarizers but most importantly several copies of the Beckman Auditorium seating plan located at the California Institute of Technology. These copies are found with a B&W drawing of a Mondrian panel. Together, there were used by Edwin Land in preparing his lectures on the Retinex theory. He used them to determine where to place the Mondrian panels and the recording instruments (spectrophotometer, etc.) on the stage.
The second folder contains graphs from the data recorded by the Spectra Pritchard Photometer, 2004-1-0214a and analyzed with a computer algorithm. There are usually three types of plots called "numerator", "denominator" and "designator". The designator plot is the result of a calculation from a special algorithm based on the other two graphs. The first two plots are the "physical" data as perceived by the photometer. The designator graph represents the Retinex model of color perception as the brain would see it. The designator, therefore, is a calculation based on a model of perception, Retinex, which got more refined over the years. The designator graph is different from the other two "real" (in physics' terms) color graphs because it is designed to illustrate how color is perceived by the brain.
Some of the data in the binders also come from Mach bands experiments, which were done, for instance, with 2004-1-0115. There is also a letter from J. J. Scarpetti to Land dated April 1988.
The third folder contains Polaroid shots of a color panel on which light is shone and the reflection analyzed according to the filters applied to data-gathering instruments. A note, dated 15 September 1988, mentions the following: "Slides 4-20 were designed to push the colors to grays. What would happen if one pushed as hard as possible, at least the dominant lightness."
The second folder contains graphs from the data recorded by the Spectra Pritchard Photometer, 2004-1-0214a and analyzed with a computer algorithm. There are usually three types of plots called "numerator", "denominator" and "designator". The designator plot is the result of a calculation from a special algorithm based on the other two graphs. The first two plots are the "physical" data as perceived by the photometer. The designator graph represents the Retinex model of color perception as the brain would see it. The designator, therefore, is a calculation based on a model of perception, Retinex, which got more refined over the years. The designator graph is different from the other two "real" (in physics' terms) color graphs because it is designed to illustrate how color is perceived by the brain.
Some of the data in the binders also come from Mach bands experiments, which were done, for instance, with 2004-1-0115. There is also a letter from J. J. Scarpetti to Land dated April 1988.
The third folder contains Polaroid shots of a color panel on which light is shone and the reflection analyzed according to the filters applied to data-gathering instruments. A note, dated 15 September 1988, mentions the following: "Slides 4-20 were designed to push the colors to grays. What would happen if one pushed as hard as possible, at least the dominant lightness."
In Collection(s)
Signedunsigned
Curatorial RemarksThis notebook is now located in the CHSI library, C4-I drawer 1.
ProvenanceThis object belonged to Edwin H. Land and came from the Rowland Institute, Harvard University. Gift of the Edwin H. Land Family.
Blue Hill Meteorological Observatory
Date: 1934
Object number: 1998-1-1434
Edwin H. Land
Date: 1955-1980
Object number: 2004-1-0264b
Pfeiffer Vacuum Inc.
Date: 1978-1986
Object number: 1999-1-0041u
American
Date: 1975-1985
Accessories: ballast bricks
Object number: 2004-1-0259a
American
Date: 1975-1985
Accessories: ballast bricks
Object number: 2004-1-0259c
