Manuscript Marginalia

 

This interactive was developed to present digital surrogates of two medieval manuscripts from the Getty Museum’s permanent collection. The interactive allows visitors to fluidly explore two manuscripts in great detail via high resolution image panning and zooming. Two modes allow for either a textually narrated guided tour or the ability to explore freely through the intricate designs and stories.

Just outside the blocks of Latin text and larger illustrations, the pages of medieval books often teem with tiny characters, creatures, and fantastic plants—collectively called “marginalia.” These scenes often comment on the paintings illustrating the text in the center. As often as they expand on the narrative, they also poke fun at the lofty themes and, more broadly, at human foibles.

 

PROJECT
Produced for The J. Paul Getty Museum Out of Bounds: Images in the Margins of Medieval Manuscripts in 2009.

FORMAT
Custom interactive application running on 17" touch screen computer; also available online.

PRODUCTION CREDITS
Diretor and producer: Paco Lin
Writer: Anne Martens
Editor: Maria Gilbert
Developer: Mark Baltzegar