Putting collections online
Today, there is no longer a technical barrier to online collections on the Internet. What may have seemed a utopia, then a luxury, has become a key element for the dissemination and democratization of knowledge.
Of the Enlightenment
In the Age of Enlightenment, the engraving was used to distribute the collections to an intellectual elite. In the mid-19th century, the photography was to replace the print. As for the accompanying texts, they were supported by the printed book. But these documents were costly to produce and difficult to update, even as knowledge continued to evolve.
In the twenty-first century
In the last quarter of the twentieth century, the development of databases, then from thedigital image provide powerful and efficient means of dissemination of collections, and allow for frequent and rapid updates of content. Since then, museums have been able to adapt digital to their specific needs, with the aim of reaching an increasingly large sample of public and sometimes even associating these audiences with their observation or research work.