MeMO - Medieval Memoria On-line

MeMO is the follow up to Memoria in the picture (Memoria in Beeld). Memoria are medieval works of art (paintings, stained-glass windows, memorial tombs, etc.) that played a role in the commemoration of the dead. In collaboration with the University of Utrecht, DANS developed a database which is searchable through an associated website. This database contains descriptions of 524 memorial images, including photographs. This project was called Memoria in the picture (Memoria in Beeld), the site is publicly accessible: www.let.uu.nl/memorie/index.php

MeMO stands for Medieval Memoria On-line. The goal is to build an infrastructure that can incorporate databases with information on memorial objects. A process is being developed in the form of a standard way to allow access to such information from the outside world. This standard way is called MeMO DS, which stands for MeMO Discription Standard.

An important part of the project is the option to search many different databases from one location. This is a front-end that will allow art historians (the target group of end users) to conduct (semi-)-quantitative research into memoria in a comprehensive manner. Almost all the existing research is detailed study, based on small data sets. Quantitative research has so far been hampered by the large amounts of time it would take for manual processing.

DANS also carries out this project in collaboration with the University of Utrecht. Together we develop the data model that underlies the databases and MeMO DS. The University puts in students in art history to fill the database in a correct way. DANS is responsible for ensuring the development of databases and the front-end. The project runs until the end of 2012.

Project manager DANS:
Jan van Mansum T 06 232 974 52 E jan.van.mansum