Smithsonian and 3D Printing

The Fine Art of Forgery

Why the Smithsonian Is Using 3-D Printing to Copy Artifacts

Henry Grabar | July/August 2015, The Atlantic

...The project—the largest 3-D-printing effort yet undertaken by the Smithsonian’s central exhibits team—vividly demonstrates how technology is changing museums’ approach to art and artifacts. As fragile, rare, or ephemeral objects are rendered durable and plentiful, the benefits of accessibility are pitted against those of authenticity.

Source: http://humanorigins.si.edu/evidence/3d-collection

<more at http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2015/07/art-forgery/395282/; related links: Smithsonian X 3D beta [browser for their 3D models] http://3d.si.edu/browser and http://humanorigins.si.edu/evidence/3d-collection "The scanning process enabled us to generate 3D models of each object that you can view, rotate, and interact with online. It may take a minute or two to load depending on your computer, but after it is loaded you will be able to move the 3D object around by holding down the left-click button and moving your mouse.">