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How to Record an Inventory Number for an Object Shown in a Photo

By ImgHeal · Updated

A collection number can help explain the object in a photograph. Keep it attached to that object, rather than allowing it to replace the photo ID used for the scan and restoration versions.

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Confirm what the number identifies

Compare the number with the institution's record and note whether it identifies an artwork, an accession group, the photograph, or a digital reproduction. Keep the full record link and supplying institution, since short numeric codes can recur in unrelated collections. Do not extract a number from an enhanced label without checking the source. If the object attribution is uncertain, record the candidate reference as a research lead rather than making it an established identifier for the photographed subject.

Keep object identifiers in their own record

IPTC's artwork/object metadata can associate an object with its inventory number, source institution, and inventory URL. Check whether your editor supports these fields and how it presents their labels. A simple family archive can use an accompanying note instead, provided the relationship is explicit. Continue using the photograph's own stable ID for its source scan and derivatives. Do not rename every photo of the same object to an identical institutional number, which would make individual views difficult to distinguish.

Check the link and the object generation

Open the recorded institutional page and compare its description with what the photograph actually shows. A family snapshot may depict the object in an earlier setting, or may show a printed reproduction rather than the original. Preserve that context when preparing a restored viewing copy. Verify that the exported metadata still associates the inventory reference with the subject, not with the photographer or image supplier. Include a readable reference in the caption when the destination does not expose structured object information.

Check before sharing this record

  • Establish which object the number identifies.
  • Retain a separate photo ID for each view.
  • Keep the institution and record URL with the number.

Sources and further reading

Questions about this restoration task

Can a museum's object number become my scan filename?

It can be part of a naming convention, but retain a distinct photo identifier and explain the relationship. Several photographs can depict one object, and one photograph can depict several numbered objects.

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