About the database
Polybotrya osmundacea
The Sir Hans Sloane Herbarium consists of seven bound volumes of dried plant specimens from Jamaica.
The provision of digital images and a database not only makes information on these important collections much more widely accessible but will also considerably reduce the handling of these historical volumes.
The Heritage Lottery Fund generously donated the necessary funds to allow the digitisation of specimens from the Sir Hans Sloane Herbarium.
Imaging
Using a large-format camera with a digital scanner attachment, the images were fed directly into a computer using Photophase. The volumes are large (approx. 40 cm x 53 cm) and vary in the number of specimens each contains, but there are frequently several to a single page. Their different shapes and thicknesses have caused the pages to be uneven and rippled.
In some cases, the pages were so uneven that the longer exposure time could not always compensate for this, which has resulted in some areas being slightly out of focus.
Databasing
For a complete guide to the database, including details on the presentation of the works, problems of identification and notes on contributions and omissions, see: A Specialist's Guide to the Sloane Database PDF (196.6 KB)