Client Profile
Founded in 2010, Gamma Rapho is an agency that preserves and manages the photographic collections of some of the most prestigious agencies of the 20th century in France, such as Gamma, Rapho, and Keystone. Thanks to the efforts of photojournalist François Lochon, the agency saved these collections from the risk of disappearing, preserving over 25 million originals, including negatives, slides, prints, and glass plates. Over the past ten years, Gamma Rapho has digitized approximately 700.000 photos, used worldwide in the press and publishing industries.
Client Request
In 2018, Gamma Rapho faced a significant challenge. The agency was managing its vast photographic archive using a website and a Digital Asset Management (DAM) system based on Adobe Flash, a technology that had become obsolete and was no longer supported. This system was slow, inefficient, and posed a risk to the security and long-term preservation of the archive.
Another major challenge was related to metadata. Many of the digitized files lacked metadata, necessitating a manual process to enter information such as descriptions, dates, and names, to make the images easily searchable. This manual work was extremely time-consuming and prone to errors. Moreover, the outdated infrastructure was unable to support the fast and reliable access needed for an archive of such size and historical importance. It was clear that a more modern, reliable system capable of managing millions of images was needed, providing advanced indexing tools and fast navigation for users worldwide.
MomaPIX DAM Solution
Gamma Rapho chose MomaPIX as its new DAM system to address these challenges. Luc Masset, Technical Manager at Gamma Rapho, highlighted the key benefits experienced with the implementation of MomaPIX:
- Advanced Metadata Management: MomaPIX offers flexible and efficient tools for indexing images, essential for a vast and diverse collection like that of Gamma Rapho.
- Modern Technology: MomaPIX uses up-to-date technology, eliminating the limitations and risks associated with obsolete systems like Adobe Flash.
- Scalability: The system is designed to grow with the collection, ensuring high performance even with the addition of new images and metadata.
- Reliability and Speed: MomaPIX ensures fast and secure access to images, allowing users worldwide to navigate the archive efficiently.
The adoption of MomaPIX has enabled Gamma Rapho to modernize the management of its valuable archive, ensuring the preservation and accessibility of images for future generations.
