AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHS AS A MEANS OF DOCUMENTATION OF HISTORICAL URBAN SETTINGS IN POLAND

Abstract

While reviewing the historical development of aerial photography and the applied aero-photogrammetric methods, the author discusses the usability of aerial photographs for the townplanning and for solving the problems accompanying adaptation of historical u rban settings to their new, present-day functions. The aerial photographs form an extremely valuable material for those responsible for conservation of historical monuments, in several instances becoming a source of additional information or in some cases the substitutes for a conventional cartographic or geodetic surveys. In this conviction a decision has been taken in the Historical Monuments Documentation Centre to prepare a series of aerial views of ancient towns throughout Poland which the action was carried out within a period of 1966—69. On the background of the previously worked out criteria the most interesting towns were chosen with their best preserved plans and ancient building. It was assumed that the aerial photographs have to illustrate in the best possible manner all the features present in topographic layout and the urban landscape of a given town, their general views as well as the building of the separate quarters, street courses, market and square frontages, fragments of old fortification systems and so forth. Within the detailed views it was planned to photograph the most interesting objects dominating over a given urban setting as the town halls, churches or castles. The thematic outlines required that two kinds of aerial photographs be taken, namely these in vertical projection and those inclined. During the flights carried out some 750 localities were photographed of which the number about 600 towns for whom more than 5.000 negatives of 6X6 or 6X9 cm sizes were obtained. Collection of these photographs will be used for a many-volume publication „Historical Urban Centres in Poland” now under preparation in the Historical Monuments Documentation Centre. From the viewpoint of those involved in conservation the above publication can be considered as one of entirely unique character not only in this country