About HABS, HALS and HAER
The Ethan James Foundation has performed and submitted multiple HABS and HALS documentation projects for the Heritage Documentation Programs.
The Heritage Documentation Programs administers HABS (Historic American Buildings Survey), the Federal Government's oldest preservation program, and companion programs HAER (Historic American Engineering Record), HALS (Historic American Landscapes Survey), and CRGIS (Cultural Resources Geographic Information Systems). Material produced through the programs constitutes the nation's largest archive of historic architectural, engineering, and landscape documentation. The full collection, available to the public through the Library of Congress, captures the American experience through approximately 40,000 recorded historic structures and sites, from American Indian cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde to space-age technology at Cape Canaveral.
The HDP stipulates strict photographic documentation standards. Only large format (i.e., 4x5" negative or larger), black and white film negatives may be submitted; digital documentation may not be submitted as it lacks the archival permanence that black and white film negatives provide. All photographs must be perspective corrected in the field and negatives must be developed, scanned and stored to stringent archival standards. HDP photographic requirements represent the "gold standard" for historic photographic documentation.
The National Register of Historic Places' documentation requirements are significantly less strict than HDP requirements, allowing for relatively low resolution digital photographic documentation and not requiring in field perspective control.
For more information on HABS, HALS and HAER, please visit The Heritage Documentation Programs administered by The National Parks Service.
For more information on The National Register of Historic Places, please visit The National Register of Historic Places also administered by The National Parks Service.