Digitization for Museums and Historical Societies.
A collection unseen in storage is a collection at risk
Film, photographs, oral histories, and documents from your collection, converted to preservation-grade digital files, handled by hand, item by item, by our own team in Orange, California. Never subcontracted, never sent overseas, and across a million reels handled, never lost.
A dedicated department for institutions since 2001.
White Glove - Handled by Hand
The same lab trusted by universities, libraries, and film studios brings preservation-grade care and a full chain of custody to one-of-a-kind collections.
Trusted by Southern California libraries, universities, and film studios with irreplaceable collections since 2001
The Collection Problem
Museums and historical societies hold the only copy of a community's story, on media that keeps decaying whether or not it is ever displayed.
Irreplaceable and one-of-a-kind
Donated film, photographs, and recordings often exist nowhere else. Loss is permanent, and decay does not wait for a preservation budget.
Locked in obsolete formats
Reel film, aging tape, and audio cassettes hold rich material that cannot be shown or studied without equipment few institutions keep.
The public expects access
Visitors, researchers, and donors increasingly expect online collections and digital exhibits, not just a physical gallery.
Preservation is the mandate
Stewardship means keeping the collection safe for the future, which today means a stable, high-quality digital master.
What We Digitize for Museums and Societies
One vendor for a mixed collection, with a single chain of custody and organized, exhibit-ready delivery.
Put the Collection to Work
A digitized collection is one you can preserve, share, and build programming around.
Online collections
Make holdings browsable and searchable for researchers and the public far beyond the walls of the museum.
Digital and physical exhibits
Build exhibits, kiosks, and anniversary programs from film and photos that have never been shown.
Donor stewardship
Show donors their gift preserved and accessible, and make the case for the next donation and grant.
Preservation masters
Keep high-quality masters safe from fire, flood, and further decay, with lighter access copies for daily use.
Why Museums Choose Legacy Digital
Handled by hand
Fragile, one-of-a-kind materials are handled item by item, cleaned and cared for, never run unattended through a high-speed feeder.
Everything stays in-house
Your collection is digitized by our own team in Orange, California. We never subcontract and never send a collection out of the United States.
Chain of custody you can audit
Every item is logged at intake and tracked through the lab. Across more than a million reels handled, we have never lost an item.
Motion Picture Academy-grade film equipment
Historic film is scanned frame by frame in HD or 2K on the same industrial scanners the studios use.
Preservation and access copies
From one pass, keep high-quality masters for preservation and lighter files for exhibits, research, and the web.
Catalog-ready delivery
Files named and organized to match your accession records, so the digital collection stays searchable in your system.
The Lab Institutions Already Trust
The same preservation-grade care that protects irreplaceable studio and university material protects your collection.
How a Collection Project Runs
- 1
Survey and inventory
We assess the collection, formats, and volume, then scope the work and give you a clear, itemized quote and timeline.
- 2
Pilot batch
Start with a pilot so your curator or collections manager approves quality, handling, and metadata before the full run.
- 3
Digitize with custody tracking
Items are logged, handled by hand, digitized in-house at preservation quality, and tracked through every step.
- 4
Deliver, catalog-ready
Files delivered on server media or drives, named and organized to match your accession records and exhibits.
Why Our Scans Look Better
A transfer is only worth doing once, so it has to be done at a quality the material deserves. This is where a careful lab and a warehouse operation part ways.
Motion Picture Academy-grade equipment
We capture film frame by frame in true HD 1080p or 2K on the same industrial equipment developed for the Motion Picture Academy, then assemble the frames to play back at the correct speed. Most services scan at a lower 720p.
Color correction and grain reduction
On our premium levels a technician performs scene-by-scene color correction and grain reduction, recovering clearer images and accurate, true-to-life color, often looking better than the original did.
Gentle on irreplaceable film
Cold LED light means no heat and no bulb that can burn the film. Our scanners never touch the picture area, never use toothed sprockets that tear, and never a projector. Every reel is cleaned and lubricated first.
The formats to match the work
Standard MP4 for everyday viewing, or MOV, ProRes, image sequences, and uncompressed masters for editorial and preservation. You choose the resolution and format that fits the collection.
Three quality levels are available: HD as standard, HD with full color correction and grain reduction, and our highest 2K level with the same enhancements. We recommend the right level for your material and confirm it before the full run.
The lab stewards trust when the object is the only one that exists.
In-house in Orange, California since 2001. Never subcontracted, never sent overseas, never lost.
Our Satisfaction Guarantee
We stand behind every transfer we perform. If you're unhappy with the quality of our work, we'll make every reasonable effort to make it right, at no additional charge. And if another professional service can produce a visibly better transfer from the same originals, we'll match their quality or refund what you paid us for the affected transfer.
See Our Full Satisfaction Guarantee →Museum & Society Questions
How is a collection project priced?
Collections are custom-quoted after we survey them. Per-item media rates apply as a baseline, and we itemize everything so budgeting and grant reporting are clear. Request a consultation for a scoped quote.
How do you handle fragile, irreplaceable items?
By hand, item by item. Materials are cleaned and cared for, never fed through high-speed equipment, and tracked at every step under a full chain of custody.
Can you work within a preservation grant?
Yes. We provide itemized quotes and deliver access-ready files with documentation, and we can phase the work to fit a grant's scope and timeline.
Do you provide preservation masters and access copies?
Yes. From a single digitization pass we deliver high-quality preservation masters plus lighter access files for exhibits, research, and the web.
Can you deliver files ready for our collection system?
Yes. We name and organize files to match your accession records, so the digital collection is searchable and retrievable in your catalog or DAM.
Do you offer pickup for local institutions?
Yes. For Southern California institutions we offer local pickup and delivery. Museums and societies anywhere in the country can ship to us with arranged, secure logistics.
Other questions? Call us at (888) 405-2685. A real person answers, 7AM to 7PM, 7 days a week.
Other Institutions We Serve
Every institution type has its own archive challenge. Explore the one that fits, or start at the institutional overview.
Your Collection Is Aging in Storage.
Request a consultation. We survey the collection, scope the work, and give you a clear plan and quote, with the track record to back it up.
202 W. Lincoln Ave., Suite A, Orange, CA 92865
Walk-ins Mon to Fri, 8AM to 4PM
Evenings and weekends by appointment
Phones answered 7AM to 7PM, 7 days a week
