PHOTOGRAMMETRIC ENGINEERING 
presented and discussed from 1957 through 
1959. A consideration of some of the photo- 
grammetric and photographic interpretation 
problems was presented in a paper by George 
D. Whitmore in 1958 (1). 
Another event of significance to the photo- 
graphic interpretation community has been 
the preparation, during this reporting period, 
of the American Society's MANUAL oF PHOTO- 
GRAPHIC INTERPRETATION. While other texts 
and reference books have been written on 
phases of the photographic interpretation 
process, this manual represents the first at- 
tempt to achieve a compilation of experience 
and technique, in all of its many fields of ap- 
plication, of the science of photographic 
interpretation. A general chapter outline for 
the manual was given in the 1956 Commission 
VII report (2). At the present writing, the 
manual is in publication, and should be avail- 
able at the time of the 1960 International 
Congress. 
Incidentally, it might be noted that the 
MANUAL OF PHOTOGRAPHIC INTERPRETATION 
is by no means solely an American effort. In- 
puts from many countries have been incor- 
porated by the chapter-editors whenever pos- 
sible, and many of the chapter manuscripts 
have been reviewed by experts of various 
countries before preparation in final form. 
A third development of some interest of 
photographic interpreters during this report- 
ing period has been the broadening of the base 
of Commission VII itself. One evening during 
the 1956 International Congress in Stock- 
holm, a group of some thirty photographic 
interpreters met to discuss means of increas- 
ing the service rendered by Commission VII 
to the International community. One out- 
growth of this meeting was the establishment 
of the present six working groups of the com- 
mission. A second result was the recommenda- 
tion that a system of interim progress reports 
in photographic interpretation be instituted 
to bridge the gap between congresses. 
The full measure of accomplishment of 
these working groups may not be readily ap- 
parent from their reports. Beginning with 
nothing but the working group name and area 
of interest, the chairmen, by correspondence 
or by attendance at International technical 
meetings, developed correspondents and con- 
tributors, and uncovered new interests and 
applications of photographic interpretation. 
The interim report, published in 1958 (3 & 
4) was a modest effort, but provided a pilot 
model for what, in time, may become a pub- 
lished yearly assessment of photographic 
interpretation progress around the world. 
) 
The discussion of **major highlights" would 
not be complete without a reference to the 
effect of the space age on photographic inter- 
pretation. While this effect is largely in the 
future, the already-published photographs 
from various rocket flights and from the re- 
cent Soviet moon-satellite bear graphic testi- 
mony to the great potential contribution 
which photographic interpretation may make 
to the conquest of space. 
SPECIFIC AREAS OF PROGRESS 
For convenience, the discussion in this sec- 
tion will be covered under three headings. 
“ Photography" the subject matter of Working 
Group 1, is of interest to all interpreters as 
their primary source material. ‘Equipment 
and Techniques’, covered by Working Group 
2, is also of general interest, though consider- 
able variation in instruments and procedures 
may occur in various specialized types of 
interpretation. Comments on progress made 
in the areas of Working Groups 3 through 6 
are here grouped under the single heading of 
“Applications”. 
PHOTOGRAPHY 
In contrast to the photogrammetrist, who 
normally requires mapping-specification pho- 
tography to perform his function, the photo- 
graphic interpreter can make use of many 
types and scales of photographs. In fact, one 
of the surprising features of the work reported 
in various parts of the Commission VII report 
is the wide variation in scales and kinds of 
photography used. Much of this is due to the 
fact that photographic interpreters must 
often do their work on whatever photographs 
happen to be available (although of course 
some variation is due to differences in envi- 
ronment in various parts of the world, the 
specific job to be done etc.). Recognizing this 
flexibility on the part of the interpreter, Dr. 
Kirk Stone, of Working Group 1, has chosen 
to concentrate most of his time on the prob 
lem of simply locating and recording existing 
coverage on a world-wide basis. Later, this 
group may proceed to the more difficult task 
of cataloguing the characteristics and content 
of these holdings. 
Because the interpreter has had to work 
with so many types of photography, it is dif- 
ficult to determine, from project reports, the 
optimum types he may desire for various 
kinds of interpretation jobs. It is believed 
worthwhile, however, to attempt to summa- 
rize the characteristics of the photography 
which seems to be preferred (or at least often 
used) for interpretation work.