There are few visualization tools more exciting than maps. Maps can tell stories, provide context, and reveal patterns in space. For these reasons, I was super excited to work with maps and map rectification tools for this course.
I began by selecting my map of Minneapolis. I chose a map with many labeled points of interest because I thought it would be easier to fit to the modern city map. After creating a mask and geolocating areas around Minneapolis, my final map was complete. See it here and below!
It was super cool to see my map overlaid accurately on modern Minneapolis. The map creation process gave me further insight into what it means to be a digital humanist. This exercise gave me greater appreciation for technology’s ability to unite the past and present. Spatial digital humanities projects that we explored earlier also hold these same principles, further highlighting how applicable DH is.
Looking at my Allmaps tool, my map could be accessed in a simple website viewer, a georeference annotation viewer (stores georeferenced metadata), and XYZ map tiles form which allows for detailed zooming. I chose the website viewer to share my project via embedded link.
Georectified maps are powerful tools. They allow historians to roughly compare modern spatial data with historical data. My map is basic. To take this concept further, we could outline buildings, lakes, and parks to create an extra layer of data associated with the historical map. This could provide context for any differences we see between the old and new maps.
While these tools are useful, it is important to exercise caution when approaching georeferencing in DH projects. It is crucial to consider that there may be inaccuracies in the historical map. If we did not account for this, we could end up making comparisons between maps that are not valid. Additionally, it is important to ensure that the two maps are measured consistently and overlaid properly in order to make the visualization appealing and easy to understand.
My methods in creating a georectified map of Minneapolis would not be appropriate if I knew the old and new maps were extremely inconsistent. Our aim is to pinpoint small changes in space from this comparison., If our maps are inaccurate, that goal is harder to achieve. Also, if we know that our old and new maps are exactly the same, georectifying maps would reveal no important information.