https://viewer.allmaps.org/?url=https://annotations.allmaps.org/images/9bb3fbc9e708cdfd
For this week’s blog, I found it super interesting that digital humanities includes this range of spatial projects, and has definitely extended my understanding of what digital humanities really is. For this mapping in particular, it is definitely amazing how this process of overlaying an old map, that has been scanned and analyzed, onto modern mapping, can show how maps have changed over time. Through this, I believe it is well reflected just how modern technology can be used to assess the past, and how digital humanities as a whole can represent a process and means of thinking used to lead thinking and expression.
In terms of the overlayed map itself, I chose to use the “Map of the City of Minneapolis, Minnesota, 1893,” which I found from the Minnesota Digital Library. Once overlayed, in examining the Map page, there are very cool formats you can access the map that was rectified in. The first of which is to “remove background” of the map, which allows you to choose the percentage, one through one-hundred percent, that you want the background of the map to be removed. This is fascinating as it allows you to keep the streets that the overlayed map is presenting while getting rid of the excess background of that map. In doing this, it allows for a better visualization of the combination of the maps together, permitting you to see how the roads line up similarly (or not similar) in this process. Moreover, there is also an “opacity” option, also one through one-hundred percent, where you can choose the transparency level of the entire overlayed map. Likewise, once you have a georectified map, I could see it be used for getting a better perspective in contrasting past versus the present. Next steps could include using it for history studies.
Some potential problems with georeferencing I think should be considered include issues in ground control points (that can lead to poor accuracy), as well as simply precision issues in the transformations as well. That being said, I think some areas this method would not be appropriate for include studies that require very high levels of precision, as well as for legal purposes due to these issues in accuracy.
I like what you have done with the georectified map of Minneapolis. I also agree with your comment that it is fascinating to layer multiple maps on top of each other to line up the roads and the river in order to get a contrasting perspective on the past and the present. In the same note I also wondered if it would be possible to layer more than just two maps over another, and if this would be able to yield something different from just two layered georectified map.