Tag: Digital project

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Digital Review: Chicana/o Activism in the Southern Plains

Chicana/o Activism in the Southern Plains Through Space and Time. https://plainsmovement.com/ . Created and maintained by Joel Zapata, Phd. https://plainsmovement.com/about . Reviewed January 25-27, 2020.

The project brings attention to the Chicano/a movement that happened in the Southern Plains, a rural region of Texas. It mainly relies on multiple newspapers, to show information on events of Chicano activism. Viewers must scroll through two pages before reaching the main map. These initial pages contextualize the project by providing history on the Chicano movement and describing the area the Southern Plains encompasses. The author acknowledges that not all instances of Chicano activism in the region are listed yet, as he is continuing research on this topic. The author conveys the information about each event. He created a map of Texas with color coded dots on the Southern Plains. Blue dots show sites of Chicano activism, and red dots represent killings that further motivated Chicano activists. When clicked on, the dots open up to a short description of the event. In addition, a timeline accompanies the map. In addition there is a list on the side of the map with the events also in chronological order.

The author provided three ways, all easy to access and navigate, to find relevant information. The map invites the visitor to explore and discover things at their own pace. The timeline shows the visitor how instances may have impacted each other. The list is a quick way to look for information on a specific event. The author did a great job designing the website so that the viewer could find their information easily. The two pages contextualizing this issue is a great way to start, followed by the well-designed map, and then four pages giving access to the items, information on how the research was done, the resources that made it possible, and an overview of the project and the author. These divisions are easy to navigate for the viewer, on both the computer and mobile browsers. The only possible issue on a mobile browser is that the map feels a bit crowded, but that seems to be more the smaller screen space then the design of the author. The website could also work on improving its accessibility to those who don’t have good vision. It could look at including a narration of each event if a certain button is clicked.

The audience is not clearly defined in the project itself but it seems as if it is attempting outreach to people who don’t know what the Chicano movement was, or those who know what it was but don’t know the impact it had in the Southern Plains. The two sections before the map do a great job of setting the stage for visitors that may be unaware of either history. It is a great invitation to explore a side of history they may not know.

I think that a digital project was the best way for the author to work towards his goal. This project is currently expanding as research on the subject expands. Rather than having to update a physical display every year or two, the author is able to keep adding to his current project. The interactive ability of the map and the timeline would have been hard to combine in a physical display and now viewers are invited to jump in and explore. The map and timeline are also well done and there are no issues when using them. It allows for the condensing and expanding of information as the viewer deems necessary.

Joel Zapata, a Visiting Assistant Professor at the University of Texas El Paso, created this project. Most of his work and scholarship deals with the borderlands region, the South, the Southwest, and the Southern Plains. His work deals with the existence and history of Mexicans in these regions and how they have impacted them. This project is definitely a great way of continuing this work and it did so in a way that the viewer can enjoy engaging in.

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Locating London’s Past: A Digital Review

Locating London’s Past. https://www.locatinglondon.org/ . Created by Matthew Davies (Centre for Metropolitan History, Institute of Historical Research), Tim Hitchcock (University of Hertfordshire), Robert Shoemaker (University of Sheffield), managed by Sharon Howard, developed by Jamie Maclaughlin (Humanities Research Institute), data prepared by Mary Merry (Institute of Historical Research), geo-references by David Bowsher, Peter Rauxloh and Sarah Jones (Museum of London Archaeology), technical work by Michael Pidd. https://www.locatinglondon.org/static/AboutThisProject.html . Reviewed February 8, 2019.

Locating London’s Past uses several maps of London to analyze geographic statistics. Using GIS, it illustrates 18th century records on John Rocque’s 1746 map of London. The University of Hertfordshire, the Institute of Historical Research, University of London, and the University of Sheffield developed this project. The project also got help from the Museum of London Archaeology and the Humanities Research Institute in developing the map and technical layout of the website. Because this is a non-profit project, the website depends on advertisements to maintain and upgrade it.

On the front page, one can examine 1746 London more closely and compare it with a 1869-80 map, a present day Google map, and a satellite view of London. There is an “about the project” tab, along with a short historical background section and a contact list. Under the about page, you can read more about the geocoding tool that they used to map the data in addition to the limitations they faced. Multiple places having the same name, several locations unable to be mapped, and failure to match street levels are some examples of these limitations with the tech.
In addition, you can also look at certain data and read document text. The majority of the content will be found under the data tab.

The data section of the project may look a bit puzzling at first glance, but it is helpful in finding specific information. For example, you can look at all of the documented trials from 1674 to 1819 that occurred at the Old Bailey. Here, you can choose the victim’s gender, category of offence, verdict and punishment. Suppose you wanted to look at all of the trials in London that involved an animal theft in which the male defendant was found guilty and sentenced to public whipping. As it turns out, several of those exact cases have been recorded. All of the trial account’s texts can be read and many can be mapped. The project has more to offer than just trial cases. It also includes criminal records, a list of carpenter apprentices, fire insurance policies, a 1774 directory of citizens living in London, religious records, burial records for plague victims, population distribution, and more. The authors include bibliography of the records used. Comparing population density on the map effectively can be complicated, but luckily the website authors have provided several video walkthroughs on Vimeo. This can be problematic if Vimeo eventually shuts down.

The project’s design is simple, but that is not a bad thing. It could benefit from fleshing out the historical background more by giving details on civilian life in 17th century London, but otherwise the information presented is straightforward. The abundance of specific categories to choose from is one of the main strengths of the project. From what I experienced, there does not seem to be any bugs or glitches on the project. This website will appeal most to visitors or researchers who want to analyze the geographic and court records of 18th century London.

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