HistoryForge is an open-source program being developed by The History Center in Tompkins County that combines historic maps, data from the US Census, archival and user-generated content to allow users to engage with local history in unique ways.
thehistorycenter.net/historyforge
thehistorycenter.net/historyforge/about-historyforge
We propose a workshop in which we will lead participants in an exploration of the program and its capabilities as well as what it takes to create an engaging digital public history project
Some of the topics we can discuss include:
Building the HistoryForge database:
-Fun with the census! Transcribing and standardizing census data
-Playing with historic maps! Geo-rectifying historic maps and/or using maps to verify census data
Using HistoryForge:
-Scavenger hunt! Searching and finding historic data on HistoryForge
-More fun with maps! See the results of your search visually displayed on map layers
Please come with questions and ideas!
Eve, thanks for the proposal, I love it. I wonder how this session could also include a conversation on working with historic maps from other locations, especially outside of West, and on visualizing history on maps when data is scarce. I have done projects on queer history, including its aspects in Eastern Europe, and in these context scarcity of data or rather abundance of disparate data sets (images, newspaper clippings, oral histories), poses a number of challenges. Not sure if my questions make sense, I am happy to clarify them on the spot.