An introduction to the use of GIS in digital history efforts with an explanation of several related Azavea projects.

1. GIS and Digital History
September 14, 2010
340 N 12th St, Suite 402
Philadelphia, PA 19107
215.925.2600
info@azavea.com
www.azavea.com

2. About Azavea
• Founded in 2000
• 25 people
• Based in Philadelphia
– Boston satellite office
• Geospatial + web
• Software design & development
• Spatial analysis services

3. How Can GIS Help?
• Draw on the public’s strong connection to location
• Connect the past to the present
• Bring together multiple collections
• Assist with making new connections
• Provide access via mobile based technologies
• Possibly generate revenue

4. Related Projects
• PhillyHistory.org
• Mapping DuBois
• AfricaMap – Harvard Center for Geographic
Analysis
• Mural Arts Program – Muralfarm.org

5. • PhillyHistory.org (http://phillyhistory.org)
– Historic photo archive
– Mobile web app
– Augmented reality app
(Winter 2011)

8. Each of these images is intimately tied to a location.

9. Providing a
historical record -
not just of a time
or an event - but
also of the place
where the photo
was taken.

12. Google Street View
1911 2009

14. Mobile Access
• Geographic searches
• Location aware
• An iPhone web app
also accessible via
Android
• No administrative
functions
• Brings collections out of
the institution
• http://www.phillyhistory.org/i/

15. Using Augmented Reality to Connect
the Past and the Present
• Data or images appear on your
smart phone and tell you more
about the physical structure or
environment you are viewing
• Build for iPhone and Google
Android
• Engage students in the study of
history, architecture, and
photography
• Overlays of 500 historic
photographs of locations
around the city
• Additional contextual
Students and pretzel vendor at West Philadelphia High School, 1934. information for 20 images

16. Mapping the DuBois Philadelphia Negro
• Uses data gathered in 1896 by W.E.B. DuBois as part of a
survey of Philadelphia’s 7th Ward
• Data transformed into dynamic map layers
• Students and other public users can use the GIS to
explore and analyze the data
A historic W.E.B DuBois map (c. 1896) mapping data on African-Americans living in Philadelphia’s 7th ward.

17. AfricaMap
• Developed with Harvard
University, Center for
Geographic Analysis
• A web application that
provides search and display
for maps and data from
various sources
• Creates new opportunities
for making cross disciplinary
connections

18. • Muralfarm
(http://muralfarm.org)
– City of Philadelphia Mural
Arts Program
– Mobile survey tool to
update database &
collect field data
– Powered by Sajara, the
same digital asset
management software
behind PhillyHistory.org

19. Challenges
• Geographic information may not be tracked for each
asset
• Addresses and street plans may have changed over
time
• Location associated with an asset may be unknown or
disputable
• Location based projects garner much public interest,
requiring staff time for responses

20. Benefits
• Geographic information can be used for other
projects
• Attract public attention to your collections
• Introduce collections to new audiences
• Take advantage of location based mobile
technology
• Possibly generate revenue

21. Questions?
Deborah Boyer
Project Manager
dboyer@azavea.com
Twitter: @debsting
www.azavea.com