Selective Digitization

Due: 10/1

What

Research and obtain a scanned map, georeference it, and then digitize selected features in order to produce a new map that has a different focus or narrative.

Write a pithy 2 sentence summary of your map’s intended argument (think of this as something like gallery text that might accompany a work of art).

Requirements

• Your final work must be a designed map composition in a single image with a 16:9 aspect ratio (1920x1080 pixels).

• Select one of the map examples discussed thus far during class (look back at lecture slides and/or examples from Miro) and imitate some aspect of its graphic style when designing the map of digitized features. This is the best way to learn and practice designing beautiful maps.

• Your designed map composition must include:
  • title
  • legend
  • scale bar (or two depending on whether you show your map at the same scale…)
  • north arrow (your map doesn’t need to have north pointing vertically…)
  • citations for all data sources (please use Chicago style or an equivalent)
  • projection used
  • your name

Submission

• Upload your designed map & a copy of the scanned map you georeferenced:
  • as a single pdf to Canvas (the PDF should include your 2 sentence summary on a third page))
  • add your map & the original scanned map (as well as your 2 sentence summary) to the pin-up section for 10/1 in the course Miro board

Resources

Here are a few good resources for finding scanned maps:

• Columbia Geodata Portal
• Columbia Lehman Library Map Collection
• NYPL Map Division
• David Rumsey Historical Map Collection
• Map collection at the Library of Congress
• Perry-Castañeda Map Collection at the University of Texas
• Norman Leventhal Map Collection at the Boston Public Library
• Topographic Maps from the U.S. Geological Survey