Selective Digitization

Due: 2/09

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.

Think strategically about your basemap: What context is needed to understand the focus of your map?

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 precedents page 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 Miro board under Assignment 2

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