Select a DH mapping project from the following list and think about the way it uses maps. Think also about Turnbull’s contention that all maps are perspectival and subjective. What kinds of assumptions, and whose point of view, does the map you’ve selected reflect? What does the map reveal and what does it obscure? Imagine and describe an alternate map.
I chose to explore Digital Harlem for this week’s blog post. The Digital Harlem website showcases information from newspapers, legal records, and other published sources in order to present a dataset concerning everyday life in Harlem during 1915 to 1930.Unique to this project is the idea that it on the lives of ordinary African New Yorkers which is a rarity as generally only african american artists or the middle class have been publicly documented.
When first arriving to the page, an interactive map of Harlem and a search tool are displayed. The map makes the assumption that the location and expansion of the african community is an integral part of this story. As Turnball said “A map is always selective. In other words, the mapmaker determines what is, and equally importantly, what is not included in the representation”. However I have issues with this map as I feel like it defies Turnball’s notion and in doing so, leads astray from the goal of the project.
The map clearly focuses on the boundaries of where African Americans lived in New York City, however, I don’t think this is very effective in trying to showcase the lives of the ordinary person of this time. The map displays the boundaries of where these communities resided, the types of material the houses were built with and other misc. floor plan information. I think this map is a great piece of supplemental evidence to the story, however, I don’t think it should be the focus.
I think a map showcasing where the arrests occur and what specific arrests were made would be helpful to this narrative. One could label different colors if the arrest was due to peaceful circumstances or was a first-time occurrence. Also I think the map would be more useful if it highlighted the annual incomes of each household as it would show the range of demographics within these boundaries.