Category Archives: Theory and Practice

Calvin and Hobbes

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The digitized Calvin and Hobbes cartoon images used in our classes syllabus shouldn’t infringe on any copyrights regulations, so long as the cartoons are used in full and aren’t edited in any way. Anything published between 1977 and March 1, 1989, falls under public domain if it doesn’t hold a copyright notice, which I don’t believe the comic does. The comic was also published publicly in newspapers, thus making it available to the majority of the US to see and use how they wish. The act of digitizing should be completely legal, as the strip is being presented in the same way that it was originally printed, just in a different format, and by displaying the comics in full, as they were originally printed, they should be perfectly acceptable to use.

Also, Calvin and Hobbes comic strips were not a purchasable piece of art, as they were published publicly in news papers, making them available to almost anyone while in syndication. Where as publishing a novel online, where the author makes money through book sales, the comics are not subject to such restrictions.

Primary Sources

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Primary sources are an immensely important part of digital history, as they allow us to analyze and learn about the past from first hand sources and materials. Everything from photos to newspaper articles and written accounts can aid us in developing a better understanding of past events.

 

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This photograph, taken circa 1876, depicts the construction of the foundation for the Washington Monument in Washington DC. The picture was created by the Federal Works Agency Public Buildings Administration, and is currently included in the Still Picture Records section of the National Archives at College Park. By examining the image, it is evident that the image was taken before the break in construction which occurred from 1854 to 1877, as there are scaffolding and raw materials all around the unfinished monument, as well as men who seem to be working on the top of it. Some greenery and a few buildings are visible in the background, which gives a look into the landscape of DC at the time, which was not nearly as developed and held many more trees than it does now. There is also water visible in the background, though we aren’t told which side of the monument we are shown, so it is difficult to tell if this is the river or an canal that existed at the time. This image gives insight into the layout of DC in the late 1800s, as well as a visual understanding of the construction process of the famed Washington Monument.

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This map, published by the Columbia Planograph Company around 1922, depicts a birds eye view of Washington DC. It is not drawn to scale, and north is meant to be in the top right corner. The capital building can be seen in the center of the map, with the national mall stretching before it and many other, unidentified buildings surrounding it. Despite not being to scale, the map does show the size of DC at the time, as well as the number of buildings and the division of street blocks. Along the side of the map, it does identify important buildings and places of interest, making this map useful for gaining a sense of the size of the city and it’s buildings and monuments. It would also be useful in identifying many of the differences between the city’s current look, and the way it looked years ago.

These sources are essential to understanding Washington DC as it used to exist, as well as its development into the city we now know. The photograph of the Washington Monument was more difficult to analyze than the map, because less space is shown and less visual information is provided, but both show important insight in their own way.

 

Where to Research?

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When working with digital history, it’s important to know that the sites from which you’re gathering information are fully reliable, as not to taint your work with false information. It’s paramount that all websites are checked for factuality and are presented by a credible source, which requires a good look around the page itself and an inspection of its content.

chicago worlds fair

A Century of Progress: The 1933-34 World’s Fair is a website dedicated to the Chicago World’s Fair from 1933-34. The site, created and run by the University of Chicago Library, was put together in 2004 and presents artifacts from and about the fair in a simple, archive style. Its simple layout allows visitors to easily search items by author, subject, title, or keyword, and provides hundreds of results ranging from pictures, newspaper articles, pamphlets, and documents, allowing for a new look at the happenings of the fair itself. This website primarily serves as a museum of sorts, allowing anyone to learn about the fair and view items and information from and about it in one accessible location. On the right hand side, it provides a statement about the website’s purpose, as well as a link to other sources of information. It’s backed by a viable source, has valuable information, and links to many other sites which could be of use to someone researching this topic, making it a credible and useful source.

 

seatle fire

The Great Seattle Fire, presented by the University of Washington Library, is an incredible collection of photographs from the historic fire that destroyed 25 Seattle city blocks in 1889. Upon being directed to the page, a small article describes the events of the fire, including what caused it and the results which followed. Links off to the right bring viewers to the actual photo collection, which allows you to look through pages of photographs detailing the area before, during, and after the blaze. Each photograph has a small description which gives all available information about what is pictured and who actually photographed the scene. In addition, the site provides links to other collections within the University of Washington Library which are in relation to the fire and the photographs. There is a bit of difficulty presented when searching for specific photos, as the only way to search seems to require you to search through the entire database of collections, rather than the single one you’re viewing, but with a few added keywords it certainly finds what you’re looking for. The site provides a plethora of visual information which is visibly credible and would be useful to anyone researching the fire itself, or the history of the area.