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| Google composite of map images from HOLC collection |
Another in
the series on sessions I attended at the NGS 2014 Family History Conference.
T222 Oh, The Things you Can Map: Mapping Data, Memory, and
Historical Context, Stefanie
Evans, CG, Syllabus page 183
A big
takeaway from this talk was that “maps are NOT neutral.” Maps are always created with a purpose and
it’s important to understand that purpose when using and interpreting what any
map shows. Additionally, maps do contain
errors – just like vital records and other documents we regularly refer to,
just because something is “official” doesn’t always mean that it is accurate.
She also
talked about having those we reach out to create “mental maps” of where they
lived, where they traveled, their neighborhood and so forth. This really rang a bell with me. I can still mentally drive from my childhood
home all over town and yet I could tell you very few street names – though I
remember landmarks, where select people lived, and much more – some of which are
no longer extant.
Stefanie
introduced me to a map group which I was not familiar with -- Home Owners’ Loan Corporation (HOLC). Some of these maps are found online. I did a quick search and found maps for OH, Hartford
(CT), and select cities across the country. NARA II
also holds maps for select cities. I also found out that there is an NC project, Dividing Durham: HOLC’s Survey of the Bull City. Additional
NC cities which were mapped/redlined were Asheville ,
Charlotte , Greensboro
and Winston-Salem
The
associated syllabus pages provide a great overview of the talk (which covers so
much more than my brief summary) and also include a bibliography.
Editor’s Note: This session was NOT recorded. Hopefully a
friend attended the conference and you can learn more!
Editor’s Note: This series is not
presented in any particular order.
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