Old Hampshire Mapped
HANTSMAP Project
Notes
HANTSMAP
file: HANTSMAP.rul MN: 18.6.1998
last edit 1.1.2001
HANTSMAP PROJECT NOTE
The Old Hampshire Mapped project is a private research project of Jean and Martin Norgate, begun out of an interest in old maps and a wish to relate them to our environment today. The object of the exercise is, in the jargon of museums and environmental education, interpretation. But fundamentally we wish to make items in the Map Collection of Hampshire County Council Museums Service (HMCMS) more accessible to people interested in their environment.This Map Collection is the best public collection of early printed maps in the county.
Gallery Display
A primary aim was to be able to support a gallery display of maps. The maps would be framed hanging on the walls. The maps would be visible: but however carefully their height is chosen they would be up on a wall, not the best position for study, and they would not be well lighted. Lighting has to be kept at a low level for long term display; light is dangerous, fading the colours and weakening the paper.This said; no particular map display is planned, and will not be planned as part of the project.
More Maps
In any gallery wall space is limited, it is impossible to have more than so many maps on display. Using a computer screen many more maps could be displayed at the touch of a button; how many depends on how far the project continues! The researcher may wish to make an appointment to see the real thing, museum curators believe in the real thing, but the general visitor can have access to more than will fit in a gallery by these tools. The researcher may find that the images presented are better than looking at the real thing!Project Aims
Firstly: The computer display aims to have the maps visible at a convenient position, bright and clear, magnified as if seen with a low power lens, say 2 or 3 times, to help with reading the words and seeing the symbols. Once in the map the user can move around at will, either moving north/east/south/west square at a time, or just scrolling across an enlarged image of the map.Secondly: the computer displays aim to make it easier to find a place on the map. For each map in the project there is a gazetteer of old and modern place names which jumps the user into the map at the right 'square'. There may be supplementary lists of places, which might not have been labelled on the original, which similarly jump the viewer into the right part of the map. This is generally done for rivers, bridges, hills, forests, parks and some other features.
Thirdly: we have tried to help the user understand what is on the map. By manipulating the image, a particular feature, the hills for example, can be highlighted and labelled on a feature map and supported by a short essay. This has been done regularly for rivers, hills, trees in woods or forests, parks, beacons, coastal defence, coast line, market and other towns, hundreds, roads, ancient monuments, etc.
Fourthly: the cartography of the map is explored, its compass rose, scale line, title cartouche, settlement and other symbols, etc. These features are described for the map and this supported by more general notes.
Lastly: the analysis of each map and the design of the images used on the computer screen have been made to common patterns. As well as moving around the map square by square, using the modern national grid as an underlying framework, the viewer can jump from map to map - flying through time. This is done for the feature maps as well as the map squares so that the mapping of features can be compared map to map.
In all cases the presentation of the whole map, without restrictions from curator/editors, is a primary aim. We have not selected what is and is not shown; excepting that we have had to select topics for special treatment. The interpretation is as objective as possible and is minimal. The user is encouraged to take any topic further; we hope to stimulate not to control.
We have made no concessions to the user. The project is not specifically aimed at the cartographic specialist; it is well illustrated and tries to keep language plain, but it does not shy away from technical concepts where necessary.
The Web
The whole project has been designed within the limitations of the hypertext mark up language, HTML, used for the World Wide Web. This is widely available and familiar to many computer users. The project is now hosted on the University of Portsmouth's web site to make it accessible world wide.There are some limitations which are uncomfortable; HTML is deficient as a hypertext system. Some limitations have been ignored. There are some large files in the project. These are tagged with a warning and can be avoided, but the viewer will miss some of the exciting pictures. We have steered a middle course; there is no use of Java, plug-ins, etc, on the other hand the results of this project will only work with a browser capable of seeing HTML Framesets which is not true of very old versions of browsers.
CD ROM
The project us available on CD ROM. It is not be specially versioned - except that certain relief data cannot which is on the academic site cannot be released on CD, the user will be expected to read the project off the CD with their web browser. It can be used without having an internet connection. We think this is an excellent way to publish this sort of project, though it might be better to use the XML standard once this is truly established and clear. (Not yet, 2001.) Publishing material this way allows the use of many large clear images with which affordable books cannt cope.Scanning
Maps have usually been scanned at 300dpi on a flat bed scanner. A4 and A3 scanners have been used. We are very grateful for encouragement and practical help with an A3 scanner from Dominic Fontana at the Geography Department of Portsmouth University.The master scan images are tidied up some; sorting out alignment and size, stitching where necessary for very large sheets, dealing with paper colour, checking for computer artefacts in the scan, etc. (This can be very time consuming, and JandMN reserve their copyright in the scanned image which 'contains' this hard work, all done without payment by the JMN part of the team.) This image is stored as uncompressed .tif file. 3 copies are made of the file on CD, writing in CD Mode 1, ISO9660 format. 1 backup copy is lodged with HMCMS, 1 with Dominic Fontana (which he may use for teaching, though not for publication less by prior arrangement), and 1 with the authors.
Images for use are generally reduced to about 150dpi, saved as .jpg at fairly high compression. ...
Copyright
- We, Jean and Martin Norgate, reserve our copyright
in the results of this project. - We do this not to restrict use but to prevent others
claiming copyright and restricting use of the site. - For any private purpose, or for academic or school
uses, you may copy what elements of the site you will.
BUT not the whole site! Please respect this permission
in the spirit in which it is meant. If in doubt, ask us. - We would be pleased if you can cite where you got
whatever you use - credit to 'Jean and Martin Norgate'. - You may not copy anything for distribution for any sort
of financial gain without permission.
Please enjoy it all.
