There is a high percent chance that you are currently standing on a gravesite right now. Maybe a historical landmark. A piece of the past right below your feet. Now more than ever, we are able to research the historical background of major cities, favorite vacation spots, and even hometowns. What if there was a way we could instantly display hundreds of historical photos taken in the exact spot you were standing in? And what if we could do this for all the steps around you? For all the blocks nearby? For the entire city in which you live?
OldNYC.org brings this exact concept to life. It maps historical photos in New York City from 1870 to 1970 using Google Maps. Tagging each location with a red dot, the site displays the accompanying pictures taken at each location over time for almost every block of the city. Creating a sea of red, the hundreds of dots engulf the city with history as one continues to zoom out of the map. And here’s the biggest curveball...this project was created in less than a month! This project didn’t take years of cultivation. It didn’t take years of restoration. All it took was an idea and an opportunity.
After releasing over 180,000 public domain images in high resolution, the New York Public Library Labs invited artists, scholars, programmers and who ever was willing to participate in Remix Residences. They not only encouraged people to engage with material ranging from medieval manuscripts to early 20th century baseball cards, but they challenged participants to create new experiences with the artifacts. Calling for mappings, visualizations, generative art, games, bots, and interactives, the NYPL Labs are pushing for a new use of their digital library. Explained as “an extension of what the library has always done”, the project pushes creatives to tell a new story. They are asking to transform the stagnant to the dynamic.
Access to all this material alone would be an incredible step forward. Their easy to navigate database allows viewers to conveniently and efficiently hover and scroll though hundreds of thousands of images. However, as NYPL Labs puts it, “digitalization is just the start”. The greater emphasis should be placed on user-friendly access that lifts tight copyright restrictions. Today, we are constantly seeing the over protection of intellectual property and personal works. With technological developments and interconnectivity of the digital sphere, the ability to plagiarize has become easier and instilled a heavy belief that we must protect and hoard everything. NYPL Labs presents an opposite approach. They are breaking down their barriers and welcoming everyone to interact with all they have to offer.
Visualization of new digital collection by NYPL Labs
Recognizing the ways we approach creativity in new mediums and libraries as a resource have changed, the New York Public Library has taken action to revamp its presence in this digital age. They concocted a creative and sustainable way to engage everyone and keep the conversation going.
OldNYC.org was one of many submissions to project. Check out another piece below that allows users to explore 20th century floor plans for luxurious apartments. Keep an eye out for NYPL Labs to announce a winner in early March 2016!
