By Charles Lefebvre

College students assist with digital map of London project

Jan 10, 2019 | 3:33 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB — A new project at Medicine Hat College saw students taking an in-depth look at the history of London.

The Map of Early Modern London project is a partnership between the college and the University of Victoria. Janelle Jenstad at the University of Victoria is the leader of the project, while Martin Holmes serves as lead programmer.

The map gives a visualization of London in the 1600s, and lists the locations of mayoral shows, which were the most popular public performances of the time.

“Every year, there was a new mayor elected in London, and whenever he was elected to take the office of Lord Mayor, they would put on a celebration along the streets of London and along the River Thames,” said Mark Kaethler, humanities instructor at Medicine Hat College. “You’d have little pageants that were put on, performances that would try to instruct him in proper ways of government, what he needed to tend to that year that was important. Playwrights were commissioned to write these things, and they were performed in the streets of London at different locations.”

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Medicine Hat College students were tasked by Kaethler to help fill in locations mentioned in the plays and performances. They learned coding, and were able to highlight locations on the map for performances, and even map out the routes for the processions.

“The good thing about a digital edition like this is you can present the text for a reader, but also link it, so it links back to the map, and you can see where in London that location was,” said Kaethler. “You can see the route it took, but you can also see what’s important about that location, whether it was a cathedral or a public marketplace.”

The students will be credited for their work on the project. Many of the students involved were studying education, and what they learned during the project can have a benefit for their future career.

“The open access nature is really great,” he said. “Anyone can use it in that way, as long as you have the access to the technology. As well, learning skills like text coding, these things are being taught earlier and earlier, and it becomes just about anywhere that people are using it. It’s really valuable for that way.”

The Map can be accessed here.