“In union there is strength” (Aesop). Historypin builds on the principle that alone an individual cannot know everything. However, a group of people together are stronger than one individual. As such, Historypin permits and encourages all people to contribute and build a database of resources to support historical knowledge and exploration.
Historypin was created in partnership with Google in 2011. It consists of a web platform with additional apps that can be downloaded. The goal is to pull upon the efforts of local volunteers – individuals as well as organizations – to collect photographs, oral histories, maps or any type of information that can be useful in our exploration of local histories and, by extension, national and global histories. As of March 19th, 2015, over 60,000 people had contributed information as well as 2,000 libraries, archives and museums. Altogether, they contribute to building an enormous and useful database that provides access to local, national and worldwide history for all to use.
Historypin works by collecting the local history or resource and then “pinning” this to a map. The more local historical contributions, the more pins will appear on the map. This map then becomes the main search feature, while others (thematic-based groupings) can be used for additional or support searches.
Searching Historypin can be as complicated or as simple as the end user wishes to make it. From the main page, there is a Pin of the Day which relates to an event based on what is happening. For example, as I am searching around St Patrick’s Day, the Pin of the Day is of a St Patrick’s Day parade. The main page also provides an updated listing of recent pins or related activity. If one wishes to look at recent pins or activities, simply click on the hyperlink and one is taken directly to the relevant pin. Also provided are certain groupings from the main page, such as First World War Centenary. One can also use the Explore Where You Live […] search box found on the main page. Simply type in the community where you live or the community to explore or to research. In my case, being based in Burlington Ontario (Canada), I type in Burlington. As I type, possible hits are shown below the box. From here, I can simply click on the relevant entry and then click Go. I am taken directly to a local map of not only my community but other local communities which could be useful in my search. From the map, I can narrow the results. I can narrow down by Date or by Subject. The Date option provides a sliding timeline where I, as the end user, can select the time period in which I am interested. The Subject option used to narrow the search results allows me to enter any additional search terms that could narrow the results. For example, I can enter Church. The map with then narrow the results given my delimiters, so that I end up with a listing of pins related to churches in the Burlington area.
Results are displayed on a map with pins, indicating the presence of local information. If there is more than one resource for any area, the number of pins will indicate this (e.g., if there are three results, the map will show three pins). I then click on the pin and get the results. For each entry, there is a detailed entry which includes the picture or resource. Information on who provided the pin is provided which permits the end user to evaluate the information and/or resource based on the provider of the information. Basic information related to the entry is also provided. However, this is only as good as the information provided by the creator. Tags which are developed based on the entry are given which then can be used to expand one’s search. Simply click on any tag and be taken to another search based on the tags. One option is to select to view Comments and Suggestions. This not only provides further information on the resource but can be used for additional comments. For example, in my case, I searched for Churches within my larger Burlington search. One result was for St Raphael Church giving a picture and information for this church, which is in Glengarry County in Ontario. The address is for St Raphael’s church in Burlington. However, this alone illustrates the strength and the weakness of Historypin. The information is incorrect. If anyone using this site is not familiar with Burlington and the churches found there, one could accept this information as face value. However, the strength of this site is that I am empowered, once having logged on via Google, Twitter or Facebook, to add my comments such as indicating that the address is the wrong one.
One option in the results screen is for Repeats. Repeats, according to the information provided, are modern replicas of older photographs made using the Smartphone app. I searched several times but was not able to find an example of a Repeat.
Copyright information is provided within the entry. Information is provided on the use of the image or resource as well as a contact for the owner of the copyright or at least the contributor, so that one has a contact to seek or to enquire about using images or resources.
From the home screen, one can also select to go directly to the map from a top banner. From here, one can simply browse the map and select any interesting or relevant area. A concern is that from the larger map, some areas appear to have no pins. For example, from the large map, Greece appears to have no pins. However, as one goes for a more detailed map, the pins for Greece appear. Take the time to explore each area of interest even if it appears that there are no pins.
There is also a Project area accessible from the top banner. This will take one to projects or topics. For example, two of the projects available in March 2015 are Olympic Memories or Sound Connections. Sound Connections provides photographs, videos and audio clips of sounds from across Europe. Simply click on the relevant project and one is taken to the pins. One can also submit ideas for additional projects.
Tours and Collections can also be accessed from the top banner. Collections bring together resources related to a theme or topic such as Historical Postcards of California or Bath’s Architecture. Tours are digital tours, using pins found in Historypin, to tell a story through time, such as Royal celebrations in Reading.
A “Get involved” page tells us how easy it is to get involved. I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to become a contributor. Simply logging in with Google, in my case, gave me immediate access as a contributor. From this option, there is also a blog page.
Overall Historypin is a highly recommended site. Even though there are some errors – such as my example above – pulling upon the strength of the community, such errors can at least be noted if not corrected.
