History Pin
A free public history database for historic images, video and audio clips uploaded by 60,000 “citizen historians” and 2,500 libraries, archives, museums, universities and historic institutions
Its mission is to “use collaborative archiving, using local heritage to build communities and strengthen local connections,” under the assumption that local social capital is disintegrating.
Navigating
-Users can search the website based on location or tag and narrow the search by date
-Or browse collections, user profiles, private projects and tours
Map view
-Uploaded pictures are pinned to their locations on Google Maps
-With each image the user finds: details (uploader, tags, date of image, address of image and any additional uploaded information), comments, repeats of the image and copyright information.
-When available users can view an image overlaid with the Googles Street View of the location, with adjustable transparency.
Tours and Collections
-Users can take or create guided tours through specific locations based on events, periods or themes via Google Street View.
-In “Collections” users can explore thematic digital exhibits.
Back Matter
-Founded by Oxford history graduate, Nick Stanhope in partnership with Google.
-Supported by Google, the Andrew Mellon Foundation, the Arts and Humanities Research Council, Fujitsu Laboratories, Heritage Lottery Fund, Nesta, Stanford and the Lisa and Douglass Goldman Foundation.
Review HistoryPin is primarily a utility for public history, with its mission being to reconnect communities through the exploration of their history. In terms of historians, HistoryPin’s main appeal would be to the public historian, as it allows visual archives to be presented to the public in the form of interactive digital exhibits. It may be useful in terms of research and I have found useful images for my research that I likely wouldn’t have otherwise. The majority of the uploads come from historical institutions. With the exception of the images uploaded by “citizen historians,” HistoryPin’s main innovation for the researching historian is in how it presents and organizes it’s data and perhaps in the consolidation of multiple collections on one site. The ability to view the juxtapose then and now may also provide the researcher with insights and lines of inquiry they otherwise may not have considered. The historical value of some “citizen” uploads may be questionable, such as a laptop selfie in a cafe in Casablanca, but I suppose over time any image may prove valuable. Overall, I think this is a brilliant website, but with it’s primary utility being for the publci and the public historian.
History 717 Student Blog 