Return of the Evanston map!

Northwestern has published a news story about the conservation treatment and digitization of the (big, stinky) Evanston map.

The oldest printed map of Evanston -- discovered several years ago on the verge of disintegration -- has been vibrantly restored and made freely available online by Northwestern University Library.

"This map is a very rare and important piece of Evanston's history," says University Archivist Kevin Leonard, "and the conservation staff here did an incredible job bringing it back from the grave."

Published circa 1876 by local surveyor and mapmaker Theodore Reese, the map appears to be the earliest published plat of blocks, streets and alleys in all three of the separate villages -- north, south and central -- that eventually merged into the incorporated City of Evanston. "So it's valuable as a relic of Evanston's past," Leonard says, "but it also continues to be of use to anyone researching the history of their own or other Evanston real estate, because these were some of the earliest legal property boundaries."

Here is the video about the map's treatment and digitization. My arm is featured prominently, but there's also a shot of me (at 2:20 in) helping Susan place a piece of lining tissue on the back.

Library Restores and Digitizes Oldest Known Map of Evanston from Northwestern News on Vimeo.

Drop-lining, or: I'm a YouTube star!

Yup, that's me, in green.

Exhibit: HIV/AIDS Materials from Nigeria

Images of the exhibit I worked on back in December and January. It'll stay up in the library until February 26th.






I created these poster display mounts in the tall exhibit cases, since we didn't want to put them on the wall (where they'd be unsecured) and we wanted to showcase as many posters as possible. It's two pieces of Vyvek plastic, notched at the center, and supported by a base of several layers of matboard with a groove cut into it to hold the plastic. Magnets then hold the posters to the plastic, allowing eight posters for each display.

Giant, filthy, cracking map of Evanston

Scavenger Hunt!

So my roommate, Mary, and I are having a photo scavenger hunt to help us determine who should get the bigger (and somewhat better) room in our apartment. We've already finished gathering photos, so now it's time to turn to the rest of the internet to help with the voting.



Please, please, please visit our scavenger hunt blog and vote for your favorite photos! There are 31 pairs of photos, but only one chance to play a historical role in settling this epic photographic battle!