-------- Original Message --------
Subject:        Re: Medieval 'projection'
Date:   Wed, 18 Jan 2012 16:33:55 -0600
From:   Nat Case <[log in to unmask]>
Reply-To:       [log in to unmask]
To:     Maps, Air Photo, GIS Forum - Map Librarianship
<[log in to unmask]>



Wouldn't you need to rubbersheet it to a standard projection? The
biggest problem isn't a mysterious "projection", it's inaccuracy.
Because it's meant to show directions as constant, it's a cylindrical
projection, but especially outside the Mediterranean, longitude was
impossible to get right, so everything will be cattywampus vs modern
maps. So... consider rubbersheeting, as Mr Rumsey has done to a number
of maps at http://www.DavidRumsey.com
You may be interested in Rumsey and Meredith Williams' article on
georeferencing historic maps at http://davidrumsey.com/gis/ch01.pdf

--
Nat Case, Head of Production
*HEDBERG MAPS, INC.*
Creative Cartographic and Marketing Solutions

hedbergmaps.com <http://www.hedbergmaps.com>
612-706-9686 (direct: 612-548-5672)
1500 Jackson St NE, Suite 314
Minneapolis, MN 55413 USA


On 1/18/12 2:20 PM, Angie Cope, American Geographical Society Library,
UW Milwaukee wrote:
> attachment (jpeg)
>
> -------- Original Message --------
> Subject:        Medieval 'projection'
> Date:   Wed, 18 Jan 2012 14:10:39 -0600
> From:   Thornton, Jacob <[log in to unmask]>
> To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
>
>
>
> Hi all,
>
> I have a unique request that I’m working on and thought the list might
> be a great source. I’m the GIS guy in the Vanderbilt Library and am
> giving an instruction session in a French Lit class that is studying
> Mandeville’s travels in the 1300s. They want to map the locations he
> went as part of a digital humanities section of the course. We’re going
> to geocode modern place names that he was known to have traveled to, but
> we’d like to be able to use a map from that time period. Naturally, the
> modern projection didn’t exist.
>
> Here’s a map they want to work with:
> http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b1/Europe_Mediterranean_Catalan_Atlas.jpeg
>
>
> I’ve attached my shot at georeferencing that map. I used the Mercator
> projection, which I eyeballed to be the closest fit, but it is certainly
> not perfect. The blue areas are modern landmasses that I’m using and you
> can see how the map does or doesn’t line up. I don’t expect to ever get
> a perfect fit, but I wonder if I could get a better one at least.
>
> Has anyone here done work in this realm? Creating “projections” for the
> way maps were drawn in medieval times, or at least choosing a modern
> projection that has a closest fit? The time period is 1357-1371. The
> goal is to get our geocode of modern place names to line up as well as
> possible with the Medieval map.
>
> Thanks in advance!
>
> -Jacob
>
> :::...:::...:::...:::...:::...:::...:::...:::...:::
>
> Jacob B. Thornton
>
> GIS Coordinator
>
> Vanderbilt University
>
> Jean and Alexander Heard Library
>
> 419 21st Avenue South
>
> Nashville, TN 37240
>
> http://www.library.vanderbilt.edu/gis
>
> 615.343.7542
>
> [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>
>