Nothing immerses you in history like physically engaging with primary sources. Physical interaction allows for a greater conception and understanding of the material. So, when our Digital History class took a trip to the Pennsylvania State Archives in Harrisburg on September 24th, the experience was well worth the drive and the cost of parking. At … Continue reading Archives, and Articles, and Analysis, Oh My
Digital History is the use of digital media for the study and practice of history. This past week our Digital History class visited the Pennsylvania State Archives in order to gain a better understanding of the process of Digital History, and to also access and digitize tax records from the city of Harrisburg in the … Continue reading Digital History: PA State Archives
As I stood at Desk #1 in the Pennsylvania State Archives, tears welled up in my eyes. Maybe it was the fact that we had the privilege of blowing early 20th century dust off Harrisburg tax records or the fact that this same dust was deeply stuck in my eye; either way it was a … Continue reading Whether ’tis Nobler…
On the morning of September 24th, our Digital History class took a field-trip to the State Archives, located in central Harrisburg. I had the opportunity to complete research in the archives during my internship this summer, but only worked with the microfilm collection, so it was a really neat experience to actually handle original documents … Continue reading What’s Black and White and Read All Over?
With the development of computers in the late twentieth century, many fields of study were dramatically changed. One of these fields to take on the task of computer mastery is history. I am currently in a Digital History course at Messiah College, taught by Professor David Pettegrew. We have been studying how to further incorporate computer technology … Continue reading Introduction to Digital History
As I walk around, the heart of campus is beating with the energy brought on by the start of a new semester. This pulsation seeps into the classrooms where chalk hits blackboards with fresh information. I relish the feeling of excitement and unfamiliarity especially in the uncharted territory of Digital History. To say I am generally inexperienced … Continue reading Something New
The 2015-2016 academic year at Messiah College is well under way. As a student in Dr. David Pettegrew’s Digital History course, we have read the first few chapters of History in the Digital Age. This compilation of texts by various authors focuses on the advancement of technology and academic resources and their shaping of the research process for historians. Yet, … Continue reading Expectations of a New Digital History Student
As a junior history and English major at Messiah College I enrolled in Dr. Pettegrew’s “Digital History” course in order to fulfill a requirement for my public history concentration. I officially decided to add this concentration and a public relations minor, after my recent internship experience. This summer, I had the privilege of participating in the Pennsylvania Historical … Continue reading WordPress, Zotero, and Harrisburg – Oh My!
It's been several months since a general update on our work on the Harrisburg City Beautiful and City Social Projects. The silence of this site is no indicator of the progress we have made in spring and early summer in putting the Harrisburgers of the early 20th century on the map. Here are the major strides we've … Continue reading A Mid-Summer Update: Census Data, Church Membership, and Property Values
This morning I was watching an episode of The West Wing while working on finishing the database for the 1910 Harrisburg Census and it just so happened to be an episode about the Census. I just can't escape it. But a quote from the episode truly resonated with me and how I feel some days while working on … Continue reading Finishing Up 1910
Digital Harrisburg 