The Project¶

Layers of History is a project for preserving and rediscovering art and culture that isn’t here any more.

Our goal is to map multimedia content of art, historical artifacts, history of cultural importance, and present it in such a way that the viewer can connect to the past. We’ll provide a way to look at settler houses now buried under the Denny Regrade, back at murals that lie under chipping paint, and behind development to see our historical roots.

We’ll accomplish this by creating an open, mapped library of user-submissions.

An example case would follow a user discovering amazing graffiti spray-painted on public property. They’d take a photo, and add it to the map. While they are looking around, other Layers will be suggested that are nearby. The user can uncover these layers to find out more. The submitted photo would now be available for others to discover, even after it has long been painted over.

About Me: Forrest Baum¶

I’m the father of a 7 year-old, an avid local history buff, rabid bike rider, and science enthusiast. I liked science so much I made it the topic of my radio show: Academia Nut!

I like to learn all that I can, and share that knowledge with others. My favorite way to do this is by storytelling. Stories can capture the attention of those who might not otherwise be listening. Drama and humor connect with the listener. Plus: storytelling is fun!

Our Plans¶

We’ll start with what we know, producing several audio and video interviews of locals, and work to start sharing them in a novel way.

How we’ll use the money¶

To buy:
Zoom H2 microphone
Digital camera (capable of HD video)

I want to spend some time to choose the next achievable step, which may entail help in development. If at all possible, recruiting collaborators and mentors will keep costs down and allow for more functionality. I plan to reach out within coworking and hackerspace communities, as membership time will help simplify the work at hand.

Future Options¶

We’d like to partner with HistoryLink, 4Culture, The City Arts Council and beyond to provide this framework for anyone creating fleeting moments of art and culture.

Tools/Inspiration¶

www.historypin.com/map
omeka.org