About
Through close reading of the Egyptian Gazette, an English-language daily newspaper published in Alexandria, we will compile comprehensive data about local events during a single year, 1905. Each student will be responsible for one week (6 issues, totaling 40 pages) of the paper; together we will cover the year.
This class brings together
- microhistory,
- urban history,
- Middle Eastern history,
- media history,
- and digital history.
It is suitable for those interested in
- history
- Middle East studies
- digital humanities
- computer science
- communications
- international studies
- history of journalism and advertising
No background in these fields is necessary, however.
We will gather this data using digital methods. Students will learn to use:
- microfilm
- photo stitching (Microsoft Image Composite Editor)
- optical character recognition (AABBY FineReader)
- project management (Github)
- XML editor (Oxygen)
- Text Encoding Initiative tags
- name authority files (Prosop)
- mapping software (Google Maps Engine, GOAD fire insurance maps 1905)
The class is composed of labs and workshops, not lectures.
We then work together to represent those events in a website that will employ a variety of digital communication tools. This website will present serial data and analysis concerning:
- local crime news
- international events
- commodity prices
- shipping
- passenger arrivals and departures
- weather
- the stock market
- advertising
- sports scores
science news
and much, much more!