An original artefact
I admit it. I’m a sucker for artefacts. History, not just an interpretation in a book. Happily, stuff doesn’t wear out (in every case), and for the last few months I’ve been treated to old family photos, old family documents, old… as we put together a local history text.
Today, a special treat; someone brought in their own copy of the Lake Map. This was produced in 1863 and did a reasonable job of identifying (by names) the various farms across the Island. I’d first come across the map, permanently attached to the wall in the local university library. Not the best aspect for viewing, given the limited light and the simple fact that we’re not all three meters tall.
The map is huge, for those of us accustomed to road maps. A full “4 feet by 8 feet”, or the equivalent of a sheet of drywall board. Or a superb bed blanket. Imagine having a personal copy, one that you could unroll on a long winter night as you tried to discover who used to live where.
Happily, there are other access possibilities. Online, digitized photos of each section. An index ? Maybe… But to actually squat down beside the real thing, in proper lighting, with a magnifying glass (the names are small). Ambrosia for the historical tourist. I’ll stop praising, for a moment, and provide the curious with a couple of links here on the web. That way, if you have an interest, you can seek out where your great-grands lived, back before Confederation. And since there are no more originals available to purchase, this is all you get.
