Digital Historical Zoom ...

About: Using Google Earth

What you see here is the map of the earstwhile California as an island ~ 1650 meshed with the current Google Earth sattelite view.  I used the Image Overlay feature on the Add menu. 

As you can see i have definitively identified 4 points in common.  Strangely enough the logitudes on the old maps agree fairly closely with the current view.  I hope to identify several more points as time permits ... any help, is as always, greatly appreciated.

Jason is working on a flash version of this which will allow you to zoom not only into more detail but also back in time.  Eventually, if the technique becomes easy,  we should be able to plug any old map in and start building the historical dimension of zoom.

Tags

  1. google earth
  2. digital zoom
  3. island california
  4. history
  5. maps

Comments

Seth says

A detailed comparison between the old map of California and current geography begs the question: where were the rivers i have marked with a big red X.  The river below them which is marked as "Rio De Norta" is almost certainly the Colorado River.  But there is no way to sail North West from the mouth of the Colorado.   So did the map maker just make up those rivers? 

Any help in identifying these rivers and finding them on any other map would be greatly apperciated.

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