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Using maps and archival data, the Deptford Creek hack team will work towards identifying the built environment and exploring the associated sounds that might make up an Early-Modern Deptford soundscape. My interests are for 1669, but other hack members might be interested in earlier and later periods, and exploring the changing environment over time could be very interesting.
You might be wondering why a Canadian archaeologist and museum curator is interested in 1669 Deptford! As Curator of the Hudson's Bay Company collection, I oversee a large collection of artifacts from the Company's history, including a full-size replica of _Nonsuch _ketch.
To briefly summarize the history, _Nonsuch _departed Deptford in 1668 for Hudson Bay in search of a northern route for the fur trade (the French had the Gulf of St. Lawrence secured). It returned (to Deptford? it's not quite known) the following year loaded with furs and proved the success of a northern route, which lead to the creation of the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) in 1670.
To celebrate its 300th anniversary, the HBC commissioned a replica that was built in Appledore and launched in 1968. After sailing around England it was towed to Canada, sailed through the Gulf of St. Lawrence and into the Great Lakes. Following its tour it arrived in Winnipeg, at the time the Canadian headquarters for the Company, and a gallery was built around it. The Gallery was designed to be Deptford in 1668, the night before Nonsuch left, but it definitely lacks the authenticity and real sights and sounds. Now, as our museum embarks on a large gallery renewal project, I am working towards updating the gallery and flipping the narrative to when the Nonsuch returns in 1669.
Here is where I need the expertise and help of other maphackathon participants! How can I make the gallery look and feel like Deptford might have in 1669? How can this data be useful for other maphackathoners and Deptford-based culture-heritage institutions/groups/organizations? Can our attempts at mapping a soundscape be transferable to other areas and projects? Let's make sure this hack is beneficial to as many people as possible!